Okay, just to recap.:
Tank Age: “... almost
2 years old...”
Filtration & Size: “...
marine Penguin filter on a
36 gallon ...”
Fish: “... 2
clowns, a
fire fish,
small yellow coris,
wrasse all doing well for 2 months ..”
Chemistry/Parameters: “... my ph just a tad low, no ammonia, nitrate 5, no nitrites ...” and “ … my LFS ... said my levels were fine ...”
Symptom 1: “... past 2 weeks has gotten horribly cloudy ...”
Symptom 2: “... Then this insane amount of algae came ...”
Action: “... Tried cutting the feeding ….”
Contemplating 1: “ … thinking of getting the hang on aqua max one with a protein skimmer ...”
Contemplating 2: “ ...cutting the … light cycle back if anything he was worse ...”
A few questions:
1. As Mxracer65 asked, What were <
sand> fine levels?
-Was the sand
washed?
-Was there a
cloud after adding sand?
-Does stirring the sand cause a cloud?
-What type of sand was it?
2. Do you know your
phosphate level?
3. Did you
confirm that this was algae?
- Do you know the
type?
4. Do you have corals?
-If you have corals and they require light, avoid a black out.
-If a blackout is required place the corals in a quarantine tank(QT) with a proper light.
5.
How often do you service your filter?
6. Do you have plants in the tank?
A few quick suggestions:
a. As CrimsonTide mentioned, start
water changes.
- These are therapeutic water changes so do them more often and at higher volumes. Example, 50% WC every every 2 days for 6 days and then 20% biweekly.
b.
Consider a QT for the fish as you treat.
- This will lower fish stress.
- This will take fish feedings out of the problem tank.
c.
Service your filter weekly.
- Replace any floss or pads
- Dip media in clean saltwater to wash away algae.
- As CrimsonTide suggested, consider adding carbon.
d. As Lavey29 and Dedragon suggested, add an
air stone attached to an air pump to your display tank and to any QT tank if used. As Dedragon, noted it will help with a bacterial bloom in addition to increasing oxygen for the inhabitants.
e. Consider
more water flow/agitation in the display tank.
f. As CrimsonTide suggested,
scrape the inner glass. This will make algae on the glass water borne and removable by water changes.
g. Use a
brush on any “hardscape” without corals. If the rock can be removed, do this in a bucket with tank water to avoid hurting fish.
h. If algae persists on hardscape without coral,
consider a dip in hydrogen peroxide. This will also kill bacteria and may slow your nitrogen cycle, but it will eliminate most algae.
i. If algae is big enough,
remove it by hand.
A few comments,
- “
Green water” can often be bacteria. Note you can have a bacterial bloom and a algae bloom. Water changes will help.
-
Avoid algaecides, none have worked well for me. Some have killed all my plants in freshwater tanks. Many contain a chemical that blocks photosynthesis. That can not be good for light requiring coral and their symbiotic bacteria.
- A surface skimmer is unlikely to remove algae. A sump type skimmer may help by remove waste that algae feed on, but you nitrate were low.
- Rather than buying a new filter/skimmer, consider an appropriately
sized UV with flow set for algae and the UV bulb changed yearly. My son has a
8 Watt Advantage 2000 UV Sterilizer with Hanger Spout on his 10 gallon aquarium. It works great on water borne algae.
-
Light should be set for corals not algae. If you have no light requiring corals, feel free to lower the light. If you have light requiring corals, let the light be and ramp up water changes. Once your tank is algae free adjust the lights for maximum coral health. Until then, one change at a time.
Go slow, thoughtful, and with a plan. You will overcome this; however, it will not be overnight.
Best wishes and may you 2022 be algae free,
Jim
intankaquatics.com
