Greenish Algae on glass daily!

[Pisquini]

Hello, I am newish to Saltwater.

My tank is about 9 months old.

Tank size = 150 gallon
Sump size = 25 gallon
Refuigm = 10 gallon

Tank temp = 82
PH = 8.35
Salinity = 32.9
ORP = 417

Lighting = 700 watts VHO
Moon lights
12 hour cycle. day - night

Whats in the tank:

3 soft corals
2 tangs
2 clowns
2 damsels
1 emerald crab
about a dozen hermit crabs.
about a dozen snails and like 50 babies all of the sudden! lol


My Questions are:

1. Is it natural for a greenish brown algae to grow on my front glass daily? I have it on the back of my tank glass too, but I don't clean that. I used to have to clean my front and side glass every 3 days...now it is daily.

2. I have read that 350 - 450 ORP is perfect for a tank. My ORP in the past week has risen from (highest reading usally just before the lights come on in the morning) 405 to 433. It doesn't seem to be stopping. Should I be concerned?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Vic

 

[BillyC]

From the sound of it your tank is really healthy. MAYBE there is a small problem with excess nutrients from overfeeding. If you feed frozen, rinse it out so that the cloudy stuff doesn't get in your tank. For 150g, your refugium needs a LOT of macro to be effective in my opinion so you need to determine for yourself if that needs any changing. Also the types of VHO bulbs and their age may have something to do with it. From what I understand, old bulbs give off a spectrum that may favor algae growth.

As far as ORP, can help you there man, I'm clueless about the subject.

Overall, moderate amounts of algae on glass is ok. Too much and you need to look into your nutrient additions and export methods. Good Luck!

 

[Pisquini]

Thanks for the quick response...the lighting is actully all new! When I added the Coral in November, I added all new lights.

 

[subielover]

Hey someone else from the valley!

 

[Pisquini]

UPDATE:

Just did a full tank check:

12/27/11 3:00 PM

TEMP = 81.1
PH = 8.33
ALK = 5dkh
AMN = 0
NITRITE = 0
NITRATE = 0
SALINITY = 32.5 PPM = 1.024
CALCIUM = 440 PPM
PHOS. = .25
ORP = 417

Hope this helps, helping me out...lol

 

[Pisquini]

Where you at Sub?

 

[subielover]

Ok, so the phosphates are high and the alkalinity is low. For the phosphate, you can run some type of gfo in a reactor to help, it will need to be changed out monthly. Before really trying to raise alkalinity, I would check the magnesium and get that in order, once mag is over 1300ppm than work on bringing alkalinity up to over 8dkh. What kind of salt are you using?

 

[Pisquini]

I am using Instant Ocean reef crystals. Never checked Magnesium or added. What is a gfo? I have no reactors either. This stuff I can get from Something Fishy?

 

[subielover]

Yes, but many times ordering from bulk reef supply is cheaper. Definitely get a magnesium test kit, salifert works great. GFO= granular ferric oxide which helps to reduce phosphates, it is most efficient to run it in a reactor such as the Phosban 150 reactor.

 

[Pisquini]

Ok cool ty i will get a test kit tomorrow, I have cheato growing in my refugium. I thought you need a little bit of Phos, for that? It is between 0-0.25 really. Also do you think the low Alk is causing the added algae?
How does the tank look otherwise?
Is it weird that i am seeing new snail babies like every week lately, can you have too many snails...lol
Thanx for you help man.

 

[Kbra]

Don't add the Gfo till your Alk is fixed. It will slam it down even lower real fast! Use phosguard in the mean time, then Gfo

 

[calreefer]

It could be that your Magnesium level is too low.