Green Algae Question

[rainmkr07]

Hello. My 75g tank is now about 3 months old. I have completed the diatom stage, and am currently dealing with some green algae. You can only see it when you look at the parallel sides of the tank from a side of the tank (it appears to be a green covering on the inside of the glass) but you can't see it when you look straight at a side of the tank (only on the inside of the other sides of the tank). Does that make sense?
Well I can use my magnet cleaner to wipe it away easy enough, but it comes back rather fast. I was wondering what type of algae this was, is it temporary like the diatom stage, and if not, is there anything I can do to make it go away besides wiping the tank clean 2-3 times a day?
Thanks

 

[miaheatlvr]

Originally Posted by rainmkr07
Hello. My 75g tank is now about 3 months old. I have completed the diatom stage, and am currently dealing with some green algae. You can only see it when you look at the parallel sides of the tank from a side of the tank (it appears to be a green covering on the inside of the glass) but you can't see it when you look straight at a side of the tank (only on the inside of the other sides of the tank). Does that make sense?
Well I can use my magnet cleaner to wipe it away easy enough, but it comes back rather fast. I was wondering what type of algae this was, is it temporary like the diatom stage, and if not, is there anything I can do to make it go away besides wiping the tank clean 2-3 times a day?
Thanks
ARE yo using RO/DI water? What kind of lighting do you have and how long is it on? How is you clean-up crew? Whats your bio-load in there? Whats your filtration like? Then I can help you!

 

[rainmkr07]

Originally Posted by MiaHeatLvr
ARE yo using RO/DI water? What kind of lighting do you have and how long is it on? How is you clean-up crew? Whats your bio-load in there? Whats your filtration like? Then I can help you!
Yes, RO/DI. 260W pc, actinics 12hrs, 10ks 10hrs. Clean up crew = 5 nassarius, 1 fighting conch, 4 turbo snails, 4 scarlet leg hermits, 4 emerald crabs. 3 chromis = bio load? Filtration = Emperor 400.

 

[b bauer]

12 hours is a long time on also are you using carbon and if yes when do you change it?what are your water peramiters

 

[rainmkr07]

I just put in 2 new emperor 400 filters a few days ago, they have carbon in them.
nitrates=20
nitrites=0
ammonia=0
salinity=1.021
temp=80

 

[b bauer]

do you run the same carbon over a week?

 

[miaheatlvr]

Originally Posted by rainmkr07
I just put in 2 new emperor 400 filters a few days ago, they have carbon in them.
nitrates=20
nitrites=0
ammonia=0
salinity=1.021
temp=80

Ok buddy,,#1 Too much time on the lighting, lower to about 8 or 9 hours. Up your cleaning crew, can you get one or 2 MEXICAN TURBO SNAILs? if not stock up with your regular ones, at least 10 total, up your red legged hermies to about a 12. Good on the RO/DI water this will help prevent alga blooms. ALSO I would up the salinity for fish only I generally like to keep at 1.022-1.024 and for coral and inverts which you have, should go up to 1.024-1.026max. do this by replacing evap water with salt water instead of fresh.. good luck!

 

[rainmkr07]

Originally Posted by MiaHeatLvr
Ok buddy,,#1 Too much time on the lighting, lower to about 8 or 9 hours. Up your cleaning crew, can you get one or 2 MEXICAN TURBO SNAILs? if not stock up with your regular ones, at least 10 total, up your red legged hermies to about a 12. Good on the RO/DI water this will help prevent alga blooms. ALSO I would up the salinity for fish only I generally like to keep at 1.022-1.024 and for coral and inverts which you have, should go up to 1.024-1.026max. do this by replacing evap water with salt water instead of fresh.. good luck!

Actually, the ones I have are Mexican Turbo Snails, they are VERY active cleaners, I love them, and adding a few more of them and the hermits is totally doable.
As for light hours, the actinics are on 12hrs, the 10ks are 10hrs. If I drop the actinics to 10hrs, and the 10ks to 8hrs, that should help with any algae, but, isn't longer lighting better for coral growth? I would rather wipe away the green algae and have faster growing frags? Or would this change in lighting time not make that big of a difference in coral growth speed, but would make a noticable impact on the algae?

