Annoying Algae Problem

I think I mentioned this before but have you tried a uv? If its free floating algae a uv would kill what goes through it. I know it would kinda mask the overall issue, that being nutrients in the water that it feeds on, but it would make it more manageable in the short run. I started my tank using tap water and had algae problems at first. I installed a canister filter with a internal uv, was 100 bucks I think, and have done all top of water and water changes with ro water now I have no algae problems. All I have is coraline and crystal clear water. :D
 
Hi, Lets start right back at basics. Size tank - quantity of rock - substrate - quantity of fish[ if any] ph / alk / cal / mag / sg / nitrate .......temp....What are these values firstly. From there we can deduce the problem. Regards.
 
46g bowfront
60lbs of sand
70lbs of live rock

ph - 8.0 - 8.2
alk - 5-6-sh and dosing to raise it.
calc - 420
Mag - 1230 and dosing to raise it
salinity - 1.024
nitrate - 0

1 firefish
1 small clown
1 diamond goby
1 green chromis
1 bicolor blenny
and just introduced a small foxface to help clean up
 
as far as i know dinos are all about ULN tanks everything you strive for to get a ULN system and then you get dinos it really sucks. but dont worry i am in the same boat with these things.
 
Hi d2mini, I think you may have too many fish in at present, and your bacteria cannot cope, [ too many nuetrants ]. Possible solution 1.. keep the clown and put the othere fish [ for the moment] into a spare tank, maybe a friends. Put a clean up crew in, and reduce feeds to a minimum. Your parameters are fine,just recheck nitrate and phosphate, and sit on this situation for a while, you will find that things will settle and your algae [ excess nutrients ] will deminish. 2.. Iff not, keep the same situation, but blank out the light with a black bin liner for 4-5days, this should knock the algae away, Try iether, possibly the last method first. Regards.
 
Too many? Really?

Here's a pic. The fish are so small! In this older pic you can see three of them. The clown, the firefish and a sixline i don't have anymore so replace him with the green chromis which is even smaller. Then add the bicolor blenny and diamond goby.

I only added the foxface this week to help with the algae and he's on the smaller side as well.

458692183_mpBjD-L.jpg
 
Dennis,The under water part looks great.
Something that just came to mind.How longs it been since you cleaned the detritus out of the over flow?
 
Yote, that pic is close to 6 months old.
I've been meaning to take a new full tank pic, maybe tonite.

I cleaned out the overflow, the big chunky stuff anyway, this past weekend.

So far this week, it hasn't been too bad. I got rid of most of the things that were collecting the algae like most of my powerheads and those two return lines seen in the pic above. My rocks still have the algae on them but i don't think it has really gotten any worse. Still waiting for that foxface to come out from under his rock and starting eating something.
 
I'm a betting that the fox face wont touch that stuff.But I could be wrong and hope I am.
I think that if you raised the PH and alkalinity,that it would go a long way in helping get rid of that crap.
 
You got some AWESOME looking corals Dennis.
Heres what I would try.
First thing I'd is manual removal of as much of the algae as possible.Then I'd start dripping kalk at night.That'll help with both organic and inorganic phosphates along with raising the PH and alkalinity high enough to kill out algae.
I'd also pick up a bottle of Marine S.A.T and start dosing that along with Brightwell Aquatics Bio Reef Fuel.The S.A.T. is an enzyme that will eat up dissolved organics.The Bio Reef Fuel is a carbon source that binds nitrates and phosphates and basically turns them into a food source for filter feeders.

The rock actually don't look that bad from the pics.And the corals look great.So I don't think you got a water quality issue.I think whats in the rock is just trapping enough waste to feed itself.
 
Thanks Yote.
I did test for phosphates and nitrates and both are at zero.
And i have been dosing for alk with the Brightwell Alkalinity. Working on raising it. Does that change your advice at all?

Thanks!
 
d2mini said:
Thanks Yote.
I did test for phosphates and nitrates and both are at zero.
And i have been dosing for alk with the Brightwell Alkalinity. Working on raising it. Does that change your advice at all?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Nope.Except baking soda is cheaper then the Brightwells Alkalinity stuff:D
 
Hi Your pictures don't show too much algae problems, [ It's easy to get fussy ] Iff your sure your no3 and phos are ok, ease off on feeding , and be patient, your biofiltration in the rocks will in time balance out, remember the water changes. Iff not the two recomended methods will work. Good luck. Regards.
 
mike surtees said:
Hi Your pictures don't show too much algae problems, [ It's easy to get fussy ] Iff your sure your no3 and phos are ok, ease off on feeding , and be patient, your biofiltration in the rocks will in time balance out, remember the water changes. Iff not the two recomended methods will work. Good luck. Regards.
Click to expand...

Ya, the bad algae pics were earlier in this thread. It was pretty nasty all over my power heads and water outlets and on top of the water surface. But since I cleaned all that stuff out, the only thing that's left is what's on the rock. Most of it is on the left side of the tank on the rocks and along the back edge of my purple fringed monti.

I'm making more water now for another water change.
 
Hi d2mini, Thats right, In a 100lt tank, with your inhabitants, frequent water changes are a must, I think by your answers your pretty well there, just a bit of back up is what maybe you were looking for, quite rightly too. I have a 200lt natural reef, no filter, no sump or refugium, just good very porouse rock and 2in substrate, and lots and lots of patience. O yes, led's and a fan, thats all. I don't feed except once a week with mysis, the rest comes out of the rock. I do water changes approx 10% per mth, My problem is checking, I am allmost paranoid, But thats life. I hope this gives you confidence and don't stop questioning everything. Regards.
 
yote said:
You got some AWESOME looking corals Dennis.
Heres what I would try.
First thing I'd is manual removal of as much of the algae as possible.Then I'd start dripping kalk at night.That'll help with both organic and inorganic phosphates along with raising the PH and alkalinity high enough to kill out algae.
I'd also pick up a bottle of Marine S.A.T and start dosing that along with Brightwell Aquatics Bio Reef Fuel.The S.A.T. is an enzyme that will eat up dissolved organics.The Bio Reef Fuel is a carbon source that binds nitrates and phosphates and basically turns them into a food source for filter feeders.

The rock actually don't look that bad from the pics.And the corals look great.So I don't think you got a water quality issue.I think whats in the rock is just trapping enough waste to feed itself.
Click to expand...

Yote, how high do you recommend I keep my Alkalinity?
And recommendation on somewhere online to get the SAT and BRF?
 
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