Tank is kicking my butt, please advise.

hutchinson

Member
Wasn't quite sure where to post this, but looking for some help with algae.

I am back in they hobby after being out for a few years. Here is my setup-

17 Gallon Mr. Aqua Tank
Fluval 106 canister filter
Marine Land Reef Capable LED lighting w an added actitic strip I bought of Ebay
20lbs of Live sand
15 lbs base rock and 15-18 lbs live rock.
Small clownfish and small blue hippo, with soft corals

Here is what is kicking my butt, Algae! It is covering my rocks with brown, green and spotty deep red dots. The only way i have been able to get rid of it is doing a water change ad shutting my lights off for roughly 5 days. Then my tank is crystal clear beautiful, and the lighting looks great with a great blue tint. However, once my lights get kicking on my tanks begins to look browner, browner and browner, and I hate it. I have tried running my lights 4-6 hours a days and it helps but the Alage will eventually come back.

When I originally filled my tank I used tap water that I treated with De-chlorinator, stupid I know. Since then I have done all of my water changes with RO water.

I bought a Phosphate test kit and phosphate remover thinking I brought them in when I first filled the tank. My initial reading was a little over .25. Now, I have added Phos Zorb to a chamber in my canister filter and am waiting to see what happens. The lights are off now but it seems like the green algae is getting worse, I could be wrong.

After doing a 3 gallon water change two days ago my nitirites are at 0, and my Nitrates are about 30-40.


Any advise would greatly be appreciated!
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
You aren't really doing anything wrong small tanks are the hardest to keep clean because water quality/chemistry can swing so fast. They can get over stocked and overfed real quick.
What do you have in there as far as livestock and what and how often do you feed?
My default suggestion would be more frequent water changes, perhaps add some macro algae into the system or both. Maybe feed less and or reduce the amount of livestock (fish). Depends.
 

hutchinson

Member
I have a percula clow about 1.5" and a 1.5" blue hippo. I was feeding twice a day and mysis shrimp a couple times a week. Since then I have backed off. I also had to start adding garlic to my seaweed because the hippo got ich, so now my water smells....

I only have prob 15 asteria snails the size of a pinky fingernail and 10 blue leg hermits.
 

hutchinson

Member
I mean yeah my tank is small, but should I really have to turn all my lghts off for 5 days at a time to rid green and brown algae. I am praying that the phosphate remover fixes everything....
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
No you shouldn't have to kill the lights that much. It does help clear it up but like you said it comes right back. The easiest silver bullet solution that I can offer would be to step up your water change schedule.
The addition of macro algae will help with the nitrates.
Not sure what to say on the hippo tang. They are messy fish and they grow big. But you probably know that.
 

2quills

Well-Known Member
I have been doing 2 gallons every other week. Would you suggest more than that?
As a trial, yes. Perhaps in the neighborhood of a half a gallon a day.
 

hutchinson

Member
Come to find out it was my nitrates that were high. I had a 5 in 1 test kit so I used them until my nitrate test kit came in. I did three 3 gallons water changes and checked my nitrate level, it was at 40. I changed out 9 gallons with reef crystal salt and now it still 25-30ish....


I did roughly a 60% water change. Should I do another? I though for sure it would go to 5-10...
 
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