Green Algae Bloom?

matasw · 08/29/2006, 11:39 AM

I just started the tank about 6 weeks ago, I went on vacatoin for a week and had my mother take care of the tank. When I came back the tank is COVERED in green algae. I'm not sure if this is part of the cycle or if maybe she just left the lights on too long. I have a current usa orbit 2x65w with the Dual Daylight/Actinic bulbs. I've got about 11 turbo snails left in the tank (its a 20g) but they dont seem to be doing much for it. I took a credit card and scrapped some of it off of the glass but the crushed coral and live rock are stlil really green. Any suggestions?

Also can anybody reccomend how I should run the lights? I've tried searching and haven't found much about it. Should i just leave the daylight and actinic on for 10-12hrs a day then let the moonlights run for the rest of the day?

Thank You.

Shooter7 · 08/29/2006, 11:41 AM

Pretty typical to have an algae outbreak after your cycle has completed. Still, what are your water parameters and how much flow do you have in the tank? (ammo, trites, trates, pH, salinity, temp) And that's ALOT of turbos for that size tank, IMO.

BurntOutReefer · 08/29/2006, 11:44 AM

and for now, cut back on your photoperiod.....

matasw · 08/29/2006, 11:45 AM

Guy at the LFS store reccomended that many turbo's

I had a big brown algae outbreak about 3 weeks ago and threw the turbo's in there, they ate it all up in a day. However they don't seem to be doing much for this stuff.

PH 8.3 (or so, hard to match those colors

)
Salinity 1.024
Temp: 79-80
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 15

I've got a Prizm skimmer, and one medium sized powerhead at the top (can't remember specs on it)

matasw · 08/29/2006, 11:47 AM

Yea i cut back to about 8 hours a day should I go even shorter? Will the snails clean this up, they hae'nt really done anything for it in the past 4 days.

cmsargent · 08/29/2006, 01:13 PM

My tank is just under 3 month old and I've been dealing with the same problem for the past 3 weeks. I'm just feeling like I'm getting ahead of the algea. There's still a bit in the tank but it's not growing and spreading too much. Here's what I've done.

I had high phosphates and nitrates so I added a phosphate sponge and reduced feeding to bring those down.

I shorted the light period a bit (down to about 10 hors).

I added another powerhead to get more flow into the worse area.

I've also been manually picking algea off the rocks. I've found suctioning up one end of the alge with a sipion tube and then scraping it off at the base worked for me. Seems a bit easier than tweezering it off.

Durring my last water change I took out a few of the most overgrown rocks (the ones that I could remove without too much disruption) and scrubbed them really well, rinsed well with old tank water and then returned them. You don't want to scrub in the tank as that just spreads the algea around.

So far these things are working. I haven't won the war yet but the tide seems to have turned in my favor.

BurntOutReefer · 08/29/2006, 01:20 PM

di a water change also...you Nitrates are a little high

matasw · 08/29/2006, 04:42 PM

Nitrates are actually around 20-25. Just did a water change two days ago should I do another one?

matasw · 08/30/2006, 05:34 AM

bumpy.

Shooter7 · 08/30/2006, 05:37 AM

Yes, doing another one would help. Aim for nitrates to be below 5. Mine are only barely detectable on my 120g.

matasw · 08/30/2006, 08:18 AM

Alright thanks, i'll do one tonight. What about the lighting should i just leave both the daylight and actinic on for 8-12 hours a day? And just let the moonlights run the rest of the time? All i have in there for now is a xenia and kenya tree. I wasn't sure if the actinic should be on more than the daylight or if they should just both be on at the same time.

cbicop · 08/30/2006, 08:37 AM

Where are you getting the water for these water changes? Are you using an ro/di unit?

Shooter7 · 08/30/2006, 08:54 AM

I would just run the daylight and actinic maybe 6 hours a day and leave it at that for now. The extra light is just going to help the algae, but since you have some corals in there you need to have at least some lighting time.

matasw · 08/30/2006, 09:24 AM

Good Ol' Tap water

I usually let it sit for a little while then throw some of those genesis chlorine drops in there to remove the chlorine. I dont have the money for RO/DI unit, and have just never made the trip to buy the jugs. You think this is contributing to algae and nitrates?

Does time of the day Matter? I usual turn the lights on when I leave for work at 7:30 then turn them off around 7 or 8 when I get home. Am i better off turning them on at 8pm when i get home then turning them off at 12 or 1am? At least for now until things settle down. But the actinic and daylight should both be on at the same time and for the same amount of time each day? I read somewhere on here someguy was turning the actinic on a few hours before the daylight one, does that matter?

Shooter7 · 08/30/2006, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by matasw
Good Ol' Tap water I usually let it sit for a little while then throw some of those genesis chlorine drops in there to remove the chlorine. I dont have the money for RO/DI unit, and have just never made the trip to buy the jugs. You think this is contributing to algae and nitrates?

YES!

dixonba · 08/30/2006, 10:09 AM

The phosphates from your tap water feed the algea.

matasw · 09/01/2006, 07:10 AM

Did the water change Wednesday night, testing the Nitrates last night. They are still at the 15-20ppm level. I changed 3 gallons in my 20 gallon. Is 15% not enough? Should I go for more?

