algae - need some help

[gamecockks]

Hi...I've asked many and not been able to figure this out. I have a fairly new tank (8-9 weeks old), so I know algae is a common problem. To make matters worse, I used a RO DI that had been outside for some time and had filters that needed changing and too had algae inside (dumb, I know, but somehow I rationalized that it would be ok since it was being filtered). First I had a hair algae which my tangs seemed to take care of. After a couple of weeks I put in 250 crabs and 100 snails just as another type of algae was appearing to replace the hair algae. This algae covers everything including the snail shells and accumulates bubbles of air on the surface. Lots and lots of bubbles. The snails and hermits seem to be eating it, but they can't come close to keeping up. I have cleaned the corners of the tank and cleaned the back wall entirely and the algae and bubbles will be back within 24 hours. The bubbles disappear overnight, but a few hours after the lights have been on they begin to form whereever the algae is. It's been like this for a several weeks now and I keep thinking it's going to disipate, but it hasn't. Also, a film of powdery type algae begins to cover the glass. It appears to just blend into the water when I use my glass cleaner on it. Do you have any ideas? Is it just because it's still a new tank and will work itself out? Do I need more critters to battle it? Do I need to start making water changes with new RO DI water? Thanks for your help.

 

[ste2k3]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Firstly, what filtration do you have? what fish do you keep in the aquarium? are you lighting the aquarium. the "algae" you mention may be a dinoflagellate or some other kind of bacteria in which case it may be a build up of organics. Do you use any sort of phosphate removers in the tank such as rowaphos, anti phos, phosban etc?

the more info you give, the more help we can give.

ste

 

[gamecockks]

I have a 120 gallon reef tank with 2 blue actinics and two 400 watt metal halide, a large (approx. 30 gal) custom sump with a fairly large skimmer. There is a separate closed loop circulation system with a scwd. I have a jbj chiller and a 5 gallon kalkwasser drip. The local fish store put this together for me and I feel he gave me quality products and I feel he knows a lot about reef tanks. He has several. He seems to think this is still part of being a new tank, but I have a 90 gal reef also and I didn't go through this 5 years ago with it. I've tested my water and I have 0 amonia, 0 nitrite, ph is 8.2 and my nitrates are 25 ppm, phosphate less than .01 mg/l. Do you need any further info? Would it help to leave my lights off for a couple of days? Thanks.

 

[ste2k3]

I would leave the lights off for for a while as you don't have anything that needs the light at the moment. you have a very good setup there BTW. your just going through the initial algal bloom which most people go through with a new tank although having the lights on has made this a little worse than normall but once its over, cleaners should be able to clear it.

Also, how do you find the SCWD on the closed loop?

ste

 

[gamecockks]

Not sure I understand your question, but my fish guy drilled a hole in the bottom center of the tank and uses it as an intake which goes to a Blue Line AquaPump which feeds into a scwd. The intake in the center of the tank is covered by my reef. Coming out from the scwd, two lines go up the inside of the return. I have a 3 sided tank with the small fourth side against a wall. I use the tank as a sort of room devider. The regular return goes through a scwd also, so I have water flow coming rotating in from opposite corners of the tank. There's a lot of flow. I do have a number of sps frags that I put in a month ago. They are doing fine, but I'm not sure how long they can go with out light. They do fine in shipping most of the time for 24 hours, so I imagine 24 hours without light won't hurt them. Any thoughts on that? Thanks for the help.

 

[ste2k3]

nooooo, in that case, don't turn your lights off then . I thought it was a new tank but if you have corals in, then keep on going as you have been. how many "cleaners" do you have? (shrimps, crabs, starfish, snails etc) I would not usually recomend adding SPS corals as early as this but if there doing fine, there shouldn't be a problem.

Not sure I understand your question

sorry, I just wondering how efficient it is, i.e. does it put much back presure on the pump? I was thinking of using one on one of my new closed loops?

ste

 

[gamecockks]

How 'bout if I just run my actinics? Maybe I'll just cut the time down from say 6 hours to 3 hours for a couple of days. What do you think? I love my scwds. It makes a helluva difference in water flow. I'd recommend it. I know it's normally not a good idea to put sps frags in a new tank, well 4 week old tank. I checked the water very closely and I did use about 60 gallons of water from my 90 gallon when I started this one, so I had a little under half of my water that was already cycled. I have some really nice frags, blue tortusa is my prize. I have a white colt, which I've never seen before and it was given to me, but it seems to be wasting away. Don't know why, cause it's the only thing in my tank not doing well. It's still a brilliant white color, but it never looks really opened up and it's sort of evaprating if that makes any sense. I've had it a month. Any ideas?

 

[ostrow]

Your description sounds like cyano to me and you won't get rid of it and you'll get hair algae unless you replace the cartridges and, I'd say, the membrane immediately. I'd also spend $35 to get a fluidized bed filter and run PHosban or Rowaphos for a few months. Some run it 24/7 all the time. I began to and it is keeping the water nice and clean and a nasty algae bloom disappeared. Livestock can put phosphate-containing waste into the water and fuel an algae storm. That is the logic behind the phosban.

Don't use any old phosphate remover though ... the aluminum based ones can leech nasties into the tank. Who knows, this iron-based one probably will too but noone has seen that happen yet.

Anyway, the company that makes Phosban sells a filter for it that costs $30 and can hang anywhere. Good deal, cheaper than making one.

 

[gamecockks]

I've replaced all the membranes. Isn't cyno red and slime like?

 

[ostrow]

Can be red, can be green, can be brown. But it bubbles like you describe. It would lift off in sheets. If what you have is vigorously attached, then I recommend an urchin of some sort (I have a Tuxedo Blue that cleared my 75G in 2 weeks, with the help of the Phosban.

Beware of cutting down on feeding though...I may have starved my baby Atlantic Blue Tang

 

[Max]

what is the kalvin rating on your 400W? and who is it made by? xm bulbs somehow give me more algea...