Algae

[shoorty069]

I keep getting algae in my 55 gallon tank. It started growing on a base rock. This was before i got my live rock. Then it started growing on my artificial plants. Now its starting to grow on my live rock. I heard its not a good thing, so ive been cleaning the plants and started to remove it from the rock, but it keeps growing back. Its green and sort of fuzzy, nothing i have in the tank eats it...so is there any way to get rid of it?
ryan

 

[monalisa]

Originally Posted by Shoorty069
I keep getting algae in my 55 gallon tank. It started growing on a base rock. This was before i got my live rock. Then it started growing on my artificial plants. Now its starting to grow on my live rock. I heard its not a good thing, so ive been cleaning the plants and started to remove it from the rock, but it keeps growing back. Its green and sort of fuzzy, nothing i have in the tank eats it...so is there any way to get rid of it?
ryan

Hi Ryan,
Welcome to SWF!!! I've also been battling hair algae in my tank that came in on some base rock that I bought, brand spanking new to the hobby. Unfortunately that rock also came with more than a dozen little tiny featherdusters, so scrubbing it was out of the question.
The best advice that I've been given, and I'm following through on, is take a phosphate test and see where your at with that (should be zero), and go from there. I'm electing to go the natural way of eliminating phosphates by putting in some chaeto algea. That probably won't speed up the process, but will help me maintain once things are good to go. Also, do you have a skimmer? Since I put my skimmer in (finally) about 3 weeks ago, I've seen a significant decrease in algea, and I swear, I have to change/clean my filter media twice/week because of the algae clogging things.
I hope this helps, and I'm sure that someone else here will have other suggestions. Good luck!!
Lisa :happyfish

 

[shoorty069]

No, i dont have a skimmer. After hearing everyone about them, im definately considering them for my tank. How did those things come on the base rock? i though they were just like white rocks you get from the petstore? Mine was yellowish with a white smear of i have no idea on the front. Now its got all different colors on it...lime green, purple, pink.
ryan

 

[monalisa]

Originally Posted by Shoorty069
No, i dont have a skimmer. After hearing everyone about them, im definately considering them for my tank. How did those things come on the base rock? i though they were just like white rocks you get from the petstore? Mine was yellowish with a white smear of i have no idea on the front. Now its got all different colors on it...lime green, purple, pink.
ryan

The "smears" are probably coraline algae...definitely a good thing. As a matter of fact, that's why I want to test for calcium in my tank to see where I'm at with that and hopefully find a supplement to accelerate the growth of coraline. More than likely your "base" rock was what I got...semi-live rock at base rock price.
Shoorty, definitely get yourself a skimmer!! I waited way too long to put one in my tank, and I can't believe the HUGE benefit my tank has seen!! Honestly, you won't know what you did without one.
How big is your tank, by the way? Do you use RO water? These are questions that will probably be asked of you on this thread, might as well post them now h*
Talk to you later.
Lisa :happyfish

 

[shoorty069]

no, no reverse osmosis, I have been using distilled tap water.
Its a 55gallon tank. I won the thing at a LFS during halloween. I set it up easter weekend. Im planning on going to the store tomorrow to get my levels checked. If everything is good, im getting a few more firefish, i had 2. One mysteriously dissappeared..MIA..lol. This was about 2 weeks ago and when we went to the store last week, something was a little off so they said do a water change, so, i did. I was away all last week(i had someone look over the tank, dont worry).
ryan

 

[monalisa]

Originally Posted by Shoorty069
no, no reverse osmosis, I have been using distilled tap water.
Its a 55gallon tank. I won the thing at a LFS during halloween. I set it up easter weekend. Im planning on going to the store tomorrow to get my levels checked. If everything is good, im getting a few more firefish, i had 2. One mysteriously dissappeared..MIA..lol. This was about 2 weeks ago and when we went to the store last week, something was a little off so they said do a water change, so, i did. I was away all last week(i had someone look over the tank, dont worry).
ryan

Distilled tap??? What kind of process are you distilling tap water? That may just be the cause of your algae outbreak. I know that when I first started my tank, I used tap water that I let sit for a few days and considered it "distilled" (suggestion from the LFS), and I'm sure that that is what I'm working against now. My tank has only been up for a little over 3 months, but I've been using RO for top offs and weekly 10% changes for at least 2 months now...I kinda attribute that to a lot of the algea die off I'm seeing at this point. Definitely find yourself an RO source of one kind or another.
I can't believe how much there is to learn in this hobby, and how fast you learn it!!! whew!!!. Great fun!!
Lisa :happyfish

 

[shoorty069]

Im usually letting it sit for a few weeks. Maybe ill just buy it in gallons next time...Otherwise im going to have to buy a 300$ maching to reverse the waters osmosis...
ryan

 

[airforceb2]

You can get the RO units a lot cheaper than that. Also, do you have a test kit or are you just letting your LFS tell you what is wrong with your water? If so, please invest in some good test kits. Also, what else do you have in your tank? Any snails or crabs?

 

[shoorty069]

I have a few small hermit crabs and a big one, and a goby(said that because i think hes a scavenger). And yes, i am going to get a tester kit soon, i havent had the time or money to get one, so ive been getting it dont the cheap way, actually, the free way. Where can i get a cheap RO system?
ryan

 

[airforceb2]

Can't post any sites on here because this site sells them and the owner doesn't want to loose the business. I can give you a hint though...you place a bid and if you have the highest bid, you win the item.

 

[shoorty069]

haha, thanks ill check that place that has the bidding type buying. Ill let you know how it works out. What are some good brands, some bad brands to stay away from? and what exactly am i buying? are there any features on it that i should be aware of?
ryan

 

[airforceb2]

I got mine from there and love it. It is a 100GPD RO/DI filter. $69.99 plus shipping. Don't get the holding tank unless you plan on drinking the water too (tastes really good!!). One thing to look out for is the supply source. You can either hook it up to a water faucet, hose spigot (sp) or directly to the PVC pipe under the house. You also need a return line or dirty water line. RO units seperate good from bad water and the waste water needs to be flushed somewhere. Either a drain pipe or something. I personally put my RO unit in my laundry room and spliced the cold water supply from the washer. I put the waste water line right in with the washer dump so I didn't have to drill anything and it is out of site.

 

[firefish21]

RED SLIME ALGAE REMOVER! 24.99 but well worth it!
After 2 days, ALL MY ALGAE IS GONE!