New-ish tank owner with algae issues

[TracyT0105]

Hi,
So I've had my 50 gallon saltwater tank for about 2 years and it's just been an ongoing struggle. No matter how much I clean this thing I have brownish/greenish algae growing on the walls within a of couple days(it is not in direct sunlight). I've used a python hose to clean out the sump repeatedly and it too looks like crap shortly thereafter. When I test the water the only test that consistently comes up high is the Nitrate test. Fish have been easy to keep but corals are impossible as are anemones. It just doesn't seem like I should be having to clean this thing every single week. I do have a sump with a skimmer and I use RODI water. Any advice or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated as I just don't know what to do at this point to improve the tank conditions. Thank you!

 

[GoVols]

What phosphate and nitrate test kits are you using?

 

[dylana407]

What is your feeding regimen? What lighting equipment and light period? How many fish do you have? How many lbs of live rock? Do you have sufficient flow in the tank?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Welcome to reef2reef!


Sorry to hear about the struggle.
Your right it's shouldn't be.

We do love pictures! It might help to Id your algae if your having and odd ball hard to kill strain.

What are your normal parameters. No3 po4 average ph?

 

[Liquid360]

I had this problem for years and tried everything. What worked? I added a Geosreef GFO reactor, pods, snails, added a DI canister to my RO unit. That's it. My water supply is the problem and the DI filter seems to have fixed it!

 

[TracyT0105]

I just use the "Saltwater Master Test Kit."

 

[TracyT0105]

What is your feeding regimen? What lighting equipment and light period? How many fish do you have? How many lbs of live rock? Do you have sufficient flow in the tank?

I feed them once in the evening. I have a Kessel A160 and it's on for around 12 hours a day. Fish, I just have 5 (and a sea slug). Live rock I have but I don't remember how many lbs, it's a good sized mountain in the middle (tank is a square/cube shape). Flow seems good with the powerheads on, I just turn them off when feeding.

 

[TracyT0105]

I had this problem for years and tried everything. What worked? I added a Geosreef GFO reactor, pods, snails, added a DI canister to my RO unit. That's it. My water supply is the problem and the DI filter seems to have fixed it!

Thanks, I'm not sure I could use a reactor given the design of my sump. I could be wrong though. I don't have pics at the moment since I'm not at home but this is the tank I have.
http://www.scaquariums.com/product-p/sca-50gpnpb.htm

 

[GoVols]

Thanks, I'm not sure I could use a reactor given the design of my sump. I could be wrong though. I don't have pics at the moment since I'm not at home but this is the tank I have.
http://www.scaquariums.com/product-p/sca-50gpnpb.htm

I love my GFO reactor.
What brand is your master test kit?

 

[Peeptoad]

When was the last time you changed the membrane on the RO unit?

 

[Liquid360]

Here's mine. The reactor sits right up next to sump, not inside it
.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

lol. I just have a refugium and a five year old bottle of gfo.

 

[dylana407]

So over feeding is not an issue. You should shorten the light period. My blue band is on 10 hours and white band is on 4 hours. Since you have a sum, is there room for a refugium to add cheato? You can also add a gfo reactor as suggested. Another option is to add a starry or lawnmower blenny. I don't have a starry blenny. My lawnmower blenny does a wonderful job controlling algea. Adding a fish to an established system can be a real pain because you have to QT the fish, and there is also compatibility consideration.

 

[Vinh]

I had this problem for years and tried everything. What worked? I added a Geosreef GFO reactor, pods, snails, added a DI canister to my RO unit. That's it. My water supply is the problem and the DI filter seems to have fixed it!

@Liquid360 Do you remember how long it took to see a noticeable difference? I'm in the middle of my own battle and have taken some similar actions.

 

[dankreef]

Hm. 2 years high newts... take a power head to your rocks and siphon your sand slowly over a few weeks, add a bunch of crabs and snails. Maybe just buildup in system from time. Especially if you never had the problem before. Also make sure your rinsing your food with RO or tank water before feeding. Test p04 is probably high. GL

 

[Liquid360]

@Liquid360 Do you remember how long it took to see a noticeable difference? I'm in the middle of my own battle and have taken some similar actions.

Everything turned around within a couple weeks and the algae slowly turned brown and died. My glass which I used to scrape every couple days hasn't been touched in a couple weeks and has stayed crystal clear. I never believed anything was wrong with my water supply, but the DI proved me wrong. The GFO has been running now a couple months, changed monthly thanks to Amazon. This runs $20. The DI filter was $45. Of course, I attempted the expensive options first which was just stupid. Keys are always in the last place you look [emoji6]
I've tried forever to keep Acro, but it ALWAYS died over the course of a month, a long slow death ending with it covered in algae, despite turkey baster madness. My glass got all green and furry. Now, this one piece of Acro has been with me almost two months and is actually growing.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

attempted the expensive options first which was just stupid. Keys are always in the last place you look

Hahahaha.........

 

[Liquid360]

Also, I tried approaching things from the idea that algae requires light so starve it that way. I kept light at a minimum to keep coral alive while starving the algae. This didn't work at all. The algae MIGHT have slowed a tiny bit, but it made no difference over the course of a couple months. Approaching things from a clean water standpoint was the only thing that worked. At least out of my trial/error methodology, I got a nice refugium light, a nice NYOS skimmer, a bunch of test kits, and other odds/ends. My father used to have a 30yr old 750g reef system, lost in a hurricane. He gave me his chiller for my 130g system and I attempted to kill algae by freezing it out. I'll give you one guess of how no light and low temps effect a reef. Anyways, point being that I tried everything. This probe chiller has been terrific at keeping my temps rock study. I'm fairly certain I could keep a nice lobster tank with it.... hmmmm.... a lobster tank.... research to do [emoji4]

 

[TracyT0105]

I love my GFO reactor.
What brand is your master test kit?

The API brand.

 

[TracyT0105]

When was the last time you changed the membrane on the RO unit?

The RODI unit is pretty new at this point. I always test it with the testing strips to make sure it's working right.