GioReef Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Ok there are sooooo many people having algae problems in their tanks... most don't overfeed, most have good water, most have good everything(including me)... but we still get algae. This thing is like the flu.LOL It is like in the air and then it goes in the tanks... I was wondering, maybe there is something in the things they collect from the wild and it spreads tank by tank...could be right? But whatever it is i hate nuisance algae!!! Maybe its the fast change in temps...cause right now a lot of states are witnessing a dramatic increase in temps and so the algae comes... What do you guys think about all these problems...???? This just seems one of the biggest post topics right now...i even posted one. Link to comment
Clayton07 Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 it could be photo period too. I put blinders on my tank durring the day just to ensure that no stray light gets in. I never buy frags, or rocks that have even a little bit of algae on them...it will just spread. Link to comment
GioReef Posted May 8, 2008 Author Share Posted May 8, 2008 Ya i never buy frags with algae either...never have either... but the corals suck in water..at least the ones that eat do.. then they go in our tanks...there goes the water...lol Link to comment
Clayton07 Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Oh i see what you are saying now...I find that highly unlikely. There will almost always be free floating algae in your tank. Thats what makes skimmate green. A good skimmer goes a long way too. But, in rare cases its actually the rock. Phosphates can get locked into live rock and slowly leach out. If you test the bulk of your water it will test low/no pO4 but the rock is leaching it very very close to the surface. But that usually only happens when someone buys LR from someone who had a neglected tank, or at one time had a bad pO4 problem. Link to comment
GioReef Posted May 8, 2008 Author Share Posted May 8, 2008 I am going to try some phosguard or chemipure elite to see what happens. Even tho test show 0 phos...but the algae is soaking it up. Link to comment
scrapz Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I was reading over @ RC about "cooking" LR which is suppose to get rid of unwanted algae, the process seems to be time consuming though. on another note, I've never had algae problems except during the cycle. the only thing i run is chemipure/cheato/cuc Link to comment
johnmaloney Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I never get any algae in my tanks. Here is what I do: Compete against the nuisance algae with macroalgae and mangroves. Macroalgae and mangroves gobble up the same stuff nuisance algae does, and it does a better job or out competes the nuisance stuff. Get a strong cleaner crew. Most of the packages sold online as "50 gallon packs", are not going to clean a 50 gallon tank. A good cleanup needs to be diverse, strong, and custom tailored to a specific tank. Combining the two-limited growth and pressure on the stuff that is there will get rid of nuisance algae. I would also disagree with the good water quality statement. Just because you have low nitrates and silicates and phosphates, (not that many people test for the latter two), doesn't mean you don't have a nitrate, phosphate, and silicate problem. It could very well be that the nuisance algae is just gobbling it up and that is why those numbers are low. scrapz and nano-reef man got the right idea. Link to comment
p-daddy Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I never get any algae in my tanks. Here is what I do: Compete against the nuisance algae with macroalgae and mangroves. Macroalgae and mangroves gobble up the same stuff nuisance algae does, and it does a better job or out competes the nuisance stuff. Get a strong cleaner crew. Most of the packages sold online as "50 gallon packs", are not going to clean a 50 gallon tank. A good cleanup needs to be diverse, strong, and custom tailored to a specific tank. Combining the two-limited growth and pressure on the stuff that is there will get rid of nuisance algae. I would also disagree with the good water quality statement. Just because you have low nitrates and silicates and phosphates, (not that many people test for the latter two), doesn't mean you don't have a nitrate, phosphate, and silicate problem. It could very well be that the nuisance algae is just gobbling it up and that is why those numbers are low. scrapz and nano-reef man got the right idea. +1....on pretty much anything johnmaloney says, hes a CUC master. He helped design my CUC and I never have anything more than just a little film on the glass. Link to comment
Withers Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Ya i never buy frags with algae either...never have either... but the corals suck in water..at least the ones that eat do.. then they go in our tanks...there goes the water...lol Do you have a cleanup crew? If not, there's your problem. If so, stop feeding them table scraps. Buying frags with algae on the base should not be a problem as it should be spotless in less than an hour after introduction. Link to comment
GioReef Posted May 8, 2008 Author Share Posted May 8, 2008 The good water quality statement is refering to clean waterchange water. Not tank water testing with nitrates. But my nitrates have never been higher than .5ppm... exept for cycle. So i have a BIG feeling it is the phos... over the weekend i am going to get some phos removing stuff.lol Yes i have 2 turbo snails, 1 astrea, 2 blu leg hermits, 1 scarlet hermit, 3 nass snails. In my BC 14 I think that is plenty... dont you think? I feed very little and every other day... Link to comment
GoingPostal Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I think nobody knows exactly why algea grows, I have a very low cleanup crew in my 33 gallon, 5-6 nass snails, 5 hermits, a couple astrea snails and overfeed pretty badly for my gorgs. My tank gets light from the window, tap water and my sucky remora skimmer. I don't have a fuge and don't run carbon or anything else. I can't even keep macro algea alive, I've taken frags covered in algea and my hermits go nuts, it's clean in an hour. Bubble algea I've left alone and it doesn't spread. I even killed off bryopsis that came in on the base of a pagoda. So who knows? Some people do it all right and still can't get rid of the stuff. PaulB on RC thinks it goes in phases and is normal, after all, there's algea on the reefs. Link to comment
Diatome Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I agree with the phases. My 37 sat in a window and never had algae issues. My 60 stays out of the sun and I have had more alae issues, but also have been working on teh photoperiod for my new lights. I have one rock that several zoas were glued to and was just something had probably been lying around before the zoas were attached and then placed in a store dispaly. The rock is covered in an encrusting sponge. I do have a lot of sponges but this one must have been a speck on that rock. There is a reason we are told never to flush any algae or (horror) drop it in a body of water. Evenflushing can devesate places in California and Florida. Link to comment
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