Green Algae Problem

Liquid360 · 05/20/2017, 12:55 PM

At the moment I have a 93g corner tank with a 30g sump. I'm running an NYOS 160 skimmer, a Geosreef fluidized reactor with GFO, an MP40, and chaeto and mangroves in the sump which also has Kessil H80 lighting. The DT has one 250w halide and one Kessil a360. I couldn't decide between LED or Halide so went with both. This tank has been running for a couple years. It's gone through cycles as they all do, but I can't get rid of the green algae to save my life. It grows dense and fast. I feed the tank frozen mysis and pellets daily. I grow my own Nannochloropsis. I also feed reefroids 3x week. I have loaded the sump with pods, both amphipods and copepods. My numbers are stable and show nothing special. I use RedSea Pro salt. I change 30/g per week and water is always RO. I control what I can manually with turkey baster and brushes. Also, I can't keep a chalice alive to save my life. They all end up looking like this...
When I add a new rock to the tank, it turns green within two weeks.

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taat2d · 05/20/2017, 05:11 PM

Could the sunlight coming in from the window be causing the algae bloom? Or maybe you need a new membrane for your RODI filter.

Liquid360 · 05/21/2017, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taat2d

Could the sunlight coming in from the window be causing the algae bloom? Or maybe you need a new membrane for your RODI filter.

That window is rarely open and gets no direct sunlight, certainly not enough to cause this. I'm going to try two things. One, add a DI filter to my RO unit. Two, have my LFS come over with a 130g of pure, clean new saltwater. I'll scrub the rocks and if there is a god, the green algae won't return. By the time the next water change is required I'll have the new DI hooked up.
If none of this works, I'll replace the water with gasoline

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mpderksen · 05/21/2017, 09:48 AM

I have zero experience with UV sterilizers, but have seen some posts that people had success with one. I would think the DI is an excellent upgrade. Do you have a TDS meter to be sure your RO membrane is still good?
One variable at a time, typically, if you care about "why". I suspect you just want it gone.

ycnibrc · 05/21/2017, 10:43 AM

By the look of the pictures you don't have any tang or clean up crew to eat the algae so how do u control the algae growth?

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Michael Hoaster · 05/21/2017, 12:18 PM

What ycnibrc said.

Get some Cerith snails. They reproduce to match available algae. Lots of great, algae-eating fish to choose from. Pods too. Avoid hermits. They kill snails, which are better algae eaters. Once they get a taste for fish food, they're worthless algae-eaters.

Liquid360 · 05/21/2017, 03:52 PM

Thanks for the advice!

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Liquid360 · 05/21/2017, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

What ycnibrc said.

Get some Cerith snails. They reproduce to match available algae. Lots of great, algae-eating fish to choose from. Pods too. Avoid hermits. They kill snails, which are better algae eaters. Once they get a taste for fish food, they're worthless algae-eaters.

Order placed from AlgaeBarn. If it doesn't work I'm sending you the bill

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JFugett · 05/21/2017, 08:54 PM

FWIW IME a DI membrane is a must to keep the green and especially brown growies away. In my first tank I only had RO and ended up with horrendous diatom problem. Also cyano from the depths of hades. The DI unit turned that around in about 2-3 weeks with heavy (probably too heavy) water changes. Green algae requires nitrate to grow and phosphate is like miracle grow for it. My guess is you are high on both. You said your numbers are unremarkable. I would make sure you are testing with something very sensitive, like RedSea Pro. If it is high nutrients, throw a bag of gfo mixed with carbon in your sump to reduce it, or get a gfo reactor. If you have already heard about, know about, tried all this, then excuse the interuption

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Lsufan · 05/21/2017, 10:58 PM

Yea, I would definitely add di to your filter. It will depend what your source water tds is but u more then likely aren't getting 0 tds without a di cartridge.

U say the testing doesn't show anything special but what are your po4 & no3 numbers

JFugett · 05/22/2017, 02:41 AM

Just noticed I hadn't read your post carefully at all. Sorry. Are you testing po4 from the outflow of the gfo reactor? For that algae to grow you have to have elevated levels of po4 and no3. I started dosing a carbon source (vodka and vinegar) over a year ago and it more or less eliminated nuisance algae in combination with fluidized gfo. Carbon dosing will drop no3 to 0 and lower po4, then gfo eliminates it. There are of course other ways to do the same thing, but I am very pleased with the results this has given me. Like everything else in the hobby there are pros and cons and tweaking is ongoing, but might be worth a look.

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mcgyvr · 05/22/2017, 04:57 AM

Did I miss where you posted your nitrate and phosphate readings?
Please post them...

And you are OVERFEEDING your tank for SURE...

In fact I see NO reason to be putting ANY food into that tank at this point.
Do you have any fish or inverts at all?

