Algae Trouble - What am I doing wrong?

[Azarus]

Seems I have an algae problem that started about a month ago and is getting worse. I'm blasting the rocks with a turkey baster and cleaning the glass 3x a week.

My params are:
Temp: 79.2°
pH: 8.3
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0.25
Calcium: 500
KH: 161.1 (9° dKH)

Is the 0.25 phosphate the likely culprit?

 

[Bronc]

Most likely. I think it's the cause of mine, too, so I just ordered some Phosphate RX.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It's a young thank I belive.

 

[Roy 9121]

What kind of lights do you have? How long do you run them?

 

[Azarus]

What kind of lights do you have? How long do you run them?

Current's Orbit Marine PRO 4110 - LEDs
I run them for 12 hours of full intensity.

 

[Snookster]

Hard to tell from the pics, but looks like you also have cyano. Is your skimmer pulling as much as it can? You may have an organics issue. If you're not cleaning that sand, start.

 

[AntarcticIkeelu]

Current's Orbit Marine PRO 4110 - LEDs
I run them for 12 hours of full intensity.

12 hours is pretty long, I would suggest cutting it back to 10 hours; however, this probably isn't your problem. Drop your phospates down to 0.1 and see if it improves. Your tank is still new so cyano (the red slimy stuff on your rocks) and hair algea will be pretty common. I battled them both for about a year before finally getting rid of them.

 

[Tahoe61]

I agree decrease the photo-period.
Try some phosguard, consider Chemiclean (follow directions to a T)and at your own risk. The product has worked very well for me.

 

[Nuch]

I'd say combination of still cycling, lights a little to long, phosphates. Try phosphate reactor, and water changes may help.

 

[Roy 9121]

Current's Orbit Marine PRO 4110 - LEDs
I run them for 12 hours of full intensity.

That could be your problem. Cut them back to 40% whites, 50% reds, 80% blue and UV. Then adjust from there. I would ramp them up for 1 hour, run at for 10, then ramp down for and hour.

 

[Azarus]

Thanks for the input, all.

 

[Azarus]

I cut the lights down from 12 hours to 10 hours a day and am already am seeing less algae on the glass and gravel. I do siphon the gravel with each water change, and now am doing a 25% WC weekly instead of bi-weekly.

 

[oldpaddy]

I agree decrease the photo-period.
Try some phosguard, consider Chemiclean (follow directions to a T)and at your own risk. The product has worked very well for me.

I second and third Phosguard. I love the stuff. They should think about hiring me as a salesman I promote it so much.

 

[Azarus]

Photos from two days later and I couldn't believe my eyes. I took the lights down from 12 to 10 hours a day, did a 25% water change and sand siphon, and dosed 15mL of Vibrant.

 

[Paul B]

I didn't see a problem with your tank in the first place and I would not have lowered the lights, worried about the phosphate or added Vibrant or anything else. It's a new tank and algae is normal in a new tank. Now that you artificially removed the algae with a chemical, that algae still wants to grow so it can remove harmful substances in your new tank, but it can't. I am a big believer in leaving these things alone and let the tank naturally settle down to do it's thing.
Algae is not a disease, it is a healthy, normal, natural thing that grows on every healthy reef in the world. Eventually it will hardly grow, unless you add, in natural chemicals that disrupt the natural cycle.
Just my opinion of course.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

If you do weekly water changes and run a good reactor with GFO OR ROWPHOS In it, Lower your lights to 9 hrs a day you will get your Phosphates down to 0.01 or lower.

 

[Cory]

Your not doing nothing wrong

Its a "fake ecosystem" fish tanks. Ecosystems dont get food input, the food is recycled, thus algae is consuming it.

Food in must equal food out. How i manage this is using algae to fight algae. I built an ats and algae stays minimal in the tank but grows profusely in the ats. When it grows 1/2" thick or so on the screen that goes in the trash and equals food out. Doing this i can put food in because i take food out. Thus there is no net increase instead its a balancing act of import and export.

 

[Cory]

The other thing to consider is the natural coral reef is a place of competition. This means where there is space something will grow. Usually algae. But if you cover it with enough coral, algae wont have a place to grow.