 

[rainmkr07]

Originally Posted by b bauer
do you run the same carbon over a week?
I change the emperor 400 filters once a month...

 

[miaheatlvr]

Originally Posted by rainmkr07
Actually, the ones I have are Mexican Turbo Snails, they are VERY active cleaners, I love them, and adding a few more of them and the hermits is totally doable.
As for light hours, the actinics are on 12hrs, the 10ks are 10hrs. If I drop the actinics to 10hrs, and the 10ks to 8hrs, that should help with any algae, but, isn't longer lighting better for coral growth? I would rather wipe away the green algae and have faster growing frags? Or would this change in lighting time not make that big of a difference in coral growth speed, but would make a noticable impact on the algae?
No this will not make much if any difference, alot of sucessful reefers adjust lighting to 8-9 hours. THE MEXICAN TURBOS are like 2 or 3 inches long, are you sure yours are mexicans?

 

[b bauer]

the carbon is really good for 1 week after that it leachs back into the tank

 

[dksart]

I like my Cerith and Nassarius snails. They do a great job. I have 10 of each, along with the 3 Turbos, 4 Peppermint shrimp, 9 Hermits and 4 Emerald crabs.
Also, a Lettuce nudi would help a lot with that algae on the glass.

 

[rainmkr07]

Originally Posted by MiaHeatLvr
No this will not make much if any difference, alot of sucessful reefers adjust lighting to 8-9 hours. THE MEXICAN TURBOS are like 2 or 3 inches long, are you sure yours are mexicans?
ok cool, I will drop the time down in the tank, thanks Miami. And they are Mexicans, they are huge! And their shells have more purple algae than my LR or tank... bah. I was going to add 5 more Nassarius too, will more of them help too?
And is this green algae residue on the inside glass of the tank I am describing different than the hair/grass kind of algae that grows on rocks and what not?

 

[rainmkr07]

Originally Posted by dksart
I like my Cerith and Nassarius snails. They do a great job. I have 10 of each, along with the 3 Turbos, 4 Peppermint shrimp, 9 Hermits and 4 Emerald crabs.
Also, a Lettuce nudi would help a lot with that algae on the glass.
A Lettuce nudi? Can you tell me more about those? I don't have any algae besides this green residue on the glass, (knock on wood) so I suppose that's a good thing. Miami recommended adding more hermits, which I plan on anyway, but I got to thinking, I don't think the hermits would help with this glass algae (unlike the snails or lowering the lighting schedule perhaps).

 

[veni vidi vici]

Isnt algae in a new aquarium common and expected? i have the same type of algae and my DT glass and i just mag float it off.Its starting to happen less freaquently but still occures. I started to run some Phosguard and it has helped with the small patches of hair algea. As far as i can tell from what ive read and the responses i have gotten here and elsewhere is,Light+nutrients=algae. I dont think you can eliminate it ,just try and controll it with Lighting, excess nutrient controll . I dont test for PO4 but it definately didnt hurt for me to run some Phosguard.Ive heard though Phosban is a safer product.

 

[rainmkr07]

Originally Posted by Veni Vidi Vici
Isnt algae in a new aquarium common and expected? i have the same type of algae and my DT glass and i just mag float it off.Its starting to happen less freaquently but still occures. I started to run some Phosguard and it has helped with the small patches of hair algea. As far as i can tell from what ive read and the responses i have gotten here and elsewhere is,Light+nutrients=algae. I dont think you can eliminate it ,just try and controll it with Lighting, excess nutrient controll . I dont test for PO4 but it definately didnt hurt for me to run some Phosguard.Ive heard though Phosban is a safer product.
How long are you running your lights?
I wish I could run them 20 hours a day, so cutting them down to 8 makes me a little sad, ya know?

 

[veni vidi vici]

Originally Posted by rainmkr07
How long are you running your lights?
I wish I could run them 20 hours a day, so cutting them down to 8 makes me a little sad, ya know?
Actinics 2 hours/MH 8 hours/Actinics 2 hours/Lunar lights 12 hours
Thats my light cycle now,i may add more time to MH 14ks in the future by an maybe a hour or 2 . I love when the lunars are on ....thats when all my nightime critters come out.Im finding all kinds of life in DT that i had no clue was in there.