90 gallon Algae Problems

MrShroomy · 12/13/2014, 02:05 AM

Hello everyone, I have a 90 gallon setup for about around a year and a half. I have always struggled with some algae problems but the past three months the algae has gotten worse. I haven't added anything new to the tank recently or done anything to change the water parameters. Even though I love this hobby it is very frustrating not being able to stop this algae from coming back each week. Any advice on equipment or techniques to remove the algae would be welcome, thanks.

Equipment:
SRO 2000int protein skimmer
Brs carbon and gfo reactor
T5 lighting
Brs 4 stage RODI
Livestock:
Halichoeres melanurus
Halichoeres biocellatus
Forcipiger flavissimus
2 Amphiprion ocellaris
Cryptocentrus cinctus
a few pieces of various lps and mushroom corals

Water parameters
78 degrees Apex
8.32 ph Apex
1.026 Refractometer
0 amonia salifert
0 nitrite salifert
15~20 nitrate salifert

I do a 15 gallon water change every week which involves manually removing algae as well as vacuuming the sand. If anyone has any advice on what I should do that would be great. I want to end this algae once and for all so I can start enjoying my tank again.

Crispy001 · 12/13/2014, 04:16 AM

What's your feeding and lighting schedule? Do you test for phosphates? How big is the cleanup crew?

pyithar · 12/13/2014, 06:33 AM

algae were gone from the display ever since i got the algae growth on my ATS. i think my kole tang and foxface are helping as well.

james30ct · 12/13/2014, 06:34 AM

Does the brown algae have bubbles in it? Hard to tell from the pics but it looks like dinos.

MrShroomy · 12/13/2014, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crispy001

What's your feeding and lighting schedule? Do you test for phosphates? How big is the cleanup crew?

I feed one cube of mysis shrimp every other day and the lights are on for 9 hours 2 of which are sunrise/sunset. I have a salifert phosphate test kit but it is very hard to get an accurate reading from, do you have a recommendation for a easier one?. The clean up crew is a mix of around 30 nassarius and cerith snails.

jchindo · 12/14/2014, 06:48 AM

+1 on the foxface. Maybe an orange conch for the sandbed. That combo worked well for me. How often have you changed the GFO? If you have high phosphates the gfo might get saturated quickly.

12/13/2014, 06:33 AM	#3
pyithar Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: yangon,burma(myanmar) Posts: 1,786	algae were gone from the display ever since i got the algae growth on my ATS. i think my kole tang and foxface are helping as well. __________________ take it easy, pyithar Current Tank Info: 150G display, 50G sump, mixed reef

12/13/2014, 04:16 AM	#2
Crispy001 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 188	What's your feeding and lighting schedule? Do you test for phosphates? How big is the cleanup crew?

12/13/2014, 06:34 AM	#4
james30ct Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Groton, Ct Posts: 1,218	Does the brown algae have bubbles in it? Hard to tell from the pics but it looks like dinos.

12/14/2014, 06:48 AM	#6
jchindo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: NY Posts: 52	+1 on the foxface. Maybe an orange conch for the sandbed. That combo worked well for me. How often have you changed the GFO? If you have high phosphates the gfo might get saturated quickly.