Look At My Algae Problem

[binhzino]

Originally posted by cjason3041
i was wondering your lighting time myself, and temperature?? also include the surrounding air temp (avg) i am concerned that you may be in a hot climate with the tank next to a window with full sun??? and if so do you run your lights at night, what is the TOTAL time that the tank receives light?
a purple light to stimulate sunrise came on at 7am then a flourescent light came on to stimulate daylight with the purple light at 8 till 6pm when the flourescent light turns off and purple light stays on to stimulate sunset from 6-7 then after 7pm..all lights turns off....but now ive changed the times. the temp in the tank is at 78-80degrees...surrounding temp in the living room is 75 degrees and no it is not directly near sunlight

 

[binhzino]

help:help:

 

[monalisa]

yikes!!!!
what kind of clean up crew??? I didn't see any????? I'm really new at this, so, wdik? (what do I know?)....
Am I wrong????

 

[who dey]

not just a crew, your gonna need an army!! 50 different types of snails, get some sort of phosphate sponge in their(kent or phosban) your phosphates are outttacontrol!!!!

 

[who dey]

fill a 5 gallon bucket up with tank water. pull each rock out individually and swish them around in the bucket to brush off the funk. do this to each rock. this in conjunction with RO/DI and a phosphate sponge should really help out. it did for me. you may lose some rock creatures but right now i think you have bigger fish to fry!!!! good luck:jumping: also do weekly water changes with RO/DI

 

[binhzino]

Originally posted by WHO DEY
fill a 5 gallon bucket up with tank water. pull each rock out individually and swish them around in the bucket to brush off the funk. do this to each rock. this in conjunction with RO/DI and a phosphate sponge should really help out. it did for me. you may lose some rock creatures but right now i think you have bigger fish to fry!!!! good luck:jumping: also do weekly water changes with RO/DI
swish them around? can i just use a brush and brush em off...whats a phosphate sponge and how do u use it

 

[jonny bolt]

wowzah lol. Are you overfeeding? Get a Lawnmower Blenny.

 

[binhzino]

Originally posted by Jonny Bolt
wowzah lol. Are you overfeeding? Get a Lawnmower Blenny.
No I feed every 3-4days with frozen brine shrimp and i feed ghost shrimp to my lion fish

 

[who dey]

if you don't mind sacraficing any rock hitch hikers. like i said before you have bigger fish to fry. brush them off with something rough like a sos or something similar. the key to solving this is removing the algae and limiting it's food source (phosphates) a phosphate sponge is a granular material which is placed in a media bag in your filter. your water will pass through it and it will block phosphates. i recommend phosban because it is good for a whole month unlike the kent product. i run it consistantly and it has worked wonders. i too started w/tap and eventually switched to the right water about 3 months ago. whats your lighting cycle

 

[jonny bolt]

Hmm. My friend had the same problem a few weeks ago. I mean serious algae growing of the LR. It looked thick as hell, swaying around in the water lol. He ended up cleaning some of it off the LR, and then got a Lawnmower Blenny to take care of the rest. His tank is back to normal.

 

[who dey]

lawnmower blenny may not do so well with the lionfish. that's just my opinion, do you want a reef or FO tank??

 

[binhzino]

Originally posted by WHO DEY
lawnmower blenny may not do so well with the lionfish. that's just my opinion, do you want a reef or FO tank??
reef/fish

 

[binhzino]

Originally posted by WHO DEY
if you don't mind sacraficing any rock hitch hikers. like i said before you have bigger fish to fry. brush them off with something rough like a sos or something similar. the key to solving this is removing the algae and limiting it's food source (phosphates) a phosphate sponge is a granular material which is placed in a media bag in your filter. your water will pass through it and it will block phosphates. i recommend phosban because it is good for a whole month unlike the kent product. i run it consistantly and it has worked wonders. i too started w/tap and eventually switched to the right water about 3 months ago. whats your lighting cycle
I took 1 LR out and put it in like a 2gallon bucket and started scrubbing some of it off with a toothbrush..
I have a cpr bakpak 2 protein skimmer and powerhead so where would i put the phosban or whatever? my lighting cycle is:
7am - 8am: purple light on to stimulate sunrise
8am - 6pm: purple and flourescent light on to stimulate daylight
6pm - 7pm: purple light on to stimulate sunset
7pm - 7am: off
but this wk ive changed it to
8am - 9am:
9am - 5pm:
5pm - 6pm:
6pm - 8am: off

 

[serg141]

What are your water readings? especially the phosphates and Nitrates. Actually all of them would helps us understand what might be going on.

 

[binhzino]

Originally posted by Serg141
What are your water readings? especially the phosphates and Nitrates. Actually all of them would helps us understand what might be going on.
Salinity: 30
Specific Gravity: 1.022
pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
how do i check phosphate levels?

 

[binhzino]

yep

 

[serg141]

Your Ph is a little low. You could buy a buffer, that will raise your PH. Now to answer your question on how to test your phosphate, I use a test kit made by Aquarim Pharmaceuticals. Its easy to use and it cost about $10.00. I am also currently fighting an algea bloom. My bloom was caused from using tap water after I moved (because I didn't have RO water). For me tap water = red slime, which i have corrected but am now fighting the green algea. I am patiently waiting on the arrival of my clean up crew (2 Queen Conch, 20 scarlet hermit crabs, 20 astrea/turbo snails, and 5 Mexican turbos). I am also looking into ordering a refugium to help lower nitrates and phosphates.

 

[teresaq]

buy a Hang on back filter, and put your phos-ban in both sides. (make sure its in a bag, and leave it itn the bag) I also add fiber fill to my hob filter to help filter out water, and also run carbon in the hob. Dont use sos pads, they have soap in them. use a stiff new brush. good luck

 

[acekjd83]

after my cycle the algae was outta control, even though the trates and phates were 0, since there wasnt anything to eat what had already grown. my LMB and hermits went to town on it and now it's gone! :joy:

 

[acekjd83]

Originally posted by Serg141
Your Ph is a little low. You could buy a buffer, that will raise your PH.
buffer will not raise pH effectively... its just a buffer, not a base. dont let bangguy here you say that... hes pretty touchy about the whole buffer and pH deal. hes written some good informational threads about it, you should check them out.