I've had it with algae!

[gio28]

hey everybody, so for the past few months i've had both brown and red slime algae all over my tank to the point where unless i clean the glass everyday i cannot even see into the tank hardly. also, my sand and rocks are covered with it...so basically everything. im getting sick of it and it wont go away no matter what i do.
here is everything i can think of to tell you ( i have a 36 gallon )
-nitrates 0
-nitrites 0
-ammonia 0
-ph 8.3
-temp ~78
-SG 1.024
-i use tap water but i have 0 phosphates and i detox it with Prime
-i do WCs every one or two weeks 15%
-i have an aqua c remora skimmer
-the only fish i have is a clown and his anemone, and i never overfeed
-my CUC consists of 2 emerald crabs, a cleaner shrimp, 10 ceriths, 10 turbos, 10 hermits, a serpent star, a fighting conch (small), and a few nassarius snails
-2 koralia 2 powerheads for flow
lastly, im about to hook up my sump to replace my power filter.
im going to have chaeto (which it currently sitting in the DT), a DSB, and my skimmer down there...along with the filter media including sponges, chemi pure, and purigen
if after i hook up my sump and i still have algae then im gonna go crazy. i doubt i have an algae bloom although my tank is almost 7 months old...and i've had all this algae for months.
any help on how i can get rid of this would be great...thanks.

 

[meowzer]

Determination....LOL...and elbow grease
What kind of food do you feed? Lighting?....I think you should increase the water changes...and GET RID OF THE TAP...LOL
When I was battling cyano (for months!!) I did a minimum of 2 water changes a week....

 

[gio28]

i used to suck up and gently stir the very very top of the sand a few times a week, but since school started i havent had the time. i feed mysis and pellet to my clown (mostly pellet since he dosent really care for mysis) and i make sure he eats what i put in cause i feed one pellet/shrimp at a time. i have a 150watt MH and its on for 9 hours a day. i have to find a reliable source for RO water since i heard walmart can not maintain their system sometimes and it is not pure enough. i think i know a place though that might work.
i really really need some more determination LOL im running out

 

[meowzer]

I know how ya feel....do you think I wanted to do multiple w/c's after getting off work....lol
try cutting your lights down to 7 hours...do you have actinics?
I know it stinks, but it takes time....

 

[gio28]

i dont, i plan on getting 2 T5HOs soon to supplement my MH though. i would reduce lighting more but my anemone might not get enough since its on the sand...would it be ok?
i guess i will make a bucket of fresh SW and let it mix overnight and do the change after school tomorrow. just realized, i used my only spare powerhead on my new skimmer...so now idk how to mix it.

 

[meowzer]

Do you have a bubbler...I use that for small batches.
You only need to do like 4 gallons right? I think the anemone would be ok with 7 hours...IMO...
It took me months to get rid of it...I was soooooo sick of it.....thinking I was doing everything wrong....but then FINALLY.....YAYYYY...
Just be ahem ahem patient

 

[gio28]

idk what a bubbler is, ill ask my mom if we have one lol
but yeah...no more than 5 gallons usually.
should i reduce the time slowly so i dont shock the anemone?
my dad just walked in my room and called my tank a huge terd...wonder why..lol

 

[meowzer]

A bubble bar...you know like for FW fish...
LOL...You made me think I needed to do w/c on my 29 and 54

SOOOOO I just threw together 9 gallons...to do a change tomorrow....siggghhhh
BTW...I put a bubbler in...LOL...The mag pump makes the water under 10g's too warm....

 

[gio28]

ohhh gotcha lol, i dont have one...but i will use one of my koralias maybe.
and whoa! u made that water fast! lol

 

[meowzer]

Originally Posted by gio28
http:///forum/post/3147672
ohhh gotcha lol, i dont have one...but i will use one of my koralias maybe.
and whoa! u made that water fast! lol
I keep 10g's of ro/di made at all times....I have a reservoir with an ato...

