I have three big live rocks in my 29 gallon tank. Two of them have an algae problem that I can’t seem to get a grip on. I’ve cleaned them off and the algae keeps coming back. I was thinking about removing one rock at a time and putting it in warm salt water in a bucket and covering it so it has no light for a week or two. Do you think this will kill the algae? Will I mess up my nitrates by removing the live rocks?
Has anyone tried this?
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Webslinger
Valuable Member
Your tank needs to go through the ugly algae cycle...usually lasts about year. You would be better off pulling rock, scrub it with a brush and rinse in saltwater then back in tank. You don't want to kill the bacteria in the rock. Only do some of the rock every month or so.
I made a rookie mistake by using rock from an older and neglected tank that once had a very bad algae problem. Is there still hope for a algae free tank if I keep scrubbing ? I ordered a protein skimmer, cut down on feeding, lowered the lights , and use rodi.
Dom
Full Time Reef Keeper
Was the rock actually live? Was it pulled from a tank at the local fish store and transported to your tank in a bag with water? Or was it Dry rock purchased on line, say from Bulk Reef Supply?
Dom
Full Time Reef Keeper
And that rock was transported while wet to the new tank?
How often do you do water changes and what is the size of those changes?
Your most recent test results would be helpful, as it would allow for more targeted suggestions.
In general, I would focusing my attention on nutrient export. I would do FAITHFUL weekly water changes. One 5 gallon Home Depot bucket each week is almost 20% with your tank.
And I would do manual cleanup BEFORE the water change so that you can siphon out anything your scrub lose and not have it linger in the tank.
Also if you have room in your sump for a refugium, you could house some Chaetomorpha for additional nutrient removal. If not, there are some hang on alternatives.
