Algae Problem

[appsgang43]

I might have missed it, what are you using as test kits? Also, pull the wheel off the filter, I ran mine for a while and it turned into a nitrate producer...just a thought. Run standard poly filter floss and change it each day for a while. Blow the rocks off, let the filter suck the nasty stuff out of the water for a while and then change the floss.

 

Just because readings are coming up 0, might be because algae is using up excess nutrients in the water.

Ok I pulled the wheel of, but will have to leave the filter in for now, uable to get filter floss til Saturday.

[Mr. Fosi]

So can anyone help me with this? ... Starting feeding my fish only once a day. What else can I do to fix this?

 

Add some macroalgae to compete with the micros for nutrients?

[appsgang43]

Add some macroalgae to compete with the micros for nutrients?

Will chemipure elite help? Also i will get some chaeto.

[Mr. Fosi]

The various types of chemical media all have mechanisms of action that have the potential to help but the question is whether their cost is worth the potential benefit. Generally, if they are the only method of nutrient export you use aside from waterchanges, I say they are not worth it over the mid-to-long term.

 

Macroalgae is inexpensive to buy, you only have to buy it once, it can put some $$ back in the pot when it is time to thin it out. Another bonus is that macroalgae, unlike chemical media, doesn't necessarily exhibit a declining rate of material binding/removal.

 

The downside to macroalgae is that you need to be careful about what type of macro you choose to grow and that you you generally want/need to create a special place in your system to grow it.

[bluenassarius]

I switched my 12 gal to a 30 gal, at first the water quality was good. I have a Penguin 200 Bio Wheel for a filter. My water parems are all in good shape. 0 for everything, except alk 9 dkh, PH 8.4, Calcium 420. I added new live sand then some of my sand from my previous tank. I added some live rock from my old tank and new dry rock. Some of my corals are not looking happy, some look ok. My temp is 80. I added a skimmer yesterday hoping to help clear it up. The algae is like a brown film all over my sand and on my glass, I clean it off and it is back the next day. I can easily blow it off my rocks with my turkey baster. Can anyone give me any ideas or do you need more information?

 

if the sand you had from your previous tank was established and transplanted to the new tank, your bound to get a nutrient spike. when performing a transplant like that you will want to run carbon for at least a week to absorb anything that would be in your water column.

 

the brown film will go away with some time. my recommendation is to run some carbon for a while to help polish the water.

[SoonerBrad]

Ok I pulled the wheel of, but will have to leave the filter in for now, uable to get filter floss til Saturday.

And just so you know, I am talking about the Wally World poly-fil stuff in the home crafts section. Cheap and the bag will last a while.

 

Better test kits might help you locate where your problems are coming from, Salifert is what I use. Fosi has a good idea with macroalgae, just throw some cheato into an area of the tank that gets good flow and light. Larger water changes are going to be a necessity if you really want to make a difference with nutrient export. One gallon a day isn't much in a 30g tank. I would go with manual removal of as much algae as you can with 5 gallon water changes every two or three days. Just stay with it! Also, what is your clean up crew like?

[appsgang43]

And just so you know, I am talking about the Wally World poly-fil stuff in the home crafts section. Cheap and the bag will last a while.

 

Better test kits might help you locate where your problems are coming from, Salifert is what I use. Fosi has a good idea with macroalgae, just throw some cheato into an area of the tank that gets good flow and light. Larger water changes are going to be a necessity if you really want to make a difference with nutrient export. One gallon a day isn't much in a 30g tank. I would go with manual removal of as much algae as you can with 5 gallon water changes every two or three days. Just stay with it! Also, what is your clean up crew like?

I have blue legged Hermits, and all kinds of snails, some that go under the sand, some that stay on top and some that only clean the glass. Can't remember what the guy sent me, but it was a whole cuc package he put togther for my tank.

[johnmaloney]

+1 to Fosi and exporting the nutrients that grow it. Nerites and ceriths eat it and there you are. Treat it like any other cyano outbreak, except flow won't have any impact really. Also take out the powerhead and clean it. Nuisance "algae", (not really an algae but who cares?), spreads through tanks quickly if it is all on your powerheads, might as well get that cleaned up first. Then break out the toothbrush and clean it all up, do a water change after you siphone up all the gunk, most of it can be caught with your fish net. Now that you have the majority removed, slowed its spread, and are getting nutrient export in line, (RO/DI?), the snails should hit the spots you can't get too, and help because lets face it you cant do this everyday, and the chaeto will limit nutrients in the long run.

 

Now to reduce nutrient import - rinse frozen foods, try to use higher quality foods lower in excess processing, it usually adds phosphates. If you are dosing phyo -stop, you may find that the green water has not totally absorbed the fertilizer, and finally if you don't use RO/DI, consider this a good time to start, you may be adding in nutrients from the tap. Good luck!

[appsgang43]

+1 to Fosi and exporting the nutrients that grow it. Nerites and ceriths eat it and there you are. Treat it like any other cyano outbreak, except flow won't have any impact really. Also take out the powerhead and clean it. Nuisance "algae", (not really an algae but who cares?), spreads through tanks quickly if it is all on your powerheads, might as well get that cleaned up first. Then break out the toothbrush and clean it all up, do a water change after you siphone up all the gunk, most of it can be caught with your fish net. Now that you have the majority removed, slowed its spread, and are getting nutrient export in line, (RO/DI?), the snails should hit the spots you can't get too, and help because lets face it you cant do this everyday, and the chaeto will limit nutrients in the long run.

 

Now to reduce nutrient import - rinse frozen foods, try to use higher quality foods lower in excess processing, it usually adds phosphates. If you are dosing phyo -stop, you may find that the green water has not totally absorbed the fertilizer, and finally if you don't use RO/DI, consider this a good time to start, you may be adding in nutrients from the tap. Good luck!

So I should remove the rocks and clean them with a toothbrush? What about the rocks that have corals on them. Should I rinse in freshwater or saltwater. Just want to make sure I am not going to kill anything.

[Mr. Fosi]

So I should remove the rocks and clean them with a toothbrush?... Should I rinse in freshwater or saltwater.

 

I basically never do this, but when I have in the past, I have rinsed with SW. Usually water from my last waterchange so I am not wasting otherwise good water.

[nanoreefer4life]

It might be to late for u.... but when setting up my tank I kept the lights off for 2 months and very low live stock. I think u might have too many too fast. For me, I don't like having too much fish because in the long run they make the water unstable.

[appsgang43]

Ok, so on Sunday I broke my tank down took all the rock and corals out. Scrubbed every piece of rock kept siphoning out the junk left and adding new water. Took me about 5 hours to do. Now I have it all together, water parems are good and no algae. So after all that it it comes back again I think I will give up marine aquarium keeping. Wish me luck!

[bluepanda]

I think you have dino's and from what I have read you arew not supposed to use bio wheels on salt tanks. I say ditch the wheel

[bluepanda]

Woops sorry I was holding my 5th month old when responding to this post and didn't read all the way through. Anyway it sounds like you got some good responses. How is your tank doing now?

 

I think you have dino's and from what I have read you arew not supposed to use bio wheels on salt tanks. I say ditch the wheel