My PO4 is Low but my Algae Problems are very VERY High .

ivasawajin

ivasawajin

Member
my PO4 is around 0.1 . i use 2 huge socks of phosban in the sump , 2 huge socks of phosguard that takes the whole water movment place , and i use a phosban reactor 150 and i'm using Phosphat E from Brightwell everyother day but what every i do in have brown algae allover my rocks . and you all may know my reef tank is SUPER crowded . 230G reef, 44 fishesh , more than 30 corals . and i feed them all sorts of foods from pellets to frozen foods to algae sheets . and i do 10% water changes in a month but this will change to 1o% every 2 weeks . what should i do ??? all my rocks and covered with brownish algea and when i bush them off they will come in a matter of days .
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
It may have something to do with 44 fish in a 230g. I know some of your fish are larger like tangs & such and I think lowering your bioload will REALLY help water quality, and reduce alage issues.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Is your sump the only filtration? Do you have a skimmer? You just might have WAY too much bio-load...not enough filtration
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Using phosphate removers does not take care of the source of the problem.
I feel like you need to reduce your bioload - get rid of a few of your larger fish and feed less. That will definitely help a lot.
Change your bulbs out in your display tanks lighting system. That might help a little.
Then, buy a second protein skimmer if you can. Two skimmers running on the same system is fine. Possibly also build a turf algae scrubber for supplemental filtration. You would be amazed how much algae the algae scrubber will grow and get rid of out of your display tank. It will also decrease your nitrate and phosphate readings, if properly built and maintained.
You may also want to decrease your lighting time by two hours a week in addition to more filtration.
 
ivasawajin

ivasawajin

Member
yeah i want to get rid of some of my fish but its a 10 month old tank and i cant catch them . a have a dotted grouper !!!( which in cant catch) . and my filtertation is really good . i have 3 skimmers which are way overkill for my tank size EACH . i have a UV and a refugium and a Deltec denitrator and some ceramics are new biological filters like brightwells KALALYST . all of my fish are healthy and i dont have any ammonia or nitrate problems . and i dont know how to biuld a scrubber . its way to hard for me .can i but it somewhere? my filterration system is well intact ( 130KG of LR and a 5inch sand bed) . everything is good but the algae . and my bulbs arent old . they are 6 months old MAX . and i run my metal halides for 8 hours and then my blue t5's for 2 hours . then i run my refugium ligh till the morning .
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by IvasawaJin http:///t/387697/my-po4-is-low-but-my-algae-problems-are-very-very-high#post_3413236
my PO4 is around 0.1 . i use 2 huge socks of phosban in the sump , 2 huge socks of phosguard that takes the whole water movment place , and i use a phosban reactor 150 and i'm using Phosphat E from Brightwell everyother day but what every i do in have brown algae allover my rocks . and you all may know my reef tank is SUPER crowded . 230G reef, 44 fishesh , more than 30 corals . and i feed them all sorts of foods from pellets to frozen foods to algae sheets . and i do 10% water changes in a month but this will change to 1o% every 2 weeks . what should i do ??? all my rocks and covered with brownish algea and when i bush them off they will come in a matter of days .
I have to agree...sell some fish, or start another tank and move some of your fish to that. A tank with that many fish are stressed, and it can't look good, more like working alive like maggots. Please don't be offended, I'm not flaming you...it's a personal opinion I have about too many fish all swimming around busy, busy, busy...my father rest his soul, kept fish tanks like that and I didn't like the look.
At any rate....STOP feeding pellets...frozen rinsed mysis and algae sheets should be fine...then once in a while cut up chunks of shrimp or other raw seafood. Pellets and flake foods are loaded with phosphates.
P.S
You CAN catch them...set up the second tank or prepare to transfer in buckets...don't be picky...just scoop...whatever you catch gets a new home.
or
Put out enough buckets...start catching fish...remove rocks as you go...once all fish are out put back in the proper number of critters you want to keep and take the rest away to the lfs
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
They sell fish traps. It's an acrylic box with a trap door. You put some food in the box and set it in the aquarium. When the fish you want to catch goes in the box, you let the acrylic door slide down to catch the fish. It's really efficient.
Yes, you can buy a turf algae scrubber. Do a search for a screen name called "SantaMonica" he sells algae scrubbers. I think the cheapest one he has is $600, but you could build a verticle one for about $25 out of some PVC, plastic canvas, and a pump. Oh, and don't forget the lights. I guarantee you that the algae scrubber will grow algae on the screen where you can remove it, and you will have a whole lot less on the rocks in your display if you run one.
I would also stop feeding pelletized food. High phosphates in those - and they aren't natural.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by IvasawaJin http:///t/387697/my-po4-is-low-but-my-algae-problems-are-very-very-high#post_3413493
i like a busy busy tank , your late father had a great taste in fish tanks .
LOL...his tank was always cloudy, the fish forever stressed and sick...and the tank was covered in algae. He put rocks in the tank from the back yard. He loved fish tanks, but he knew little to nothing about them. He always wanted his tanks to look like mine...I kept telling him to quit putting rocks from the back yard in there and that...LOL...he had too many fish in one 55g tank.
I loved my Dad, with all my heart...but he had the worst looking fish tank ...every week like clock work after two fish died, he would buy three to four more. If he was walking down the sidewalk and would see a rock he liked, it had a home in his tank. I remember telling him that rocks have stuff in them and not all are safe. He never changed.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I don't know if I've already said it or not, but your getting a false reading on your phosphate test kit. Your phosphates are actually high, it's the algae that is absorbing it, and growing off of it, which is keeping your phosphate reading low.
 
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