Algae problem :(

[Mark0930]

Hey,

I've got a fluval evo 13, had it about 6/7 months. Currently stocked with 3 Corals, 1 fish, 1 shrimp and 3 snails. I

In the last couple of weeks I've been having a problem with slime taking over the sand bed and glass and what looks like hair algae on the rocks. I've tested the water, nitrate seems to be about 30-40 mg/l which I know is high, but phosphate seems to be 0 - 0.1 so I think this imbalance might be causing an issue? I'd love some advice, I've watched / read quite a bit but I'm not sure what to do and I don't want to panic try lots of drastic things.

 

[Jekyl]

I would get some better tests and dose live phyto. 0 to .1 for phosphate is actually a large gap. Get nitrate to under 20 through some water changes. Mayne add some additional snails and some hermits.

 

[mikedgrok]

what happens when you try to blow off with some flow - powerhead or squirting water at the area (turkey baster etc.) ?

what kinds of snails/hermits do you have in tank currently?

agree with idea of phyto, maybe phyto and some pods, even... would get the live phyto (to the point above, not just the stuff people "dose" !!) from reef nutrition

also have evo 13.5, now in month 18! i went thru a gross dinos/cyano phase last year, maybe just slightly newer tank than yours right now ... JUST WENT AWAY and think it was a phase tank was going through... i have beautiful coralline (green, pink, purple) all over back wall, rocks, now on glass ... only complaint in my tank is some green hair algae - but working on that now via less feeding and starting to pick up use of GFO

 

[mikedgrok]

BTW i agree that 0 -> 0.1 is a big gap on phosphate, but i don't know that i'd splurge on a better test (what are you using?) ... i think being able to see that it is 0.1 vs. 0.4 might be good enough for what you need at the moment ? i await being shot down on this idea

your nitrates are definitely a bit high

 

[homegrowncichlid]

a 13 gallon tank should be able to support a clean up crew of, generally, 5 large snails, that move on the glass, pick your species, I prefer banded trochus snails, since they can breed. about 12 or 20 small hermit crabs, and about 12 to 20 cerith snails. I actually prefer the dwarf cerith snails, if you get those about 40 or 50, and they also breed. The hermit crabs can eat the trochus and regular cerith snails, but not the dwarf, which hide in the sand bed and come out at night. They are too small for the hermit crabs. The trochus snail is also a prey item, if they get caught, but I find they have a defensive spinning action to fight off hermits.
As for stability, the trochus can starve out if the rock work and glass is too clean, which is why you limit them to about 5. Hermits will eat your fish food, if theres not enough algae and dwarf cerith are indestructible and able to get into the nooks and crannies where algae can get a foot hold.