Cant shake the algea

calirob

calirob

Member
Question Guys!!!
125G with 3-250 watt MH 14,000k running for 7 hours daily.
RO water only. Levels are perfect. Water Changes every 4 days..I have a quick and easy system. Tank has been under lights for 2 months. Pretty new set up...about 3 months
I had a round of hair algea but got it tamed down....Not I cant shake this brown algea thats gettimg thicker daily. Its on the back wall and on the rocks and sand that are exposed to the light...
Do I have too much light?
What can help my fight...Will ever get coarline with all this crap everywhere?
 
granny

granny

Member
The most common cause is Nitrates and Phosphates present in the tank.
Have you tested either of those?
Do you have any algae eating fish in your tank ie lawnmower blenny or even an emerald crab?
I had a similar problem and this is what worked for me. I removed the biomaterial from my sump and bumped my skimmer up to max output.
did a few large water changes and added a phosphate sponge and Nitrex to the sump.
I removed any 'dead' items from the tank and scrubbed them clean with a toothbrush, let them dry, then returned them to the tank.
It only took a week and my tank is clear of all algae except the halmeda and calurpa that is flourishing. I see you have turbo's. How many? I have about 17 of the turbo and astrea snails which do a bangup job on the glass and live rock both.
As far as your substrate, you may need to add some sandsifters to keep things stirred up a bit.
Hope some of these work for you.
 
calirob

calirob

Member
Granny..
Thanks for the info..
I do have a phos test kit and it reads zero..So Im good there...
I do have a cleaning crew but maybe I need to go crazy and buy a 100 smails to get busy.
Right now I have about 20 snails and 10 small hermits..they cant keep up I guess. Think thats the problem? Can I have too many?
If the snails get on the rock they clean it right up, but they spend their days on the glass chilling out!
Also, I have a Fug but I cant get algea to grow in there...Whats the cheap light that works good?
 
granny

granny

Member
With your tank size, you could use 100 snails!!
I have never had an an emerald crab but hear they do a bangup job as well.
I am an old aquarist, Fuge's are new to me. I have read about them, but dont know about lighting. Some even hang inside your tank so would, obviously use that lighting.
See if you can pick up a thread for that subject. I am sure many people, younger than I, have experience with them. I do know that **************.com sell several different set ups and may have light reccomendations.
My plants are growing in the sand or on rocks and I do nothing special for them other than keep my tank water parameters where they should be. I actually use a power compact from current and it seems to be perfect for all the plants, soft corals and anamones that I have in there.
 
calirob

calirob

Member
so in a 125 with 180# live rock and my lights I could use upwards of 100 smails..!
ahahha
I guess I have some shopping to do!
I guess I never noticed that many in other peoples tanks
 
K

kpatrick

Guest
Calirob,
I had an algea outbreak recently and what I did was cover the tank with a blanket to keep the outside light from getting into the tank. I shut off the lights to the tank except for 1 hour every other day for one week. when I took the blanket off the tank after 1 week all the algea was gone except for some patches of hair algea. However, the rest of the algea is gone and the rocks and sand look great. I am going to get a sea hare to wipe out the remainder of the hair algea. By the way, my corals are all fine and the lights being out didnt hurt them. good luck!
 
granny

granny

Member
Well, I dont know if you really want to rush out and buy 100 snails! But you have room for them!! Get a variety-different shapes etc. those little bumble bee snails are different
My astrea and turbos have coraline algae on their shells so they look just like the live rock and you really dont notice them till they climb onto the glass-but I keep my glass pretty clean so they stay on the rocks most of the time.
Happy shopping
 
calirob

calirob

Member
Yea I dont get too much outside light if any at all. I do have the lights on a little to much though...Im going to reduce to 6 hours a day maybe less...Now can I raise the light time after I get more established?
100 Snails coming soon!
 
laddy

laddy

Active Member
You just have a normal start-up tank problem, don't get too concerned over it. Any new tank will exhibit algae blooms while trying to find it's equilibrium point where intake = uptake, but it sounds like you are doing the correct things to get rid of the problem. I highly recommend cutting down on the amount of nutrients being put in the tank, food and light. Cut down your feeding schedule, that'll help a lot.
Plus, cutting your photo period will help most of all. My only recommendation is that you cut it down sloooooooowwwwllllllyyyyyy if you have corals. By 1/2 hr per week until you get down to just a few hours a day, then raise it slooooooooooowwwwwlllllyyyy.
This too shall pass......
 
dea_mt

dea_mt

Member
i definantely think you need to upgrade your cleanup crew. i like the queen conchs. they eat all kinds of algae including hair and slime. i got 6 and they keep my sandbed and the bottoms of my LR spotless. i am currently battling hair algae as well but i'm finally starting to win...!!! HAHA. soon it will meet it's maker!!!
 
caillou

caillou

Member
I'd be suspicious of your phospahtes, a lot of home test kits for it can't or don't give accurate results. I'd think about a phosban reactor if I were you. They're like $60 complete (unit, pump, 150g's of phosban) on the auction site. I'm considering one myself and will most likely pull the trigger on it.
 
jds31788

jds31788

Member
i had the same problem. bought some phosphate remover pellets, whiped off what i could, and a lawn mower blenny. after 2-3 weeks not a spot left. of course my tank is a 30gal and my phosphates were about 0.1.. good luck
 
fisherson

fisherson

Member
i had that problem and used Phosban...some don't agree but it helped me alot. also i cut way down on my lighting...by half
 
dragonboy

dragonboy

Active Member
Make sure the turbo snails you get are mexican turbo not the snail with the spiral shell which they call them tubo as well. Cause only the mexican turbo eats the hair.
 
relaxn79

relaxn79

New Member
Dude, get emerald crabs. They are the best. They eat bubble algea like it's a the best thing since sliced bread,.,
But they don't eat the red (cotton) like algae.
 
calirob

calirob

Member
thanks guys...Im fighting but I think since the tank is semi new (3 month) I'll just have to wait it out..
And reduce my lighting for a whle
 
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