Weird Algae..

[gotteeguy]

I have a 55 gallon reef. Everything is thriving (including the anemone that I moved very close to the T5 light).
I have a skimmer, 3 powerheads, UV sterilizer, and a huge filter.
Livestock- 2 perc clowns, 1 yellow eye kole tang, 1 blue spotted tang, 1 firefish goby, 3 chromis, 2 peppermint shrimp, a couple corals, and a few hermit crabs.
40 lbs LR.
20 lbs small grain LS.

The only problem I have is that the algae is out of control. There's about 5 kinds- brown algae/ possibly diatoms, green algae, green hair algae, coralline algae, and some wierd blood-red slimy algae.

The green hair algae and brown algae/diatoms are my main concern because they are growing very fast. So is the coralline, but it's not a nuisance algae.
I scrub the tank walls off every day but the algae just forms back. I am adding algae-fix to the tank but it does't seem to help.
Another place where there is a ton of algae is on the sand bed. I can't tell weather its brown algae/diatoms or coralline algae, or both, that's forming on the small-grain LS, but it traps bubbles onto the sand. I sift the sand every day and turn it over so that the algae will die. It grows back in 1-2 days.
I don't know if this is normal to have this much algae...I will try to get pictures up tomorrow.

I checked the water parameters-I thought maybe the phosphate or nitrate was too high and caused the algae boom- but the phosphate was 0.5 mg/L and nitrate was 10 mg/L. Ammonia and nitrite are 0. Ca is 460 mg/L. pH is 8.2
Everything is normal. So why is the algae out of control? Any help on how to rid of it?

 

[seffieuk]

Ah but you can be showing low phosphates (which you are not) because the algae is using it up!

Anyways, sounds like you have cyno - which imo is usually feeding to much and not enough flow. You also dont mention any snails, have you got any sand sifting snails?

Seffie x

ps are you running phosphate remover? Stop using the algae fix and lets find out what the problem is

 

[ben1987]

0.5 is a pretty high phosphate reading. Id put money on it being this. Having a few tangs in there means your probably going through some food. If its frozen food, you need to de-frost it and rinse it well before adding it to the tank as there is loads of phosphate in the liquid that comes off frozen food.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

As above. Its definitely phosphate issues. I have had battles with cyano and a couple of other types of algae since I put in some uncured liverock and my phosphate levels shot up. Get hold of some phosphate remover and do as many regular large water changes as possible.

When my phosphate levels drop back down all the algae goes away, when the phosphate remover is depleted though you can see it all grow back quickly.

Also if your not running a skimmer I would strongly recommend one. Part of the reason I'm having so many phosphate issues is because I don't have a skimmer on my system at the moment.

 

[AK77]

Phosphates can be a REAL PITA to get under control. If don't have a skimmer like Barney, when you syphon the water out to perform a water change, keep the pipe in the top inch of water. Most of the dissolved pollutants collect near near the surface. I like to hold the pipe at 45 degrees and surface skim. If you do the same, just be careful not to break the syphon, otherwise you'll have to suck the other end of the pipe again

 

[DarrenUnwin]

Phosphates can be a REAL PITA to get under control. If don't have a skimmer like Barney, when you syphon the water out to perform a water change, keep the pipe in the top inch of water. Most of the dissolved pollutants collect near near the surface. I like to hold the pipe at 45 degrees and surface skim. If you do the same, just be careful not to break the syphon, otherwise you'll have to suck the other end of the pipe again

Quick question, does that mean it is best testing water from mid level in the tank for a true indicator of nitrates and phosphates. Cheers

 

[gotteeguy]

I have a skimmer that skims tanks for up to 70 gallons.
It fills up with green guck pretty quickly though.

What's phosphate remover? How much is it?


The tangs do eat a lot, but I've cut back on their feedings. I usually feed them nori, spirulina flakes, and frozen food.
I thaw frozen food out and wash it for a minute to get all the oils and scales off. The only frozen food I feed the fish are shrimp and scallops. The only frozen food I feed the anemone is chopped silversides.


I moved the LR with the most cyano, red slime, and hair algae into a QT tank w/o lighting so that it will die off.

I have noticed that a lot of the particles either stay at the very top or very bottom of the aquarium.

Also, the algae that is forming on the sand traps micro bubbles onto it. I have no idea how, but when I sift the sand, they all float up, sometimes with algae hanging off of the actual bubble. I know where the bubbles came from though. The skimmer creates them and the powerheads move them all over the place.

I heard phospate levels of 1.0 or less were good. Mine is too high?

