For those that do not do water changes how do you control algae?

[Duncan62]

I am currently dosing everything including trace elements. I am also dosing nopox to keep algae at bay.

How do you guys last years without water changes when you have algae issues?

I probably need a herbivore.

I am currently dosing everything including trace elements. I am also dosing nopox to keep algae at bay.

How do you guys last years without water changes when you have algae issues?

I probably need a herbivore.

I grow algae in a diy scrubber tray. Not just chaeto but anything that grows. If it's a nuisance in the display then let it flourish in a scrubber. Harvest the growth for nutrient export. I dropped a bunch of uncured rock In a new tank in January. They were great rocks but the turf algae it brought was an issue. I just waited and a month later it's gone in the display but it's in the scrubber. I haven't changed water in more than twenty years. I dose the big 3 plus a quality multi trace solution. Good luck.

 

[Ruben Sacramento]

Predation is the key to algea control. A good cuc with snails, hermits and urchins is a must have. Not to mention several tangs

 

[Screwgunner]

Nutrients = phosphates and nitrates
Algea needs nutrients to grow .
Or the right light!
So, our job is to find away to keep nutrients down. But not at 0 ,corals need nutrients to grow.
So you try to balance this out the best you can. There are multiple ways to achieve this goal . At the same time you have to do a balancing act with your alkalinity,calcium, magnessium and trace. For the beginner water changes are going to be the easiest way to achieve this. That is fine if you have a small tank . Salt becomes expensive for the larger tanks .
Most of us run refugium but some run algea turf scubbers. Or algea reactors.

 

[Rmckoy]

I believe it comes with time .

I barely ever do water changes . And when I do it’s less than 10%

nitrates are rarely ever above 5ppm
A good cuc , a good skimmer and algae grazing livestock

keeping the detritus suspended in the water long enough for mechanical filtration to pick it up

 

[kwirky]

Honestly, more of my problems are due to pest additions than lack of water change, and I only have to beef up my water changes when doing a treatment for one thing or another. Blasted the tank with fluconazole 6 months ago to kill a bryopsis infestation, and did 50% water change weekly for a couple weeks to flush it out. After that ordeal, I haven't changed my water since. My pH meter's daily peak level is a rough indicator of photosynthesis in the tank, and my kH measurements are a better, but time consuming indicator. My feeding of the fish has been scaling up as the calcium/alkalinity uptake increases. I dose DIY iron using medical grade iron pills, one pill ground up to 200mL of RODI, dosing 10mL every week or so. I dose iodide here & there.

When I find time to route 2 lines from the basement to do an automatic water change system, I'm going to abandon my infrequent water change ways. The tank's in a weird spot, with cold air ducting in the way, so it's the bucket method for now, which means it's not done often.

 

[Cory]

Sea urchins is natures main way of keeping algae under control. I have 2 short spine decorator urchins and they keep it mowed constantly. You cannot stop algae from growing and have a living reef as coral needs those nutrients also.