Where is my algae coming from?

[Angelo Fatica]

Hey guys, my 20 gallon reef tank has been running for around 2 years now and all of a sudden I've had a huge brown algae and cyanobacteria bloom. All of my nutrients are perfect per my lfs except my ph was a little low but still in the safe zone. My guess is something with the lighting being old? I've had this led fixture, I'm pretty sure it's a china box cheap one, for about a year or so. Maybe the LEDs have worn down over time and it caused phosphates to increase? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Light won’t increase nutrients.
Any lfs that tests your ph needs to be questioned. Ph of water will change dramatically when out of the tank long enough to get to the store.

You should test your rodi water first.
Also report your parameters. Quite possible things have changed and Po4 has built up. Or somthing died. Like snails.

 

[Angelo Fatica]

Light won’t increase nutrients.
Any lfs that tests your ph needs to be questioned. Ph of water will change dramatically when out of the tank long enough to get to the store.

You should test your rodi water first.
Also report your parameters. Quite possible things have changed and Po4 has built up. Or somthing died. Like snails.

I didnt mean to say it that way haha but I knew that when lights wear out it allows for algae to grow easier. My nitrates are zero, which has been a separate battle altogether to get some nitrates for my corals, ammonia was 0, and that's all I can remember from a couple days ago. They've been consistent for the past few weeks. I'll try to test them again soon to give an update on them again.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I didnt mean to say it that way haha but I knew that when lights wear out it allows for algae to grow easier. My nitrates are zero, which has been a separate battle altogether to get some nitrates for my corals, ammonia was 0, and that's all I can remember from a couple days ago. They've been consistent for the past few weeks. I'll try to test them again soon to give an update on them again.

I belive you are thinking of t5 and metal halides getting old. The spectrum shifts.
If you have an ammoina spike in a tank the algaes will suck it up and explode with growth.

 

[Angelo Fatica]

I belive you are thinking of t5 and metal halides getting old. The spectrum shifts.
If you have an ammoina spike in a tank the algaes will suck it up and explode with growth.

Oh my bad haha. Everything seems to still be alive but you cant always have an exact number of the clean up crew[emoji1]. I'll do another water change this week and try to scrub a bit of the rocks and suck the algae out. This is why I've been in a dilemma because I dont want to do as frequent of water changes because I dont want my nitrates to be zero but I have to do them for reasons like this. Happy reefing am I right?[emoji23]

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yup. Always a puzzle to be solved.

 

[KJa]

One place i was getting algae was from the tube that connected the pump in my RODI reservoir to the faucet on the outside of the reservoir. I also got a used RODI unit and had to clean out the bottom of one of the chamber tubes that had algae growing in the bottom of it. It can happen in a lot of places. You would be surprised.

 

[Angelo Fatica]

One place i was getting algae was from the tube that connected the pump in my RODI reservoir to the faucet on the outside of the reservoir. I also got a used RODI unit and had to clean out the bottom of one of the chamber tubes that had algae growing in the bottom of it. It can happen in a lot of places. You would be surprised.

That's what's scary about algae, it can grow in the weirdest and most hidden places!