Algae's out of control!

[Nate82]

Ok so i have a 5.5g tank set up with a homemade rockwall and some live rock. the tank is only stocked with the CUC just misc snails and my algae is out of control! hair algae and cyano are ridiculous in my tank i admit some it it's from negligence but is there anything i can buy or anything to get rid of it? thanks guys

 

[paintballer768]

Whats the homemade rockwall made out of? Increase flow and whats your nitrates at?

 

[ahayes13]

well i was having some prob with hair algae for a while and i bought some turbo snails. bye-bye algae

 

[Nate82]

rock wall is live rock and foam last time i checked they were at 0 but i'll check again today

 

[paintballer768]

rock wall is live rock and foam last time i checked they were at 0 but i'll check again today

Alright that sounds like it wouldnt leech anything to fuel algae. Common fuels are nitrates and phosphates, or less than great water quality in general. Do you use flake foods? Id just watch how much you feed the next few weeks.

 

[Nate82]

that's the thing... i havn't fed anything in the tank yet... it's only snails and there's enough algae to feed 1000 snails

 

[paintballer768]

Lol, Im not sure what it could be then. Just the cycle funk maybe

 

[shine guy]

If there are no corals in the tank just kill the lights till the algae dies off then do water changes to remove the excess nutrients from the tank

 

[ahayes13]

well if nit and phos are 0 or low then i wouldnt think that would be it. how bout your magnesium?
as far as the turbos i like them cause they cleaned up my tank within prob a matter of a week or so and i only put in 6---

 

[Nate82]

ok lights are off i'll see how that goes

 

[Dihydrogen Monoxide]

The phosphorus that would normally show up on the test kits is bound up in the hair algae. Any means to have the algae eaten or killed (lights off) will only return the algae into its water born form (phosphate). You need to use a phosphate remover regardless of the means to remove the algae.

 

[Zombo]

The phosphorus that would normally show up on the test kits is bound up in the hair algae. Any means to have the algae eaten or killed (lights off) will only return the algae into its water born form (phosphate). You need to use a phosphate remover regardless of the means to remove the algae.

Agreed. The only way to remove the source that is fueling the HA growth is via nutrient export. Water changes, physically removing the algae and disposing of it and using a phosphate adsorbing media (RowaPhos, Chemi-Pure Elite, Poly-Filter, etc.) will bring it under control.

 

[sleeper]

agreed. lights out for a week, water changes, and a phos binding media. Should have that tank sparkling in no time.

 

[Nate82]

ok cool thanks guys