New to reefing algae problem

[Robg139]

Hi so my tank is about 3 months old now and just started seeing an algae problem. The algae spreads on the glass of my tank and really quickly. I wipe it off and not even a couple hours later it’s back on the glass. Before this my tank was clear. I realize it might be part of my cycle but wat kind of algae is this ? So I started the tank wit a fuge that I run cheato in. I have a fluval 13.5 so it’s a nano. Then I run chemi pure and purigen, which I don’t know if this effects it but I haven’t changed my chemi pure in about a month and a half it’s the chemi pure nano so that long without change bound to stop working. My parameters are okay and stable. Salinity 1.025 temp 78-79 calcium 420, mangesium 1300. Phosphates 0.1 ppm and nitrates are 1.0 ppm

today I did a 25 % water change and I added new chemipure and purigen cause they were past due

and this is maybe 2 hours after scraping it all off every side comes back very fast.

 

[Juniorh2r]

Check your lighting and try not to over feed

 

[Robg139]

Any idea what it is ? Yes I got new AI prime 2 weeks ago a lot stronger light then the stock that came with it

 

[Juniorh2r]

The red and green on the light keep at 5 or 4 it promotes algae growth

 

[Robg139]

Yea there both very low. I run my fuge and cheato is growing and phosphate is low so don’t know why this is showing up now

 

[Juniorh2r]

Are you feeding alot?

 

[Robg139]

No I feed everyday but only wat they can eat. Light feedings

 

[Robg139]

Do you think running carbon will help ?

 

[Juniorh2r]

Yes but always use less than the recommended dosage

 

[Juniorh2r]

And always careful with chemipure it can bleach acros sometimes

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Hey rob, hope alls well

Nice set up. Was wondering if you PH and alk are solid like the rest.

 

[NS Mike D]

Do you think running carbon will help ?

Yes but always use less than the recommended dosage

I think there may be a cross up - using activated carbon v carbon dosing, can you clarify (the reply looks like an answer to carbon dosing)


your NO3 & PO4 are within most recommended parameters, like the ones published by red sea.

New tanks need to keep NO3 and PO4 down as they lack the micro fauna and coral to keep algae at bay. IMO, nano tanks are harder to keep algae down because these small tanks cannot accommodate algae pickers like tangs that will nip at the rocks all day.

I prefer not to tinker with a tank when it's parameters are within target range.

 

[Robg139]

No algae appears to be on my rock tho. And not much in sand but taking off on the glass and yes no carbon dosing just running chemipure.

 

[Robg139]

Update it’s seems to be green film algae and since I put new chemipure and did a big water change yesterday that seems to be taking care of the problem. I am going to run my fuge for 14 hours up from the 10 to 11 I was running previously. The green algae is coming back much slower and the glass is all together looking a lot cleaner. So within a couple days should have everything under control. Good thing my pods seem to be booming, I read they love this stuff so they must be having a feast. As do micro fauna love this stuff I read so hopefully it kicks start everything and makes my system better in the long run.