Algae Issues

[renisel]

I've had my 75 gallon reef going for about 5 months and I just recently (in the past month or so) started getting some ridiculous algae problems. I've got red slime and green hair algae covering all parts of the live rock that are exposed to light; you can't see any of the coralline anymore. A pretty decent portion of the substrate is covered in diatoms. To the best of my understanding, diatoms feed on silicates and algae feeds on phosphates and nitrates. My Seachem phosphate and silicate tests have been consistently registering 0's fro both substances. My Hagen nitrate test shows my nitrate levels ranging between 5 and 10. Are there any other food sources that I should check for/eliminate? Temp is 79, ammonia and nitrites are 0, pH is 8.4, alkalinity 130, calcium 420.

 

[fish-man-t]

imo do a water change and cut back on the light a little hope this helps

 

[renisel]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I already change out 25-30 gallons every other week and the light isn't on more than 12 hours per day. Plus, the lights couldn't cause algae growth unless there was a food source for the algae.

 

[rusting]

Originally Posted by renisel
I've had my 75 gallon reef going for about 5 months and I just recently (in the past month or so) started getting some ridiculous algae problems. I've got red slime and green hair algae covering all parts of the live rock that are exposed to light; you can't see any of the coralline anymore. A pretty decent portion of the substrate is covered in diatoms. To the best of my understanding, diatoms feed on silicates and algae feeds on phosphates and nitrates. My Seachem phosphate and silicate tests have been consistently registering 0's fro both substances. My Hagen nitrate test shows my nitrate levels ranging between 5 and 10. Are there any other food sources that I should check for/eliminate? Temp is 79, ammonia and nitrites are 0, pH is 8.4, alkalinity 130, calcium 420.
Try cuting back on feeding to ever other day, and add more flow to your tank by adding 2 small powerheads. Do you use RO water?

 

[renisel]

I was only feeding my SFE and my frogfish every 2-3 days, and my clown and chromis twice daily. The frogfish and SFE quickly gulp down all of their food directly from the feeding stick, so there is no waste. When I feed the clown and chromis flakes, the extras are swept up by the overflow and I rinse off my filter pad after it collects the garbage. When I feed them Formula 2 cubes, my hermits seem to get on top of the leftovers pretty quickly. Basically, I don't end up with much of any leftover food in the tank to provide nutrients for the algae. I also have two powerheads plus the sump return providing about 600 gph of water flow--and then the skimmer sucking up another 275 gph or so. I do not use RO water because I regularly test my tap water when mixing it for water changes to make sure it is devoid of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, copper, silicates and phosphates--and it always comes up clean. I would gladly start using RO if I thought my water supply was providing fuel for the algae, but I have tested for every food source I know of. I know that some tests are better than others, but is Salifert really so much better than Seachem or Hagen that they would repeatedly register 10 for nitrates, or 0 phosphates or silicates, when there was really enough there to cause significant algae problems?

 

[rusting]

Originally Posted by renisel
I was only feeding my SFE and my frogfish every 2-3 days, and my clown and chromis twice daily. The frogfish and SFE quickly gulp down all of their food directly from the feeding stick, so there is no waste. When I feed the clown and chromis flakes, the extras are swept up by the overflow and I rinse off my filter pad after it collects the garbage. When I feed them Formula 2 cubes, my hermits seem to get on top of the leftovers pretty quickly. Basically, I don't end up with much of any leftover food in the tank to provide nutrients for the algae. I also have two powerheads plus the sump return providing about 600 gph of water flow--and then the skimmer sucking up another 275 gph or so. I do not use RO water because I regularly test my tap water when mixing it for water changes to make sure it is devoid of ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, copper, silicates and phosphates--and it always comes up clean. I would gladly start using RO if I thought my water supply was providing fuel for the algae, but I have tested for every food source I know of. I know that some tests are better than others, but is Salifert really so much better than Seachem or Hagen that they would repeatedly register 10 for nitrates, or 0 phosphates or silicates, when there was really enough there to cause significant algae problems?
I would clean up the tank, and switch to RO/ DI water for 1 year and see if there is a difference. I would also add more flow at the bottom of the tank, via some PVC pipe. I cut some PVC at 45, and glued a big PVC cap to them, and set my powerheads on them. It pumps the water down to the bottom.

 

[renisel]

Originally Posted by rusting
I would clean up the tank, and switch to RO/ DI water for 1 year and see if there is a difference. I would also add more flow at the bottom of the tank, via some PVC pipe. I cut some PVC at 45, and glued a big PVC cap to them, and set my powerheads on them. It pumps the water down to the bottom.
What difference will RO/DI and additional circulation make if I don't currently have excess nitrates, phosphates or silicates?