A koralia would work fine

 

[gio28]

sweet.
to be honest i always up to this point made my water right before i did the change, which is bad apparently.
i will try to find an approved place where i can mix the water that is safe from my moms OCD to clean/tidy lol

 

[meowzer]

SEEE....here's my little set-up

Attachment 232533

 

[gio28]

nice setup

. i need something like that...it would make mixing water so much easier...

 

[meowzer]

Originally Posted by gio28
http:///forum/post/3147680
nice setup

. i need something like that...it would make mixing water so much easier...
YUP...Pour it in another bucket...stir in salt...toss in the powerhead or bubbler LOL....and tomorrow...water change

 

[gio28]

is algae the reason my tank smells so bad? my room stinks...and i think its the algae cause it seems like the smell is coming from it.
i also need to get an extra pump so i can use it to mix saltwater. i might get a maxi jet 1200 (to replace the aquaclear 50) powering my skimmer and use the aquaclear to mix the salt.
this dumb stuff wont go away...and to be honest...i really doubt RO water will help (but i will try). it is like growing off of nothing. my params are perfect, my lighting is fairly new, my skimmer should pull out any gunk helping to feed the algae, and i dont overfeed at all. what else can this stuff live off of!!!
i do have a lamp behind my tank to light my room, but its the one with the reverse cone to direct light upwards so i dont think this being on a few hours a day would contribute. but could it?

 

[johnr2604]

Start using RODI and I am willing to bet you will see an improvement. Have you tested the actual Tap for phosphates? Testing the aquarium can be a little tricky especially when your having algea blooms. The algea can bond the phosphate and the test won't show it even though they are there. Also some phosphate kits can be very inacurate.

 

[meowzer]

ALSO...Do you use carbon? I think carbon will help with the smell...not 100%...I just think I read that somewhere.....(so if you use it change it a little more often)
anyone else know for sure?????

 

[gio28]

im gonna replace the chemi pure today and see if that helps.
im also gonna go to this water store down the street from me, cause if they sell water and snow cones, and other water related stuff, they should sell RO i would think.
the problem is that its real tricky for my parents to take me anywhere cause theres alot of stuff they have to deal with at the moment. my dad promised he would help me with my sump this weekend so i can get that hooked up and maybe it will help as well. and maybe to get some RO too.
do you guys think it would be a good idea to get one of those pure water club units? google purewaterclub and you should see them. and if anyone has one...are they any good?
the only thing i can think of is that i would have to find a place for it to be put, and somewhere where i can mix the saltwater for a day thats right next to it. my garage has no room and if it goes under the sink the bucket would have to sit in the open, which would make my mom go crazy. how are ur setups set up?

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by gio28
http:///forum/post/3148403
im gonna replace the chemi pure today and see if that helps.
im also gonna go to this water store down the street from me, cause if they sell water and snow cones, and other water related stuff, they should sell RO i would think.
the problem is that its real tricky for my parents to take me anywhere cause theres alot of stuff they have to deal with at the moment. my dad promised he would help me with my sump this weekend so i can get that hooked up and maybe it will help as well. and maybe to get some RO too.
do you guys think it would be a good idea to get one of those pure water club units? google purewaterclub and you should see them. and if anyone has one...are they any good?
the only thing i can think of is that i would have to find a place for it to be put, and somewhere where i can mix the saltwater for a day thats right next to it. my garage has no room and if it goes under the sink the bucket would have to sit in the open, which would make my mom go crazy. how are ur setups set up?

Can't beat having your own RO water! (Mine is under the kitchen sink, with a faucet where the soap dispenser was)
There are lots of RO units on the market..so do a good search for the best price. Make sure to get a 5 stage unit no matter the brand...the more filtering the better..JMO

 

[gio28]

i found one from the brand i mentioned that seems pretty good. it is 5 stage and also can be used for drinking water. im trying to convince my dad to split the cost since the family would use it as drinking water also.
i can't get my parents to believe that RO water will help with algae so they wont take me cause it seems unnecessary to them.