 

[AK77]

Phosphates can be a REAL PITA to get under control. If don't have a skimmer like Barney, when you syphon the water out to perform a water change, keep the pipe in the top inch of water. Most of the dissolved pollutants collect near near the surface. I like to hold the pipe at 45 degrees and surface skim. If you do the same, just be careful not to break the syphon, otherwise you'll have to suck the other end of the pipe again

Quick question, does that mean it is best testing water from mid level in the tank for a true indicator of nitrates and phosphates. Cheers

That's a good question and one that I couldn't catergorically confirm. Although the majority of dissolved pollutants are located in the top 1" or so of water, that doesn't necessarily mean that those pollutants have broken down into nitrates and phosphates.

It would be interesting to see if there was any discernable difference between samples taken from the surface or those taken from the middle of the tank, with regard to nitrates and phosphates. If you have a test kit, why not have a try and see if you get different results. I've just ordered some new test kits, so I will do the same when they arrive.

I have a skimmer that skims tanks for up to 70 gallons.
It fills up with green guck pretty quickly though.

What's phosphate remover? How much is it?


The tangs do eat a lot, but I've cut back on their feedings. I usually feed them nori, spirulina flakes, and frozen food.
I thaw frozen food out and wash it for a minute to get all the oils and scales off. The only frozen food I feed the fish are shrimp and scallops. The only frozen food I feed the anemone is chopped silversides.


I moved the LR with the most cyano, red slime, and hair algae into a QT tank w/o lighting so that it will die off.

I have noticed that a lot of the particles either stay at the very top or very bottom of the aquarium.

Also, the algae that is forming on the sand traps micro bubbles onto it. I have no idea how, but when I sift the sand, they all float up, sometimes with algae hanging off of the actual bubble. I know where the bubbles came from though. The skimmer creates them and the powerheads move them all over the place.

I heard phospate levels of 1.0 or less were good. Mine is too high?

Iron oxide hydroxide (Fe2O3) pellets used to absorb phosphates from the water. Its sold as Rowaphos/Phosban or generic brands. Its usually around £15 a litre. If you wanted a cheaper solution, you could grow macro algae like chaetomorpha in a refugium/sump. All it requires is light and it will absorb nitrates and phosphates from the water. You might be able to put it in the display tank but, I'm unsure if tangs will consume it or not.

 

[gotteeguy]

[/quote]

Iron oxide hydroxide (Fe2O3) pellets used to absorb phosphates from the water. Its sold as Rowaphos/Phosban or generic brands. Its usually around £15 a litre. If you wanted a cheaper solution, you could grow macro algae like chaetomorpha in a refugium/sump. All it requires is light and it will absorb nitrates and phosphates from the water. You might be able to put it in the display tank but, I'm unsure if tangs will consume it or not.
[/quote]


I'll look for those.


The red slime algae that was on the LR, which I put in dechlorinated freshwater for 12 hours, has completely come off. The water around the LR is purple though...and the green hair and green slime has yet to come off.

 

[gotteeguy]

Does coralline algae usually grow on small grain LS? Is it bad to have too much? And how do I keep microbubbles from the skimmer down to the lowest?

 

[steelhealr]

Coralline algae will grow on almost any surface and isn't ALWAYS the greatest thing in the world. Sure...adds great color, but also a PITA to clean. In addition, coralline algae absorbs calcium. As your coralline growth increases, the need for calcium replenishment may increase as well.

Microbubbles as an issue is a myth. I remind all about the location of reef atolls. Waves break over them constantly sending bubbles into the surf and water. Not an issue except for appearance and, if you don't have a surface skimmer, perhaps a layer on the surface.

SH

 

[gotteeguy]

I don't mind the appearance of micro bubbles. The only problem is that the algae traps bubbles onto the sand.

 

[gotteeguy]

OK, now I got the microbubbles under control by adding a second sheet of filter wool on the return pipe.

Now that the hair algae's under control, I have a question to do with the red slime (already got the hair algae and brown algae/diatoms under control too). I experimented with a small piece of "infected" LR and found that a 1-2 hour dip in freshwater will get most of the red slime off. But will this 1 hour dip in freshwater kill my LR, because I was thinking about doing the same with a larger piece?

 

[AK77]

OK, now I got the microbubbles under control by adding a second sheet of filter wool on the return pipe.

Now that the hair algae's under control, I have a question to do with the red slime (already got the hair algae and brown algae/diatoms under control too). I experimented with a small piece of "infected" LR and found that a 1-2 hour dip in freshwater will get most of the red slime off. But will this 1 hour dip in freshwater kill my LR, because I was thinking about doing the same with a larger piece?

I wouldn't recommend doing it. If you want to remove the slime from the rock, next time you do a water change, place the rock in a bucket, take an unused toothbrush and scrub the algae off of the rock.

 

[gotteeguy]

good idea. Ill do that now.