All Stats Are Fine And I Still Have Algae

[bollands]

my nitrates are low so are phosphates my lights are on 10 hours a day feed 2 twice a day with mostly pellet and the odd clam. got a good nano tunze skimmer so no problem there i got like all algeas seen a bit of cyano just got over a brake out now a bit of green blanket alage and now i got some bubbles with stands attached that looks like cyano bitof hair algea too lol i think i may get some rubble tomorow too to help. 128 l tank with 1 small grama 2 percula small clowns 1 regal tang like 1-2 inch and a juwel puffer fish and a mandarin (he doesnt eat much) i dont even add copepods for him and he seems fine bit small but not skinny! PLZ help meee

 

[SkiFletch]

What's your input water source?

Any chance you can run a refugium?

Obviously you're struggling with an algae outbreak as a result of "just enough" nutrient input in the system where the algae can eat it all first but they do so fast enough where your test kits show levels of 0ppm.

Also, were it me, I'd change food brands immediately and stop feeding clams.

 

[bollands]

i use water from the lfs once a week i top up daily with ro water from lfs, i cant stop feeding clams with my puffer can i my food is hikari or something

 

[SkiFletch]

How far do you trust the LFS? IME, even the best intentioned LFS' loose track of their RO membranes due to really high demand. They use them ALL THE TIME and the membranes wear out and need flushing more frequently than the often-swamped staff can tend to. My guess would be that you'll find some significant TDS in the LFS' water.

What kind of clams do you have?

 

[bollands]

they are in some kind of frozen clams yes i think i should buy an RO unit Broke atm so im not sure what to do!!!

 

[seffieuk]

Ski, he isnt keeping clams in his tank, he is feeding clams to his puffer to keep it's beak worn down

Seffie x

ps are you running a phosphate remover?

 

[bollands]

yes im running phosphate remover seffie i just replaced a week ago too and i use carbon. went to lfs today. my nitrates have risen agian! i think its a bit of over feeding opps lol. i bought half a kilo of lr rubble for the back compartments to help it out. will do a 10% water change tommorow.

LOL ski i can see where you got confused my bad!

Why is my tank so much hard work keeping nitrates low!!! also my ph is apparently too low about 7.6 ! using buffer to get it up a bit now

 

[SkiFletch]

Whoa 7.6!!! Do you have a lid on the aquarium? The only way your pH get's that low would either be excess CO2 in the water, or extremely low alkalinity. I'd look into that quickly.

Also, I'd really suggest a hang-on refugium and feeding fewer clams. I get the fact that he's feeding the puffer clams. This can often lead to high nutrients as clams are very nutrient-dense foods. I might lessen the frequency I feed clams were it my tank.

 

[bollands]

ok will do, buffering tank atm but im not how sure if it is at 7.6 becaise the guy didnt know what he was doing and got it wrong a few times at the lfs and he said my nitrates were 40 my test says its 2.5 i think hes cocked it up big time! LFS "who trusts them"!!!!! he made me buy half a kilo of rubble but i spose it wont hurt

i dont have a lid on my tank, i top it up with 2-3 pints of ro water daily! due to my fan skimming air along the surface and a bubbling water from power head to increase co2 o2 exchange help me im confused why would it be so low? but i dont think im going to trust that guy. going to another lfs today to get a coral hopefully, ill get a ph test kit hopefully! RO unit for xmas!!! cant wait

 

[SkiFletch]

I'd get a pH test kit there if you're not sure about your readings. Have you been testing alkalinity as well?

 

[bollands]

no i havent only because i have never been sure on what it actually is and does any help?

 

[SkiFletch]

Alkalinity is the measure of total carbonate and bicarbonate in the reef aquarium. It is also the primary driving force for having a higher pH. Therefore if alkalinity is significantly low, your pH will never be high. However, extremely low pH is USUALLY the result of excess CO2 and may or may not be the result of high CO2 AND low alkalinity. But if your alk is low, you don't have a prayer of having decent high pH. Then again, you first have to make sure that your pH test is accurate...

 

[bollands]

ok i think my next splurge of cash should go on the salifert test kits, mighty expensive tho.... ill go for calcium alk and magnesium. then im not sure only got nitrate atm. what else u recommend? i was thinking phosphates and oxygen?