New Algae Growing

[ItsAName]

Two questions:

1. My tank is about 4-5 months old. My parameters measure well, and yet the glass still gets covered in about 4 days, and the rocks remain brownish in color. Will this ever change, or is this par for the course?

2. Lastly, this algae (in the picture) just started growing in the tank. What is it and how do I prevent it from spreading. Why did it start appearing?

Here are my tank parameters I took 2 days ago in case it's useful

PH: 7.99
Nitrate: Less < 1
Salinity: 1.026
Alkalnity: 9.6
Calcium: 445
Magnesium: 1350
Ammonia: 0
Phosphate: 0
Temp: 78 to 79

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It will change yes. Probaly your own particular ugly phase.

Be prepared , most people will now tell you it's Dino's. But it probaly isn't.

If your not on a low range no3 po4 test you might want to get nutints up assuming you don't have a lot of alge stripping the system.

Your on rodi etc?
A dry rock build?

 

[ItsAName]

I use rodi and it was a dry rock build. I curated the rocks for 2 months before putting them in the tank to build up bacteria.

I'm not sure I understand when you say I might want to up the nutrients. Don't I have to keep nitrate, phospate, and ammonia as low as possible?

 

[Dancingmad]

Don't I have to keep nitrate, phospate, and ammonia as low as possible?

A complete lack of nutrients is bad. Starves corals! I usually have a little migrating patch of hair algae in my tank which is totally natural and even good IMO. Many test kits available only really test for ranges that would indicate extreme danger for our critters. There are low range tests out there that people use to fine tune their system (I'm not one of these people).

I would say what you're experiencing is par for the course.

What I usually do with a newish tank getting algae blooms is pretty simple - clean the tank to the best of your ability (scrap glass, blow all the rocks with a baster or canister filter) along with a water change. Grab as much kaka with your siphon as possible. You can pinch the hose of the siphon to control the flow and get after that sand bed without pulling out much of your sand. I'll even use a fine mesh net to grab scraps if I'm feeling wild. Use some mesh/filter socks for a day or so - run at least a couple hours after booting up the life support system after the water change to help catch all the stuff that got kicked up in the cleaning. After a couple hours I like to check my corals if I have any algae scraps hung up on them and remove 'em.

By cleaning + WC I'm removing the eyesore and removing nutrients (the live algae - just like having a fuge: pull the algae, pull the nutrients). IMO/E it helps balance out your tank. Blowing the algae off the rocks will help open the pores too for better flow and good bacteria things!

There are a bazillion treads and articles out there on the variety of ways people balance their nutrients in their reefs and even tackle specific types of algae.

Good luck and happy reefing!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ammonia yes zero detectable is good.
In most all the reccomendations no3 and po4 is never zeros.

Some folks recently are arguing that one the nutints bottom out to true undetectable levels it spurs dinos.
These super low levels are usually only detectable on higher ind tests.

Many tests like API do not read low enough accuralty to read lower levels and appear to be zero.

IMO in younger tanks as there is very little biofilter to speak of there is not enough good bacteria to process waste and other organisims step in to to feed on the available food and then bloom.
So even if the Number on your kit says zero thers some food int there.
Generally manual removal cleaning the rocks good mech filtration and and imo some bacterial additive like dr Tims helps.