Green mat?

[Jay]

Good afternoon all,
I set up a new 30 gallon nanocube and I've got something very strange growing in it.

Here's some background:
30 gallon nanocube just a few months old. It has an eheim cannister on it, a turbel pump in tank for more water movement, plus the two pumps in the overflow. The pumps in the overflow are on a wave maker alternating switch. I've put Seachem matrix carbon in the eheim to remove organics. It has live rock, a paint brush plant, one royal gramma and a collection of algae eating snails in it.

It seems that no matter what I do I can't keep the red mat algae/bacteria down. Now I've also got a bright green mat growing. It started growing a lump about the size of a quarter in the center last week. Now I've got this almost 2 inch tall pillar in it. I'm expecting tentacles and teeth to erupt from it next...



What is it? Any suggestions for the bacteria problems? I thought water movement would do it but it doesn't seem to.

Thanks

 

[BL1]

Welcome to the site Jay!

What are your water parameters? We'll need to know that first and foremost. I'd say your most likely cause is high nitrates and/or phosphates. How often do you clean your canister filter? That is your most likely cause. It's a real problem with nitrates if not cleaned thoroughly at least once a week. They're really more of a freshwater technology.

 

[Zissou]

Are you using tap water or RO?

 

[BL1]

Oh yea also, how much do you feed your tank, how often, and what kinds of food?

 

[Piratefish]

Look this up BRYOPSIS ???

 

[Jay]

Look this up BRYOPSIS ???

That looks like the hair algae on the glass. The green stuff is flat and mat like. It's the giant green thing that's hard to see
because the camera focused on the glass.

I see bubbles on it after the lights have been on a while so I assumed it was photosynthesizing.

 

[Jay]

Welcome to the site Jay!

What are your water parameters? We'll need to know that first and foremost. I'd say your most likely cause is high nitrates and/or phosphates. How often do you clean your canister filter? That is your most likely cause. It's a real problem with nitrates if not cleaned thoroughly at least once a week. They're really more of a freshwater technology.

I was cleaning it about once a month. Guess that's part of the problem.

 

[Jay]

Are you using tap water or RO?

I'm running tap water through aquarium pharmaceuticals resin bead filter:
Tap Water Filter - API

I had hoped to avoid the cost of a full R/O unit. I did see Whirlpool
is making a kitchen R/O unit for a very reasonable price.

 

[Jay]

Welcome to the site Jay!

What are your water parameters? We'll need to know that first and foremost. I'd say your most likely cause is high nitrates and/or phosphates. How often do you clean your canister filter? That is your most likely cause. It's a real problem with nitrates if not cleaned thoroughly at least once a week. They're really more of a freshwater technology.

Thanks. I'll do some tests tonight. Last time I did the nitrates were zero.

 

[Bifferwine]

That filter you are using doesn't work well enough for this hobby. And the replacement cartridges are EXPENSIVE!

You can get a good RODI unit online for $100 to $150. Check out:

FilterDirect.com Whole House Water Filters, Water Booster Pump Choices
P U R E W A T E R C L U B
The Filter Guys

Or you can buy RODI water from any grocery store or Walmart.

It's safe to say that your algae problems are due to the water you're using and the fact that you are not cleaning your filter enough. Canister filters are notorious for leading to algae and nutrient problems if they are not cleaned often.

For a 29 gallon tank, you can make things much easier on yourself if you disconnect the canister filter altogether, and just do weekly water changes with RODI water.

 

[yote]

The algae is using the nitrates and phosphates for fuel,so your going to get a false reading.
Start by doing a large water change ( 30 to 40% ).Then pull the rock that has the algae on it out and scrub the algae off in the bucket of old water.Then go lights out for 3 or 4 days to help kill out any remaining algae.
Also figure out where its nutrients are coming from. You've got to get ahead of the algae to beat it.As long as its in the tank,its just feeding more algae.

 

[Jay]

Oh yea also, how much do you feed your tank, how often, and what kinds of food?

I feed the royal gramma about once per week. He generally gets about three flakes of flaked food. He's several years old now so he can't be too starved :)

 

[Jay]

I'll try out a water change and an RO unit.
I did the nitrates test and it shows zero (or course).
Would getting a selection of isopods/copepods help keep the algae in check?
(and make the fish happy...)

 

[Bifferwine]

It would make the fish happy, but they're not going to do anything for your algae. If you want, you could get a Mexican turbo snail or an urchin. That should help.

 

[Jay]

It would make the fish happy, but they're not going to do anything for your algae. If you want, you could get a Mexican turbo snail or an urchin. That should help.

Bought two types of the snails. Unfortunately they don't work as well as I had hoped ;)

The back of the nanocube is black. I think the snails try to stay in shaded areas to avoid being eaten so they keep the back of the tank spotless... :pooh:

 

[BL1]

Some snails do more of their eating/moving around at night so you might just not see them moving around the whole tank.

I feed the royal gramma about once per week. He generally gets about three flakes of flaked food. He's several years old now so he can't be too starved :)

You should consider changing to frozen foods, it'll be a better diet and more nutritious for your fish, and much more beneficial to your water quality

 

[Jay]

Some snails do more of their eating/moving around at night so you might just not see them moving around the whole tank.


You should consider changing to frozen foods, it'll be a better diet and more nutritious for your fish, and much more beneficial to your water quality

Got any recommendations for a frozen food?

 

[Bifferwine]

You can get frozen food at any Petco or Petsmart. Mysis shrimp is a good one. Emerald Entree is a good one for herbivores. Marine Cuisine is good for omnivores and carnivores. If you get brine, make sure you buy fortified (spirulina enriched) brine. They come in little freezer packs. Just break off a corner of the flat pack (or thaw out a cube of the cube packs), thaw it in some tank water, and toss it in the tank.