Algae What Type/advice to control

[Demoic]

I've been trying to combat some of this algae growth and I was hoping someone could identify it and give me some advice on how to control it best.

 

[Formulator]

Looks kind of like diatoms to me. They usually just kind of work themselves out. Very common in newer tanks. How long have you been up and running?

 

[Demoic]

a Little over a year, i've been struggling with it getting better and worse for at least the past 5 or 6 months though with no real gain one way or another.

 

[Formulator]

a Little over a year, i've been struggling with it getting better and worse for at least the past 5 or 6 months though with no real gain one way or another.

What are your nitrate and phosphate levels?

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Thats honestly not bad, just throw some snails at it. Should be able to keep up with it.

 

[NanoNana]

I've been trying to combat some of this algae growth and I was hoping someone could identify it and give me some advice on how to control it best.

This has me second guessing my “oh my algae isn’t that bad” opinion of my tank. Lol

 

[Demoic]

phosphate I don't have a test for thinking I need to pick one up though, nitrates have been sitting at 10 for months.

 

[Demoic]

Thats honestly not bad, just throw some snails at it. Should be able to keep up with it.

I've tried and maybe I'm not getting the right types. What types are best to deal with this?

 

[Demoic]

This has me second guessing my “oh my algae isn’t that bad” opinion of my tank. Lol

You saying mine is bad or yours is worse!? lol

 

[Formulator]

phosphate I don't have a test for thinking I need to pick one up though, nitrates have been sitting at 10 for months.

Definitely pick up a phosphate test kit. Salifert works well. Hannah is best but the phosphate hannah test is a serious PITA.

 

[NanoNana]

For stuff like that, ceriths, dwarf ceriths and money cowries. Some turbos would work well.

You saying mine is bad or yours is worse!? lol

oh, mine looks like grass in some spots. lol. Not MANY spots but I need food for my lettuce nudibranch so I won’t pull it out. Lol. My court jesters nibble on it as well.

If you ever have a really serious outbreak of tall stuff, lettuce nudi is worth its weight in platinum though. It needs a constant supply of the stuff so I don’t mind a tuft here or there I’m afraid it won’t survive if my algae problem goes away. I’ve hear mixed reviews on whether they will eat macro algae so I have a couple spots I don’t scrub. They eat bubble algae too or mine did anyway.

 

[Formulator]

You saying mine is bad or yours is worse!? lol

Everyone is saying that your “algae problem” is basically nothing, and really they are right. I understand some people strive for perfection and have extremely clean rock, but most of us have a baseline level of algae in our tanks or at least have small outbreaks from time to time. Its really personal preference how much you want to tolerate.

 

[Demoic]

Just wanted to bump this. I let it grow out for a few weeks without sucking it up. This is what it looks like and I wanted to make sure opinions of it are the same being diatoms or any better opinions on how to handle it.