Discouraged

[wvfeefkeeper80]

My tank has hit its six month mark, and the battle with algae seems never ending. I do 20% water changes weekly, clean filters weekly, am running a UV and protein skimmer, and have last month reduced lighting by 25%. Water perimeters are ideal in this 32.5 Fluval Marine, not located in sunlight.
During water changes, I use aqua-scaping tools to turn sand, trim algae and manually remove as much as possible. By the next water change, I feel over run and discouraged. Is there light at the end of the tunnel or is this a forever battle I’ll never win?

 

[Cstar_BC]

Hey ! We’ve all been there !

Looks like you’re battling Cyano , turf and possibly diatoms

6months is still new for a tank and it may still be in the ugly phase

Can you post your water parameters?

 

[TankCandy]

What is your lighting Cycle? Also where do you get your RO/DI from? Do you have power heads to keep the flow moving?
Those were my biggest issues when starting.

 

[highest_tides]

Stay with it. Manual removal is best.

 

[wvfeefkeeper80]

Hey ! We’ve all been there !

Looks like you’re battling Cyano , turf and possibly diatoms

6months is still new for a tank and it may still be in the ugly phase

Can you post your water parameters?

This was my data as of last Sunday. I haven’t tested today.

 

[wvfeefkeeper80]

What is your lighting Cycle? Also where do you get your RO/DI from? Do you have power heads to keep the flow moving?
Those were my biggest issues when starting.

Photo of RODI unit, and I have a UV filter pumping on the right side and an Nero A5 on the other.

 

[wvfeefkeeper80]

Photo of RODI unit, and I have a UV filter pumping on the right side and an Nero A5 on the other.

My lights turn on at 7:00AM, peak at 75% by 4:00PM and then out at midnight.

 

[Colin_S]

I hear you. I've had my tank for 2+ years, only about 6months of that were algae free, but I put that down to myself for not having control over my nutriants.
At 6 - 12 months is when the ugly stage seems to go.
Keep testing your water, if you have nutriants that are not inline with what they should be then this leave room for unwanted algae.
You could does a little beneficial bacteria to out compete the algae as an added boost to the system

 

[Snoopdog]

My lights turn on at 7:00AM, peak at 75% by 4:00PM and then out at midnight.

That is a really long photo period

 

[Colin_S]

yo

This was my data as of last Sunday. I haven’t tested today.

The balance of nutriants i was on about is mainly targeted towards phosphate and Nitrate. You don't want 0 or too High, or too much of a difference I.e, po4 at 0.02 and no3 at 50ppm. try and keep them balanced.
Be mindful of ammonia and nitrite, they should be 0

 

[One Reefing Boi]

That is a really long photo period

yeah idk what you are keeping but I only do about 12 hours (zoas/euphyillia) and they all seem happy. Not prolific growth but I also have very little algae problems except for the brown film on the glass. I also have wayyy to high phosphates. Nitrates at 0 might also be the issue?

 

[Snoopdog]

I also see some green hair algae, a green emerald crab would not be a bad idea. If you reduce the photo period some, maybe 10 hours a day and have something like a couple of snails and a green emerald it would likely reduce it down a bit. Ultimately your tank is telling you there is something wrong. The likely thing that is wrong is your tank is immature and really needing biodiversity.

 

[BackToTheReef]

I had a number of good teachers when I started in SW and they built the expectation that algae was something we had to deal with in the early stages of a tank.

It's discouraging as you see pics of amazing tanks, even some that are still young, but remember it's part of the journey and no where near the destination.

Sucks though for sure!

 

[homer1475]

Started with dry pukani rock? Looks like it to me.

After about a year it will get better, just keep up on manual removal, and keeping nutrients inline.

THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

 

[Snoopdog]

Started with dry pukani rock? Looks like it to me.

After about a year it will get better, just keep up on manual removal, and keeping nutrients inline.

THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

That was the first thing I saw, dry rock. The dry rock craze is going to be a long as$ journey for all new reefers. BRS videos paint it as all rosy and such a great concept. This is the ugly side after they make the sale on all that rock.

 

[Cory]

You dont have dinos, the red slime is cyano. Easily killed with chemiclean or peroxide. Chemiclean is safer. Hair algae is keeping the real devil away-dinos. Use a sea urchin- a diadema urchin because it will help a lot without bringing dinos. You wont get rid of it all but 90% for sure.

 

[DaddyFish]

No mention of your cleanup crew?
Why not add some Mexican Turbo Snails and let them do the algae work for you?

 

[Viking_Reefing]

I guess you started your tank with dead rock judging from the pictures? Unfortunately a very long stabilizing phase is to be expected when doing that.
You are basically missing things to outcompete the algae and your lack of a mature bacterial filter will cause your tank to be somewhat unstable.

Personally I would seed the tank with some high quality live rock...or just wait it out, your tank is still young.

 

[PP123]

My lights turn on at 7:00AM, peak at 75% by 4:00PM and then out at midnight.

Reduce total light time to a maximum of 12 hours... less would be better. We all would love to have the lights on from first thing in the morning until bedtime but it will cause these issues.

 

[brandon429]

make that tank above look like this one:

everything is brown...

Hello all I was hoping somebody could help guide me through an algae issue Im having with a fairly new tank. This is my first attempt at a reef tank, I just have a tiny 15 Litre nano tank. The tank finished cycling about 6 weeks ago, levels are all 0 for nitrites, ammonia and nitrates. I am...

www.reef2reef.com

32 gallons is an easy rip clean.