WatDatThing · 05/22/2017, 09:54 AM

+1

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05/20/2017, 12:55 PM	#1
Liquid360 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Moody, AL Posts: 72	Green Algae Problem At the moment I have a 93g corner tank with a 30g sump. I'm running an NYOS 160 skimmer, a Geosreef fluidized reactor with GFO, an MP40, and chaeto and mangroves in the sump which also has Kessil H80 lighting. The DT has one 250w halide and one Kessil a360. I couldn't decide between LED or Halide so went with both. This tank has been running for a couple years. It's gone through cycles as they all do, but I can't get rid of the green algae to save my life. It grows dense and fast. I feed the tank frozen mysis and pellets daily. I grow my own Nannochloropsis. I also feed reefroids 3x week. I have loaded the sump with pods, both amphipods and copepods. My numbers are stable and show nothing special. I use RedSea Pro salt. I change 30/g per week and water is always RO. I control what I can manually with turkey baster and brushes. Also, I can't keep a chalice alive to save my life. They all end up looking like this... When I add a new rock to the tank, it turns green within two weeks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

05/21/2017, 09:48 AM	#4
mpderksen Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Manteca, CA Posts: 1,853	Green Algae Problem I have zero experience with UV sterilizers, but have seen some posts that people had success with one. I would think the DI is an excellent upgrade. Do you have a TDS meter to be sure your RO membrane is still good? One variable at a time, typically, if you care about "why". I suspect you just want it gone.

05/21/2017, 10:43 AM	#5
ycnibrc STAG HORN DOMINATE REEF Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Irvine, California Posts: 3,348	By the look of the pictures you don't have any tang or clean up crew to eat the algae so how do u control the algae growth? Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk __________________ SDR STAGHORN DOMINATE REEF Feature Reef of November 2019 GHL TOTM FEB 2020 ABC corals Current Tank Info: 360g Peninsula sps

05/21/2017, 12:18 PM	#6
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	What ycnibrc said. Get some Cerith snails. They reproduce to match available algae. Lots of great, algae-eating fish to choose from. Pods too. Avoid hermits. They kill snails, which are better algae eaters. Once they get a taste for fish food, they're worthless algae-eaters. __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

05/21/2017, 08:54 PM	#9
JFugett Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Anchorage, AK Posts: 89	FWIW IME a DI membrane is a must to keep the green and especially brown growies away. In my first tank I only had RO and ended up with horrendous diatom problem. Also cyano from the depths of hades. The DI unit turned that around in about 2-3 weeks with heavy (probably too heavy) water changes. Green algae requires nitrate to grow and phosphate is like miracle grow for it. My guess is you are high on both. You said your numbers are unremarkable. I would make sure you are testing with something very sensitive, like RedSea Pro. If it is high nutrients, throw a bag of gfo mixed with carbon in your sump to reduce it, or get a gfo reactor. If you have already heard about, know about, tried all this, then excuse the interuption Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk __________________ John Current Tank Info: 75g, no sump, AquaMax HOB XC Skimmer, Koralia Wavemaker, Monitored with APEX AquaController. Eheim Canister Filter used as a Media Reactor for GFO and GAC.

05/20/2017, 05:11 PM	#2
taat2d Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Staten Island NY Posts: 138	Could the sunlight coming in from the window be causing the algae bloom? Or maybe you need a new membrane for your RODI filter.

05/21/2017, 03:52 PM	#7
Liquid360 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Moody, AL Posts: 72	Thanks for the advice! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

05/21/2017, 10:58 PM	#10
Lsufan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Baton Rouge Posts: 1,410	Yea, I would definitely add di to your filter. It will depend what your source water tds is but u more then likely aren't getting 0 tds without a di cartridge. U say the testing doesn't show anything special but what are your po4 & no3 numbers

05/22/2017, 02:41 AM	#11
JFugett Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Anchorage, AK Posts: 89	Just noticed I hadn't read your post carefully at all. Sorry. Are you testing po4 from the outflow of the gfo reactor? For that algae to grow you have to have elevated levels of po4 and no3. I started dosing a carbon source (vodka and vinegar) over a year ago and it more or less eliminated nuisance algae in combination with fluidized gfo. Carbon dosing will drop no3 to 0 and lower po4, then gfo eliminates it. There are of course other ways to do the same thing, but I am very pleased with the results this has given me. Like everything else in the hobby there are pros and cons and tweaking is ongoing, but might be worth a look. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk __________________ John Current Tank Info: 75g, no sump, AquaMax HOB XC Skimmer, Koralia Wavemaker, Monitored with APEX AquaController. Eheim Canister Filter used as a Media Reactor for GFO and GAC.

05/22/2017, 04:57 AM	#12
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Did I miss where you posted your nitrate and phosphate readings? Please post them... And you are OVERFEEDING your tank for SURE... In fact I see NO reason to be putting ANY food into that tank at this point. Do you have any fish or inverts at all? __________________ Who me?

05/22/2017, 09:54 AM	#13
WatDatThing Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2016 Posts: 830	+1 Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk