fighting an old battle with a new setup...

[RacingTiger03]

I started up a new tank about 6-8 weeks ago, using about 60lbs dry rock 2lbs live rock, and 20lbs "live" sand (in a bag.. you know how it goes) in a 30 gallon tank. I used false feeding to introduce the breakdown and ammonia. Things were looking up and settling out about a month later, params were looking good with nitrates getting up to about 5ppm with some green algae on the glass. I did a 3 gallon water change, and continued that weekly (2 weeks). One week after the first change I had quite a lot of hair algae this past weekend (3rd week) I did a 5 gallon water change just to get in the habit again, and yesterday I got home from work to a tank that looks like it's hit all 3 stages of the cycle at once! Hair algae everywhere, film algae all over the glass, and some spots of red and brown cyano covering all rock-work and sand. Even the coralline on the live rock I used is covered. Now, I want to say this is part of the cycle and "doing it right" since the first tank I set up I never had these major outbreaks and went with 20lbs LR to 30lbs Dry added slowly, but rather foolishly added fish pretty quickly. That tank did GREAT until I moved it up to a 55 and all heck broke loose, lost interest moved on etc. anyhow.. tested params last night -
Nitrate - 0, is it too early for that to be 0? My algae says it's getting food from somewhere!
DKH - 8-9 (wasn't quite there at 8 but was over done at 9.. 8.5 sounds right)
phos - 0
calcium - 460
salinity 1.026

I feel like I'm picking up right where my old tank crashed 4 years ago..

 

[bigsby]

Where is your water source coming from? Have you tested your water that comes in?

 

[pickupman66]

how are you testing for phosphate?

 

[knukles55]

are you using a old fixture (non led ) that needs bulb replacements?

im just adding on to the questions that are being asked

 

[RacingTiger03]

bombardment! LOL. API test kit for all tests. Water source tests good, the problem started in the last 2 weeks, and I've been using the same water all along... I'll re-check it just to err on the safe side though. Since it may come up - Reef Crystal salts.

I'm running 2 150W HQI 20K Corallife metal halides. The bulbs are nearing the end of there life, and I did take down the fixture and clean up the glass VERY VERY well a couple of weeks ago, that's a potential source..... even so, I supplement with a NEW (barely a month of use on it) 24" Marine glo actinic T5, and at the least the film algae grows quickly off of just it, I assume the hair algae would feed just fine on it alone as well. If lights are a cause I can swap to my T5 setup that I know only has 4 months on the bulbs until I can get some new MH bulbs.

 

[mainereefer]

sounds like your rock is cycling, im going threw the same thing....
I setup a 40 last winter with clean dry rock it is still having mini cycles, I blame the rock.

all I can say is cut light back to about 5hrs a day, and do your regular waterchanges

 

[pickupman66]

if you are getting that much Hair Algae now, there is something fueling it. Most likely Phosphates. also, that API kit is Junk when it comes to testing for phosphates. The most accurate and best way in my opinion is with a Hannah Checker. you will be shocked i am sure.

FWIW, I had really good succeses with the Marine Algaeifx in my systems in the past. once I determined it was a phosphate issue, I corrected it and then used the Algaefix to remove. still needed to burn off the remaining phosphate which i did with GFO or Lanthanum Chloride.

 

[RacingTiger03]

Thanks, I was thinking phosphates were very likely to blame. (algae food, LOL). I've been looking into a GFO reactor, and will likely go that route, but I wanted to be sure it wasn't something cycle related before I threw money at a gadget .

FWIW, my skimmer does seem to produce a lot more skimmate when the algae is present.. lots of green too, so it's capturing a lot of the bloom. I could only imagine without it

 

[mrcoffee2]

Check the phosphates and ammonia from your top off water