algea issue

tinnghe · 04/12/2011, 09:18 AM

i have a 50 gal tank with 40 breeder. I run a carbon reactor and a GFO reactor, both were replaced a week ago.

since I replaced the GFO, my phosphate use to run at .02 with a photometer. now it is running at 0.00 with a photometer. for some reason, i see algea popping up all over the place. I have 6 fishes in the tank, 2 purple fire fish, 2 anthias, a sixline and a clown. I fed with formula one flakes.

another thing, my tank is right next to a window, should i cover that window and see if that would help?

disc1 · 04/12/2011, 10:35 AM

Algae and phosphate can be confusing. If there is no algae, you measure phosphate, but when the algae bloom, they eat up all the phosphate in the water as fast as it is added and you measure 0.00. Go search for algae and see how many people have algae blooms and suddenly have 0 PO4. It's in there from somewhere, the algae don't grow without it.

tinnghe · 04/12/2011, 01:46 PM

I'm still thinking it is the sunlight that cause the algea bloom. since phospate is 0, algea should disappear.

Zebodog · 04/12/2011, 02:00 PM

Check the phosphate reading of the reactor effluent.

tinnghe · 04/12/2011, 02:58 PM

I did and the result were zero going in and zero going out

seapug · 04/12/2011, 03:18 PM

Sunlight can make an algae problem worse, but if you don't have nutrient issues sunlight won't cause algae to grow on its own. Remember, natural coral reefs aren't lit by artificial lighting. Give the GFO some time to starve out the algae. Took about 6 weeks to kill off all the HA in my tank back when I first started using it.

have you tested for nitrate?

tinnghe · 04/12/2011, 03:49 PM

nitrate is 5, I do a 10% water weekly. I never have trouble with HA, all of a sudden they started to bloom. I just wanted to see what is going on.

zigzag1 · 04/12/2011, 05:30 PM

Your rock/substrate is likely leaching Phosphate if nutrient levels were previously high. Keep up active GFO changes and it should leach back to normal levels in time.

The location near the window is not the issue, IME. My tank is 2' from a 6' window w/o curtains, west facing. The corals seem to enjoy the considerable afternoon direct sunlight they get. GL!

04/12/2011, 09:18 AM	#1
tinnghe Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 800	algea issue i have a 50 gal tank with 40 breeder. I run a carbon reactor and a GFO reactor, both were replaced a week ago. since I replaced the GFO, my phosphate use to run at .02 with a photometer. now it is running at 0.00 with a photometer. for some reason, i see algea popping up all over the place. I have 6 fishes in the tank, 2 purple fire fish, 2 anthias, a sixline and a clown. I fed with formula one flakes. another thing, my tank is right next to a window, should i cover that window and see if that would help?

04/12/2011, 02:00 PM	#4
Zebodog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mississauga, ON Posts: 692	Check the phosphate reading of the reactor effluent. __________________ We don't inherit the world from our parents.... We borrow it from our children.

04/12/2011, 03:18 PM	#6
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	Sunlight can make an algae problem worse, but if you don't have nutrient issues sunlight won't cause algae to grow on its own. Remember, natural coral reefs aren't lit by artificial lighting. Give the GFO some time to starve out the algae. Took about 6 weeks to kill off all the HA in my tank back when I first started using it. have you tested for nitrate? __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

04/12/2011, 05:30 PM	#8
zigzag1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Anderson, Indiana Posts: 1,276	Your rock/substrate is likely leaching Phosphate if nutrient levels were previously high. Keep up active GFO changes and it should leach back to normal levels in time. The location near the window is not the issue, IME. My tank is 2' from a 6' window w/o curtains, west facing. The corals seem to enjoy the considerable afternoon direct sunlight they get. GL! __________________ :beer: Mixed Reef, started 10/2004: 6' BB 125g DT, 100lbs LR, 40g sump, Dual Ehiem 1000 returns, Eshopps dual overflow, JBJ ATO, Vertex IN-180, PM Ca reactor, 250w MH w/VHO Actinic, AC3 w/Aquasurf, Tunze 6105 pair & 40B frag tank 8 Fish, 20+ corals, shrimp, snails, worms, bugs, etc. Last edited by zigzag1; 04/12/2011 at 05:39 PM.

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04/12/2011, 10:35 AM	#2
disc1 -RT * ln(k) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Little Rock Posts: 9,705	Algae and phosphate can be confusing. If there is no algae, you measure phosphate, but when the algae bloom, they eat up all the phosphate in the water as fast as it is added and you measure 0.00. Go search for algae and see how many people have algae blooms and suddenly have 0 PO4. It's in there from somewhere, the algae don't grow without it.

04/12/2011, 01:46 PM	#3
tinnghe Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 800	I'm still thinking it is the sunlight that cause the algea bloom. since phospate is 0, algea should disappear.

04/12/2011, 02:58 PM	#5
tinnghe Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 800	I did and the result were zero going in and zero going out

04/12/2011, 03:49 PM	#7
tinnghe Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 800	nitrate is 5, I do a 10% water weekly. I never have trouble with HA, all of a sudden they started to bloom. I just wanted to see what is going on.