Phosphates and green dust like algae? please help

jrbills12 · 04/04/2011, 08:16 PM

So my tank has been running for about two months now. Its a 75 gallon tank with sump with live rock skimmer and a phosban reactor running gfo. All my levels are good except my phosphates are .1-.12 and my nitrates are maybe 5ppm-10ppm. I have been doing 12 gallon water changes every two weeks and made sure the GFO is churning well. My phosphates and nitrates refuse to go down however and my tank gets covered in a green dust like algae. I cut back my lights down to 4 hours a day. The algae goes away over night but comes back to the point where I have to wipe it off twice in those 4 hours. I was wondering what I could do to stop this?

njjetfan · 04/04/2011, 08:30 PM

My guess is your GFO is exhausted... When your levels are pretty high the stuff exhausts much faster than you think sometimes in a matter of hours. I would change the GFO for now and see if it affects your levels at all. Also are you using a high quality RO water?

jrbills12 · 04/04/2011, 08:34 PM

I changed the GFO the other day so I don't think it can be used up the levels have always been right around .1-.12 . I am using a 5 stage ro/di filter so thats not it either. Should I do more water changes? Would a fuge be another option?

njjetfan · 04/04/2011, 08:46 PM

Water changes are really a poor way to reduce phosphates... Try decreasing feeds and a fuge running opposite your tank is a great way to reduce feedings.

njjetfan · 04/04/2011, 08:47 PM

Also what is your water movement like because dead spots will decrease skimmer efficiency and nutrient export.

njjetfan · 04/04/2011, 08:48 PM

Forgot to add your skimmer maybe undersized.

jrbills12 · 04/04/2011, 08:49 PM

I really don't feed much. The fish eat everything I put in. I don't know where I could do a fuge though here is a picture of my sump and cabinet any ideas?

maybe I could have it coming out of the cabinet or something but I don't really want to do that.

jrbills12 · 04/04/2011, 08:49 PM

btw dont worry about the reactor not churning in the picture I fixed that and its running like clockwork now

njjetfan · 04/04/2011, 08:51 PM

Why cant you put some macro in the portion holding the LR and just put a small lamp over it. How much LR do you have in the system?

jrbills12 · 04/04/2011, 08:54 PM

There is 75 pounds in the display and idk maybe 12 pounds in the sump. Would I be able to take out some of the rock in one of the sides and then add some macro algae? Would I need a light in my cabinet?

njjetfan · 04/04/2011, 08:56 PM

I would take some rock out of the sump into the display and run chaeto with a small clamp lamp in the sump. 12 hours off cycle. No need to buy a refugium.

jrbills12 · 04/04/2011, 08:58 PM

Awesome thats what I'll do thank you for your help. Hopefully that will help with the nitrates and phosphates

funkejj · 04/05/2011, 12:47 AM

go to walmart or lowes and get a clip on light and a 6500k CFL bulb. They are cheap to run and no heat. Will be enough to light your fuge.

04/04/2011, 08:16 PM	#1
jrbills12 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 215	Phosphates and green dust like algae? please help So my tank has been running for about two months now. Its a 75 gallon tank with sump with live rock skimmer and a phosban reactor running gfo. All my levels are good except my phosphates are .1-.12 and my nitrates are maybe 5ppm-10ppm. I have been doing 12 gallon water changes every two weeks and made sure the GFO is churning well. My phosphates and nitrates refuse to go down however and my tank gets covered in a green dust like algae. I cut back my lights down to 4 hours a day. The algae goes away over night but comes back to the point where I have to wipe it off twice in those 4 hours. I was wondering what I could do to stop this?

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04/04/2011, 08:30 PM	#2
njjetfan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 57	My guess is your GFO is exhausted... When your levels are pretty high the stuff exhausts much faster than you think sometimes in a matter of hours. I would change the GFO for now and see if it affects your levels at all. Also are you using a high quality RO water?

04/04/2011, 08:34 PM	#3
jrbills12 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 215	I changed the GFO the other day so I don't think it can be used up the levels have always been right around .1-.12 . I am using a 5 stage ro/di filter so thats not it either. Should I do more water changes? Would a fuge be another option?

04/04/2011, 08:46 PM	#4
njjetfan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 57	Water changes are really a poor way to reduce phosphates... Try decreasing feeds and a fuge running opposite your tank is a great way to reduce feedings.

04/04/2011, 08:47 PM	#5
njjetfan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 57	Also what is your water movement like because dead spots will decrease skimmer efficiency and nutrient export.

04/04/2011, 08:48 PM	#6
njjetfan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 57	Forgot to add your skimmer maybe undersized.

04/04/2011, 08:49 PM	#7
jrbills12 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 215	I really don't feed much. The fish eat everything I put in. I don't know where I could do a fuge though here is a picture of my sump and cabinet any ideas? maybe I could have it coming out of the cabinet or something but I don't really want to do that.

04/04/2011, 08:51 PM	#9
njjetfan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 57	Why cant you put some macro in the portion holding the LR and just put a small lamp over it. How much LR do you have in the system?

04/04/2011, 08:54 PM	#10
jrbills12 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 215	There is 75 pounds in the display and idk maybe 12 pounds in the sump. Would I be able to take out some of the rock in one of the sides and then add some macro algae? Would I need a light in my cabinet?

04/04/2011, 08:56 PM	#11
njjetfan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 57	I would take some rock out of the sump into the display and run chaeto with a small clamp lamp in the sump. 12 hours off cycle. No need to buy a refugium.

04/04/2011, 08:58 PM	#12
jrbills12 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 215	Awesome thats what I'll do thank you for your help. Hopefully that will help with the nitrates and phosphates

04/05/2011, 12:47 AM	#13
funkejj Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 747	go to walmart or lowes and get a clip on light and a 6500k CFL bulb. They are cheap to run and no heat. Will be enough to light your fuge.