controling algea
- Thread starter dueces
- Start date
marine fanatic
Member
Cleaner Crews work great against algae. Try some hermit crabs, snails and maybe a couple of emerald crabs. They have kept my tank's algae well under control.
nm reef
Active Member
One of the members here put together a very good article on controlling algae....do a search for "algae issues" and see if it comes up....I could post it here put its rather long......short form is:
insure lighting is not old
do not over feed
maintain good current(with no dead spots)
maintain adaquate filtration(clean filter media regularly)
provide some source of nutrient export(refugium)
active clean-up crew
All the above play a part in control and reduction of un-wanted micro algaes.........seriously look for the article on algae issues...its very good and goes into much more detail.
insure lighting is not old
do not over feed
maintain good current(with no dead spots)
maintain adaquate filtration(clean filter media regularly)
provide some source of nutrient export(refugium)
active clean-up crew
All the above play a part in control and reduction of un-wanted micro algaes.........seriously look for the article on algae issues...its very good and goes into much more detail.
fishfood
Member
I'm about ready to just give up on this issue. I had posted probably 2 or 3 times about hair algae and i still have problems. I do know that the RO water i was getting was high in phosphate. I took care of that, Changed the lights 2 weeks ago, added more snails, a sally lightfoot, and just recently a lawnmower blenny, plus some macro algae to the tank. I feed every other day if that and have just put my fish back in from the hospital tank so no food was added for a little over a month. While the tank was empty of fish i took out the rocks and scrubbed them with a toothbrush (those without coral on them). I have a fluval running for current and storage of carbon and phosguard occasionally. I also have 2 maxi jets 2100 i think, plus one other powerhead and the prizm for water flow. The prizm was added probably a month ago and fills up with brown crap all the time. I'm about ready to just give up! I hate it, yet i have another 55 and 75 i want to set up. This hair algae has changed my mind about that. Everything in my tank is listed in the bottom tag! This sucks! 
underthesea
Member
First do not get turned off because of some alge. You have not said how long your tank has been set up for how often and how much water you change. but what i think that you might need is just more of a clean up crew. I have well over 350 different critters cleaning my tank. You can not have enough.
Have you had your water teseted by a pool place to see what exactly is in your water that your ro might not be taking out?
Have you had your water teseted by a pool place to see what exactly is in your water that your ro might not be taking out?
twoods71
Active Member
dueces,
Here is a link that may help you.
<a href="https://www.saltwaterfish.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=009964" target="_blank">Click on me</a>
fishfood,
Hair algae is one of the hardest algaes to fight. It takes time. Trust me I know. I have been fighting hair algae for a while now also and months later I am finally getting the upper hand on the stuff.
Here is a link that may help you.
<a href="https://www.saltwaterfish.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=009964" target="_blank">Click on me</a>
fishfood,
Hair algae is one of the hardest algaes to fight. It takes time. Trust me I know. I have been fighting hair algae for a while now also and months later I am finally getting the upper hand on the stuff.
dirtybilge
Member
How big is your tank I bet you need more water flow and a deeper sand bed also buy a RO/DI unit there worth there weight in gold!
fishfood
Member
My tank has been set up for 11 months now with this bad hair algae for the past 3 to 4. I had a much larger snail pop, but when they fall the blue legs eat them. The blue legs have also been eating the scarlet hermits as well even though there are 30 to 40 other shells in the tank.
The RO water comes from the lfs my girlfriend works at and they use a Kent HiS Unit. I was the one who cought that they had high phosphate just around christmas. That water is fine now.
Water Movement comes from 2 Maxijet 1200 which push 295 gph each, One Fluval 203 which has to be 125 gph or more, one other ph but I don't know what brand or size (It seems to be close to the maxijet 1200, and the prizm which does not produce much current. A low estimate of water movement would be 850gpa. Thats moving my entire tank 15 times an hour.
Recently I've been changing 5 to 10 gal every two weeks.
I'm not thinking of giving up this just sucks. I mean my shrooms and Leathers are doing great. I've fragged my leathers 3 times in this time and need to do it some more. I also need to take out some of the shrooms and green stars.
The RO water comes from the lfs my girlfriend works at and they use a Kent HiS Unit. I was the one who cought that they had high phosphate just around christmas. That water is fine now.
Water Movement comes from 2 Maxijet 1200 which push 295 gph each, One Fluval 203 which has to be 125 gph or more, one other ph but I don't know what brand or size (It seems to be close to the maxijet 1200, and the prizm which does not produce much current. A low estimate of water movement would be 850gpa. Thats moving my entire tank 15 times an hour.
Recently I've been changing 5 to 10 gal every two weeks.
I'm not thinking of giving up this just sucks. I mean my shrooms and Leathers are doing great. I've fragged my leathers 3 times in this time and need to do it some more. I also need to take out some of the shrooms and green stars.
D
dwf
Guest
I was running a Fluval 404 for a while. I noticed that it was full of brown algae every time I cleaned it. Also their algae proof corrugated hosing was loaded with algae. I sold the fluval on ---- and switched to a mag drive pump and sump system. I still have a little algae but nowhere near what I had when running the Fluval. IMHO, Fluval stuff is crap. <img src="graemlins//yell.gif" border="0" alt="[yell]" />
<img src="graemlins//yell.gif" border="0" alt="[yell]" />
reeferkeeper
Member
My experience? Whenever I have had algea problems..I have always had a phosphate reading. Once I took care of the phosphate, the algea went away. I also have lots of snails, a couple urchins, a yellow tang that love to pick away at certain types of algea, crabs, blah, blah blah..I am sure you have heard it all. One thing other then enviromental issues to control the algea on the glass....I was VERY greatfull when I purchased a magnet that I can leave in the tank..I can tell you the company name. It wasnt cheap, but it sure beat dunking my arms in the tank every day...besides, many time there is soap residue or other household products that may be on your arms and may fowl your water.
sharkbait
Member
Yeah I agree with the others when it come down to the invert cleaner crew. I bought the big 20 for a 75 and they wiped out the algae. I had also had some high Phosphates from over stocking or feeding (that did help). I cut back my feeding drop a large blond tang for a coral beauty. A month and a few water changes later my Phosphates dropped to 0.05ppm to zero. I did get a kole tang that just love ugly aglae didn't bother eating flake or seaweed. You might not have enough light as a thought? Check you calcium level is it high enough (350 - 450)? So that you are able to grow coralline algae to choke out the ugly stuff.