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

[Screwgunner]

120 gallon system 14 fish mixed reef d.i.y. algea turf scubber with a 10x 5 screen light on both sides with 28 watt grow lights .

 

[saltyfins]

Tang gang, Turbos, Lawnmowers - the rest is a scam to get in your wallet (refugiums, ATS). I feed my tanks better than my kids (6 times a day) just to keep nitrates and phosphates up! You don't need that fancy crap, just get some live stock. Pack your tank with as much coral as you can afford early on so they consumer all those nutrients. Wish I could grow more algae to feed my CUC! All you need is a skimmer (I run mine 6 hrs a day only), filter pad, forget socks... and a couple gallons of Kalk at night. You'll be growin' SPS out the wazoo! Everything else is marketing, bruh! I'm lazy and that's all I do. This system started w/1 inch frags just over a year ago, 2 part balling (part c) with traces. I don't do water changes because I don't want to destabilize my system with things like Turkish Blend salt, etc... No fancy bs otherwise.

a couple of gallons?? wow

 

[dvgyfresh]

Refugium lol that’s about it, only maintenance I do is clean glass and remove chaeto occasionally (also dosing of course , due to no water changes)

 

[Dav2996]

Refugium lol that’s about it, only maintenance I do is clean glass and remove chaeto occasionally (also dosing of course , due to no water changes)

I am growing long hair algae in my mini refugium it’s keep less stuff in the display haha

 

[HB AL]

Nopox

 

[DarkReefer]

Been running no water changes for probably around a month maybe 2 now. Loving it so far. Things seem quite stable thankfully and I'm just fine tuning my dosing. I've been noticing more and more algae though on both the sand and the glass but I have very minimal CUC currently and trying to work out what to add to fix that issue also so I'm interested to see what people have done.

 

[HB AL]

I do no water changes. Tanks doing good.

 

[Dav2996]

I do no water changes. Tanks doing good.

What's the coral at the 1minute mark you zoomed in on? I love your tank and all the torches growing out of a bottle is very unique haha

 

[mcgallagherc]

I recently had a GHA bloom, I reduced white light and added a nice CUC and a few days later it was all gone. They went to town!!!!

 

[HB AL]

What's the coral at the 1minute mark you zoomed in on? I love your tank and all the torches growing out of a bottle is very unique haha

One is a Space Invader pectinia and the other is some different type of pectinia.

 

[Tamberav]

My 5g was covered in a forest of green (using a freshwater light will do that) so I added a Tang… two trochus, an emerald crab and a tuxedo urchin and that **** was ate up pretty quick.

Doesn’t have to be a Tang but some sort to clean up crew is important.

 

[Wasabiroot]

I had a lot of GHA and bubble algae. A tang, 5 emerald crabs, some hermits, tons of snails, 2 urchins and a heck of a lot of manual removal did it. It hasn't come back since, but honestly if any tank has a problem with algae the best solution is to take as much out by hand. Nothing can compete with that except a balanced mature biome.

For reference I go about 2-4 months between water changes, give or take.

Ultimately the answer is some form of nutrient control. Any nutrients = some algae somewhere.
Refugium, carbon, gfo, etc. Won't stop growth but it will move it to manageable territory. And as nutrients stay stable and low enough, corals start growing faster and taking some of the stuff the algae would.

 

[ninjamyst]

I wish I have algae. I am dumping loads of food and aminos and reef roids to keep nutrients up. Big export and big import.

 

[Dav2996]

I wish I have algae. I am dumping loads of food and aminos and reef roids to keep nutrients up. Big export and big import.

It comes in sometimes wether you want it or not just get fish it will make it easier lol

 

[gbru316]

Why not just run an ATS? Then you'll never have algae issues...ever!

If the ATS clogs because you forget to harvest -- doesn't that count as an "algae issue?"

Using an ATS to keep algae out of your display is like confining a pre-housetrained puppy to a pen so it doesn't pee and poop all over the house.

 

[Roli's Reef Ranch]

a couple of gallons?? wow

Dry air here in Denver

 

[DeniseAndy]

I came back from 2 week vacation and my UAS was packed full. So rewarding taking it out!

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I work at it with manual removal till coraline takes its place

 

[DavidinGA]

If the ATS clogs because you forget to harvest -- doesn't that count as an "algae issue?"

Using an ATS to keep algae out of your display is like confining a pre-housetrained puppy to a pen so it doesn't pee and poop all over the house.

I think you need to reconsider your example. If only we could train algae like a puppy can be trained?

IMO keeping an ATS has no downsides. I run mine off my drain line and it uses a 13w LED so its cost to operate is next to nothing. Natural nutrient exportation at its best.

 

[reeftankdude]

I recently had a GHA bloom, I reduced white light and added a nice CUC and a few days later it was all gone. They went to town!!!!

Oops