What does algae eat?

[bige]

I have 0 nitrates but I do have phosphates. Per a salifert test kit between .25 and 0. While that is high, why are my coral so unhappy. I have a biopellet reactor on week 4. I know that biopellets don't take care of a ton of phosphates but I do have gfo. It's in a bag but is tumbled with a mj1200. Not the most efficient way but still better than nothing. I should turn my reactor into a gfo reactor or just be patient? I will get phosphates test with real equipment when I can make it to that lfs.

 

[bige]

This is on a biocube 29. And I have a pink algae that I can't get rid of.

 

[bige]

I'll post a pic for the pic people put there (I'm one too!).

 

[Kano]

Are the phosphates being introduced from your top off or water changes? Might want to check those first. I used to run phosban but decided to let my tank naturally balance itself to a happy point (plus weekly water changes). I'd look into making sure your salinity, ph, ammonia, temp, etc are within acceptable parameters. Look at the big picture and go from there. Good luck!!

 

[Loki]

Algae eats phosphates. The best ways I have seen to reduce phosphates are:
Reduce phosphates in new water via RO/DI.
Choose foods that are lower in phosphates and feed less.

Those will really help reduce phosphates ever being in the tank. Once they are in the tank I have found the best way to combat them is by doing frequent water changes (with good RO/DI water) and using chaeto with a light on 24/7.

Chaeto is my favorite macro algae because it has less chance to do damage to the tank by spawning. Chaeto will consume phosphates and (hopefully) end up out competing the other algae you have in the tank.

I have tried running a light on chaeto only at night and it didn't do what I thought it could. I then upped my light to 24 hours a day and the chaeto has taken off and all of my cyano and other algaes are gone. .

 

[Keira]

yes I think they eat phosphates

 

[beaslbob]

algae eats nitrogen, phosphates, potassium, minor ions, carbon dioxide and produce fish food and oxygen.

Most algae get their nitrogen from ammonia nitrates. But some forms and cyano can actually fix nitrogen from nitrogen gas. So the tank can become nitrate low and cyano blooms.

my .02