Algea Problems

[marinemarty]

Hi All, I have an algea problem, looks mostly brown and green. I have minimized my light duration but i still get a layer of green algea on my glass daily, and my rocks are getting covered in brown algea. I have purchased 25 turbos and 5 mexican snails to fight this off but still no good. Should i get more snails or cut my lights to 8 hours from 10.
Thanks Guys
Martin

 

[wamp]

Snails will help alot.. Give them a little time to start the process, if it continues to be a problem a few more would not hurt. Also, if your bulbs are old, algea can be a sign that it is time to change them.
The main thing is routine maintance. Water changes will help providing your not adding more food for the algea. Nitrates and phosphates are the main food source. Limiting them with RO water will help.

 

[marinemarty]

Thanks Wamp, My lights are a few weeks old so that can not be it, i have been using a mixture of distilled water and tap water. NYC water is not that bad. But no RODI unit yet. How many snails should i have? Also what snails do you prefer? Thanks
Martin

 

[wamp]

Good Question on the snails.. Some say 1 per gallon some say 1 per 5 gallons.
In my 180, I had about 100 snails. (Astrea) about 10 mexican Turbo.

 

[alti]

hey marty,
i had the same problem . i bought so many hermits, snails, cucumbers and anything else someone said would eat algea. sure they will eat some of it, but i just keeps on coming. get the RO unit and the algea will stop. its easier to stop it before it starts than to have to clean up afterwards.

 

[ncjetskier]

My Kent RO did not take any phosphate out (.2ppm before RO and .2ppm after) . I just received some culpera (sp?) and I already see a significant difference in algae. This plant seems to compete for the phosphate/nitrates and absorbs both fairly rapidly-leaving little for algae to feed off of. THe culpera is in my sump, I just need to get a low watage (plant) grow light. I sure wish I knew of this plant before spending $150 on a janitorial grew and $165 on a new protein skimmer-well you live and learn.

 

[jcsurfn]

I go to those glacier machines outside of markets to get my water. It is one of those machines where it is like a quarter a gal. I is a RO unite that runs those machines. I think I read on here that someone else gets thers there also. Is this ok?