Algae problems exacerbated by strong lighting

I agree -- your lights are no way near "too high". In fact, your lights would be considered insufficient to keep many (if not most) corals. Many people here have upwards of ten times the amount of light your tank has, and do not have algae problems. Your problem is your water quality -- your nitrates and phosphates are off the charts, in terms of where they should be for a reef tank. Of course turning off or down the lights will cause the algae to slow down or die off, but as soon as you turn those lights on again, the algae will come back because the underlying cause of your algae problems is very much your water.

Run your skimmer 24/7. And possibly up your water changes in frequency and amount.

what is up with this thread. It wont update? server error

Edit: problem solved

After further review I accept the premise that my lighting is not central to the problem. Only that because I turn them off the algae problem is only temporarily resolved but will have serious unintended consequences ... i.e. the coral will die along with the algae (fortunately I have minimal coral).
The good news as much of the feedback was useful in how I go forward. I believe that my RO unit needs to be upgraded, amongst other issues.
Thanks for the feedback...:bowdown:

Don't let any of the frank replies here get you down. There seems to just be something in the water here the last few days. I can assure you though, everyone is happy to help and wants to see you succeed. so consider all of the info here, post up some pics as often as you can and if you run into any trouble dont every hesitate to ask here!

RE; the RODI, I just bought and installed this unit: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=120416574520 It works great, but a word of caution with this seller. I had to tighten just about every connection on the unit after the initial test, to finally get the system to stop leaking. If you choose to buy any of the Ebay variety out there, I highly recommend that you partially disassemble it before you ever attempt to install it, and go over it carefully to make sure that all the connections are made as snug as possible. Also, if you dont already have one, get yourself a TDS meter. It will tell you how your RODI system is performing.

Also, you really owe it to yourself to do the research on skimmers if you doubt in any way the advice you received here. I think you will notice improvement by running your skimmer 24/7

You could also stand to have some more live rock. the range usually recommeneded is 1-2lbs per gallon. It's not that you dont have enough, it's just that you could have more. (since you already have so much you could just buy dry base and add it to your tank and Presto Chango, you've got LR)

One last thought, I don't recall seeing your flow rate discussd here at all. How much is it? without enough flow you will always battle algae. the recommended range is usually around 25-30 times your total tank capacity unless you are doing SPS or have other special needs.

RyanG said:

RC I wasnt bashing anyone in particular but I still think that the membership here is pretty wound up. Wouldnt you agree? The advice you gave him was sound.

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I don't know. I haven't been posting much lately, so I'm not current on the mood of the membership here.

If my advice came off as harsh, I do apologize. I'm a very blunt person. I usually just call it like I see it. Take it or leave it...... no obligations...... it was free advice. :Cheers:

I wish the original poster would update us on his plan of action. It would be nice to see documented evidence of nitrate reduction when/if he gets rid of the canister. It would also be nice to see new lights and watch the regression of algae when the right spectrum hits the tank. I guess I'm a nerd........ I like DETAILS and REPORTS on progress. Make a big fancy chart and document it all (excel spreadsheet). Post up pics for us to see.

HINT HINT!! :D

Pics would be nice:D

yes they would!

pic are always good

i didn't the questions asked of him being answered... but oh well

ndepratt said:

i didn't the questions asked of him being answered... but oh well

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Say what?

Sounds like I am in the same boat! I had a massive bloom of what looked like cyano bacteria all over the sand, rocks, glass, and even killed some corals. The tank lights were over a year old and I suspected them right away. I changed the bulbs, cleaned the sand, rocks, and glass, and did a huge water change. We'll see if the algae comes back...

mng777777 said:

Say what?

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He never actually came back and answered all the questions. Thats the problem with giving out advice to newbies on an internet forum. We spend time to evaluate the problem, come up with a plan of action and then give directions on how to fix the problem......... but the original poster never bothers to answer back and tell us what worked and what didn't.

Thats why I don't post here as much as I used too. A lot of new faces and a lot of the same old questions, but no gratitude for the help.

Well I guess if the OP never returning to answer our questions about their tank is our biggest let down in life I guess we are fortunate.

RyanG said:

Well I guess if the OP never returning to answer our questions about their tank is our biggest let down in life I guess we are fortunate.

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This is true.:Cheers:

Rcpilot said:

He never actually came back and answered all the questions. Thats the problem with giving out advice to newbies on an internet forum. We spend time to evaluate the problem, come up with a plan of action and then give directions on how to fix the problem......... but the original poster never bothers to answer back and tell us what worked and what didn't.

Thats why I don't post here as much as I used too. A lot of new faces and a lot of the same old questions, but no gratitude for the help.

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for what it's worth, I m constantly sifting through old threads when I have something I am unsure about rahter than just throwing a new thread up. Even if this guy never returns to say thanks, you posted some great info that I am sure will help someone along the way. Dont sweat it it's just good to see you posting here again!!

RyanG said:

Well I guess if the OP never returning to answer our questions about their tank is our biggest let down in life I guess we are fortunate.

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I know it seams trivial to fuss over it. I am always curious if we have actually been able to help a fellow reefer or if our advice was completely out in left field. It would just be nice to hear what the outcome is. Or should we assume no news is good news?

I look at it this way, the guy is new, kind of got jumped a little and hasnt had the opportunity to learn what a great site this is. He walked into this post during the hornets nest that was Littleyeas moment of aggravation for the site. Maybe he was offended maybe he just hasnt logged back on to the site. Its only been a couple days and he/she hasnt had the chance to get addicted to the site yet. I hope the outcome is great if the OP comes back and reads this I hope he responds if not its his loss for missing out on the best forum on the net.

Thats my thinking about it

I think justin hit it right on the spot. it doesnt matter if the OP comes back. yes it would be nice to see if it helped but many others can benefit from your advice given aswell. so in the end its not as frustrating as portrayed.

The notion I am being overwhelmed by all this hard tech talk is somewhat amusing to me. Just so you can understand, I’ll provide a small prospective of myself. I was a student of chemistry and mathematics in at UT Austin when NAM became an issue. I joined the service and was trained for “special ops”. After active duty I graduated and joined a semi-pro soccer team where I was the only American. I had no tech skills but was used as the “enforcer”. When an opposing player was getting too rough they would ask me to take care of him. The only question I would ask is, “Do you want him out for the game or for the season? …”.
Now that you have wondered why I am not responding to your “inputs” it is mainly that I (as a trained scientist) am researching your opinions …
Have said that, so far the best research prospective so far was from RyanG: “What you are describing sounds an awful lot like diatoms to me, which is very common is new reef systems. They can also be a sign of not enough water movement too.”
I Google’d “diatoms” and came across a mass of info that seems associated with my problem. Unfortunately it seems that it will take some time before I achieve a definitive resolution.
Some info posted really does not provide a reasonable direction such as “CSS 125 skimmer sucks…”, on the other hand I am currently reviewing the use of GFO (granular ferric oxide).
Also I am considering investment in a better RO unit, albeit my tap NO3 is <10 and PO4 <.5.