Algae in plumbing; good or bad.

huhhh · 06/25/2018, 09:37 AM

First, I am running a canister. (yes, I know). I am cleaning it, checking parameters / nitrates regularly. Please don't tell me how much beater a sump is...I know, I just don't have any money to put one together right now. That's not the point here.

I found what I'm pretty sure is algae growing in my intake and return hoses. Not sure why the manufacture made the hoses translucent, but whatever. It doesn't seem to be effecting flow at all (for now) and there is no real algae problem in the DT. So I'm wondering if it's not actually a good thing; eating up excess nutrients like a defacto refugium.

Or is this just a time bomb waiting to go off?

It's a 46 bow, all parameters are within normal range (tested yesterday before water change)

Sk8r · 06/25/2018, 09:47 AM

It's not a bad thing. Algae just gets wherever it can and grows in any exposure to light. I'd prioritize a ro/di system, then look into diy'ing a sump ---not hard to do. A skimmer, once you have a sump to put it into. Some of the cheaper canisters can leak catastrophically---we discovered that on a freshwater tank, and it's going to cost us to repair. At very least, if you can, set the canister into a deep pan. Water alarm from Amazon is about 9.00, battery powered, screams like a banshee at any contact with water. You can use a 7-gallon salt bucket from your lfs or any ten-gallon glass tank as a makeshift sump---just your return pump, in that bucket, with water, and a really really secured downflow hose flowing back into that bucket. Does your tank have an overflow box with drain?

mcgyvr · 06/25/2018, 09:57 AM

It will eventually (and already is to some extent) be effecting flow...
Its unlikely that the algae growth is making any worthwhile dent in your nutrient levels as I don't suspect its much algae at all..
Its also unlikely that if it were to clog or effect flow that it would cause a flood or anything else.. As long as you clean it out during routine maintenance you really don't need to do a darn thing about it..

A simple fix if you even want to do anything about it and assuming this is the tube thats exposed to water on the outside is to simply put black/dark shrink tubing over the clear tube and shrink it down..
If its not exposed to water on the external surface then black electrical tape wrapped around it will be fine..
Or just replace the tube with an opaque one..

BTW
One can absolutely have a successful tank without a sump... Anyone that says you must have a sump is just wrong... You are just fine as is.. Don't feel ashamed or anything just because you don't have a sump..

Sk8r · 06/25/2018, 11:31 AM

True. I ran a pretty good 30 marine just on Penguin's best filters. If your fish load is low and you don't overfeed, you'll be fine.

huhhh · 06/25/2018, 12:49 PM

The tank does not have an overflow. The tank part of a sump I'm fine with, it's just the cost of a return pump, skimmer, and how to get the water into it (I'm not exactly handy.)

Fish load is 1 ocell clown, 1 valentini puffer, 1 royal dottyback, and 1 lawnmower.

also 2 frags of zoa's, 1 hammer, and 1 mushroom (actually 2, one walked off somewhere out of the container I was trying to get it to attach in and I haven't been able to find it)

06/25/2018, 09:37 AM	#1
huhhh Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Posts: 84	Algae in plumbing; good or bad. First, I am running a canister. (yes, I know). I am cleaning it, checking parameters / nitrates regularly. Please don't tell me how much beater a sump is...I know, I just don't have any money to put one together right now. That's not the point here. I found what I'm pretty sure is algae growing in my intake and return hoses. Not sure why the manufacture made the hoses translucent, but whatever. It doesn't seem to be effecting flow at all (for now) and there is no real algae problem in the DT. So I'm wondering if it's not actually a good thing; eating up excess nutrients like a defacto refugium. Or is this just a time bomb waiting to go off? It's a 46 bow, all parameters are within normal range (tested yesterday before water change)

06/25/2018, 09:47 AM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	It's not a bad thing. Algae just gets wherever it can and grows in any exposure to light. I'd prioritize a ro/di system, then look into diy'ing a sump ---not hard to do. A skimmer, once you have a sump to put it into. Some of the cheaper canisters can leak catastrophically---we discovered that on a freshwater tank, and it's going to cost us to repair. At very least, if you can, set the canister into a deep pan. Water alarm from Amazon is about 9.00, battery powered, screams like a banshee at any contact with water. You can use a 7-gallon salt bucket from your lfs or any ten-gallon glass tank as a makeshift sump---just your return pump, in that bucket, with water, and a really really secured downflow hose flowing back into that bucket. Does your tank have an overflow box with drain? __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/25/2018, 09:57 AM	#3
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	It will eventually (and already is to some extent) be effecting flow... Its unlikely that the algae growth is making any worthwhile dent in your nutrient levels as I don't suspect its much algae at all.. Its also unlikely that if it were to clog or effect flow that it would cause a flood or anything else.. As long as you clean it out during routine maintenance you really don't need to do a darn thing about it.. A simple fix if you even want to do anything about it and assuming this is the tube thats exposed to water on the outside is to simply put black/dark shrink tubing over the clear tube and shrink it down.. If its not exposed to water on the external surface then black electrical tape wrapped around it will be fine.. Or just replace the tube with an opaque one.. BTW One can absolutely have a successful tank without a sump... Anyone that says you must have a sump is just wrong... You are just fine as is.. Don't feel ashamed or anything just because you don't have a sump.. __________________ Who me?

06/25/2018, 11:31 AM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	True. I ran a pretty good 30 marine just on Penguin's best filters. If your fish load is low and you don't overfeed, you'll be fine. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/25/2018, 12:49 PM	#5
huhhh Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Posts: 84	The tank does not have an overflow. The tank part of a sump I'm fine with, it's just the cost of a return pump, skimmer, and how to get the water into it (I'm not exactly handy.) Fish load is 1 ocell clown, 1 valentini puffer, 1 royal dottyback, and 1 lawnmower. also 2 frags of zoa's, 1 hammer, and 1 mushroom (actually 2, one walked off somewhere out of the container I was trying to get it to attach in and I haven't been able to find it)