Help!!

[verde_ad]

OK, so i have been cycling my tank for about a month now and I am having a problem that I have never had durning cycling before. My water is all cloudy and algea is growing like crazy. I know that a lot of times this is just a phase, but this seems pretty bad. It doesn't seem to me that this will go away on its own. I am using ro/di and just today, began running carbon. My skimmer is taking stuff out like mad and I probably am turning over my tank 25 to 30 times per hour. It is a 30 gal tank with about 20lbs of lr. I also have a 20k 250 watt mh light over the top of it. I was running it 12 hours and just cut the time back to 10 hours. Any one have an idea on any creatures or techniques I could use to fight this problem?

 

[texasex]

I don't know what stock you have in your tank, but I would cut the lights back to 6 or 8 hours maximum, until your algae growth slows. What kind of water are you using for changes? Check for phosphates. Also, get yourself a good cleanup crew, snails and hermit crabs, and if you have hair algae, an emerald crab. Check all of your levels.

 

[golfish]

even cut it back to 4 hrs...I think we should cycle LR with lights but not too much.
IMO, I wouldn't worry about the cloudy water. It will go away, be patient.

 

[verde_ad]

Thanks,
I just added ten astrea's about a week ago and haven't added any crabs. Are all hermits reef safe or are some not? I forget. So if I cut my lights back for now the problem may go away and then I can increase the light? I don't have any suplimental lighting, so if the halides are off, the tank is dark. I don't have any coral in the tank, so turning the lights off for now shouldn't be a problem, I just don't want it to be permanent.
Thanks for the help,
AJ

 

[texasex]

A sever outbreak of algae is an indication of something being out of whack with your levels. Check nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, phosphates (all should be at zero), ph - 8.0 - 8.4. 8.0 ph is fine if you just have snails, crabs and fish - if you are going for more invertebrates or corals, you should have 8.4. Cutting back the light will help to starve the algae, but they are feeding on more than just that. To make sure that it doesn't become "permanent" just keep a check on your water parameters!

 

[verde_ad]

thanks,
I don't have a phosphate test, so I will pick one up. would it be normal for my trates to be at zero if my tank is just recently cycled? Are there any fish that would like to eat this stuff. I will pick up an emerald crab and some hermits tommarow.

 

[verde_ad]

Do you think a phosphate spunge would help. I have some I could add to the tank until the algae goes away.