 

[rusting]

Originally Posted by renisel
What difference will RO/DI and additional circulation make if I don't currently have excess nitrates, phosphates or silicates?
If you are having algae problems, it is from something. You can test OK, because the hair algae is using up the bad stuff IMO. I had all the same problems, and those are some of the things I did to get my tank back in shape. Good luck with yours.

 

[renisel]

OK, thanks. I had considered the possibility that the algae was just consuming all the nutrients and that was why I was getting low values on the tests, but I wasn't sure. I guess I'll have to go get myself an RO/DI unit.

 

[rusting]

Originally Posted by renisel
OK, thanks. I had considered the possibility that the algae was just consuming all the nutrients and that was why I was getting low values on the tests, but I wasn't sure. I guess I'll have to go get myself an RO/DI unit.
Thats a good idea.I got mine 1 year ago. No more trips to the LFS, and you can drink the water and, it makes great ice cubes.

 

[michaeltx]

my hair algae bllom was doing the same thing my tests were showing 0 but there was something there causing it. I was puling about 2-3 pounds of hair algae a day out of the tank with no avail. it came down to a combonation of sand-water-lighting that was acting as a super fuel for it. but the tests where all fine.
but after switching to RO water and cutting the lights back it was still there but not as severe after switch sand it went away. I think what was suggested would be your best bet abnd get one with a drinking water attachment to it and you can have filtered water for yourself too and it tastes better LOL
Mike

 

[ssjkakarot]

5 month old tank is still fairly new imo and algae is a real problem in new tanks i agree with what everyone else said more flow less food and cut back on the lighting abit

 

[spartanph]

I just went through the same thing and tried adding flow to the bottom. I'm sure that would help in prevention but as far as resolving an existing problem was a waste of time.
I tried cutting back on feeding. That didn't help.
I tested the RO from my LFS and the TDS was a ridiculous 81 ppm. Which is probably how the problem started. So I switched to a different LFS for my water (TDS of 16). This may have helped but after 3 weeks of 10% water changes I still had an active bloom going on.
Finally I got drastic and cut my light down to 3 hours a day from 12 for 3 days. Then I increased to 5 hours for 3 days. Then increased by 1 hour a day every 3 days until I reached 10 hours a day of light.
After the initial 3 days of low light all the algae was gone. My corals did fine. I have mostly zoos and softies but do have a couple LPS and a couple BTA's. All survived the low light and now that light is back to normal my tank looks better than ever.

 

[murph]

I agree that lighting is a factor. On the natural reef full intensity light last just a few hours (11 to 1 PM or so). IMO most of our tanks receive full intensity lighting for far to long. Timers and a fixture with separate bulbs and switches can be manipulated to more accurately duplicate what occurs in nature and a cycle of 8 hours total light is sufficient for corals.
Accepted methods in this hobby tend to change and I think we are at a point right now where the pendulum has swung over in favour of tons of light being poured on tanks in a belief that it is necessary for corals. Bottom line is I have seen a wide variety of corals thrive in lighting conditions that are far lower than the excepted recommendation currently advised in this hobby.
Some species of course need intense lighting but your run mill reef tank with some softys and a few LPS don't. After a certain point the only benefactor of all this light is nuisance algae.
Other than that a good skimmer that produces a consistent skimate on a daily basis is mandatory. This is the only thing that is going to pull the nutrients from your tank (other than water changes) and inhibit the growth of nuisance algae, especially cyano.

 

[xrobbx03]

I have had a problem also lately. Its finally starting to go away. What i did was i been doing large water changes every few days (about 10g on my 65). When i siphon the water i out try and suck up as much as of the algea as i can during the water change.
I also am in the process in re stocking my cleanup crew. I am adding a dozen or so more hermits, a few dozen snails ( a mixture of nass, astria, and a few turbos). I added a queen conch and that has cleaned up a good amount of the algea i didnt get to on the sand.
I also noticed that my alk was a little low, throwing my ph off a little, so i been dosing with baking soda every few days or so and checking alk to get it a little on the higher side. By dosing alk it also lowers your calcium which too high of calcium can cause excess nutrients and cause algea outbreaks. Like the above posts, you are reading 0 phosphates because the hair algea is consuming it all. Another thing which helped alot was i added more flow. I had a few smaller powerheads which i upgraded to a maxijet 1200 and a maxijet 900. I have one pointed over the sand surface just barely brushing the top leaving really no chance for algea to stick and the other around mid tank.
Lastly i reduce my feedings to every other day and cut down my light period until the outbreak is gone. You can always increase the lighting back(slowly) to what you originially had it at. All this seems to be working well for me i hope to get it completely gone over the next week or so.