08/29/2006, 11:39 AM	#1
matasw Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 292	Green Algae Bloom? I just started the tank about 6 weeks ago, I went on vacatoin for a week and had my mother take care of the tank. When I came back the tank is COVERED in green algae. I'm not sure if this is part of the cycle or if maybe she just left the lights on too long. I have a current usa orbit 2x65w with the Dual Daylight/Actinic bulbs. I've got about 11 turbo snails left in the tank (its a 20g) but they dont seem to be doing much for it. I took a credit card and scrapped some of it off of the glass but the crushed coral and live rock are stlil really green. Any suggestions? Also can anybody reccomend how I should run the lights? I've tried searching and haven't found much about it. Should i just leave the daylight and actinic on for 10-12hrs a day then let the moonlights run for the rest of the day? Thank You.

08/29/2006, 11:41 AM	#2
Shooter7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tolono, IL Posts: 6,754	Pretty typical to have an algae outbreak after your cycle has completed. Still, what are your water parameters and how much flow do you have in the tank? (ammo, trites, trates, pH, salinity, temp) And that's ALOT of turbos for that size tank, IMO. __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 10 years salty - standard 29g reef - moved from 120 gal reef, 2x250w Reeflux 10k's on ARO electronics and VHO super actinics on Icecap ballast, 2xTunze 6060, MSX 200 skimmer, GEO 612 Ca reactor, mag 12 return

08/30/2006, 05:37 AM	#10
Shooter7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tolono, IL Posts: 6,754	Yes, doing another one would help. Aim for nitrates to be below 5. Mine are only barely detectable on my 120g. __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 10 years salty - standard 29g reef - moved from 120 gal reef, 2x250w Reeflux 10k's on ARO electronics and VHO super actinics on Icecap ballast, 2xTunze 6060, MSX 200 skimmer, GEO 612 Ca reactor, mag 12 return

08/30/2006, 08:54 AM	#13
Shooter7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tolono, IL Posts: 6,754	I would just run the daylight and actinic maybe 6 hours a day and leave it at that for now. The extra light is just going to help the algae, but since you have some corals in there you need to have at least some lighting time. __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 10 years salty - standard 29g reef - moved from 120 gal reef, 2x250w Reeflux 10k's on ARO electronics and VHO super actinics on Icecap ballast, 2xTunze 6060, MSX 200 skimmer, GEO 612 Ca reactor, mag 12 return

08/29/2006, 11:44 AM	#3
BurntOutReefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 4,376	and for now, cut back on your photoperiod.....

08/29/2006, 11:45 AM	#4
matasw Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 292	Guy at the LFS store reccomended that many turbo's I had a big brown algae outbreak about 3 weeks ago and threw the turbo's in there, they ate it all up in a day. However they don't seem to be doing much for this stuff. PH 8.3 (or so, hard to match those colors ) Salinity 1.024 Temp: 79-80 Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 15 I've got a Prizm skimmer, and one medium sized powerhead at the top (can't remember specs on it)

08/29/2006, 11:47 AM	#5
matasw Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 292	Yea i cut back to about 8 hours a day should I go even shorter? Will the snails clean this up, they hae'nt really done anything for it in the past 4 days.

08/29/2006, 01:13 PM	#6
cmsargent Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 189	My tank is just under 3 month old and I've been dealing with the same problem for the past 3 weeks. I'm just feeling like I'm getting ahead of the algea. There's still a bit in the tank but it's not growing and spreading too much. Here's what I've done. I had high phosphates and nitrates so I added a phosphate sponge and reduced feeding to bring those down. I shorted the light period a bit (down to about 10 hors). I added another powerhead to get more flow into the worse area. I've also been manually picking algea off the rocks. I've found suctioning up one end of the alge with a sipion tube and then scraping it off at the base worked for me. Seems a bit easier than tweezering it off. Durring my last water change I took out a few of the most overgrown rocks (the ones that I could remove without too much disruption) and scrubbed them really well, rinsed well with old tank water and then returned them. You don't want to scrub in the tank as that just spreads the algea around. So far these things are working. I haven't won the war yet but the tide seems to have turned in my favor.

08/29/2006, 01:20 PM	#7
BurntOutReefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 4,376	di a water change also...you Nitrates are a little high

08/29/2006, 04:42 PM	#8
matasw Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 292	Nitrates are actually around 20-25. Just did a water change two days ago should I do another one?

08/30/2006, 05:34 AM	#9
matasw Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 292	bumpy.

08/30/2006, 08:18 AM	#11
matasw Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 292	Alright thanks, i'll do one tonight. What about the lighting should i just leave both the daylight and actinic on for 8-12 hours a day? And just let the moonlights run the rest of the time? All i have in there for now is a xenia and kenya tree. I wasn't sure if the actinic should be on more than the daylight or if they should just both be on at the same time.

08/30/2006, 08:37 AM	#12
cbicop Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 92	Where are you getting the water for these water changes? Are you using an ro/di unit?

08/30/2006, 09:24 AM	#14
matasw Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 292	Good Ol' Tap water I usually let it sit for a little while then throw some of those genesis chlorine drops in there to remove the chlorine. I dont have the money for RO/DI unit, and have just never made the trip to buy the jugs. You think this is contributing to algae and nitrates? Does time of the day Matter? I usual turn the lights on when I leave for work at 7:30 then turn them off around 7 or 8 when I get home. Am i better off turning them on at 8pm when i get home then turning them off at 12 or 1am? At least for now until things settle down. But the actinic and daylight should both be on at the same time and for the same amount of time each day? I read somewhere on here someguy was turning the actinic on a few hours before the daylight one, does that matter?

08/30/2006, 10:09 AM	#16
dixonba Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 75	The phosphates from your tap water feed the algea.

09/01/2006, 07:10 AM	#17
matasw Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 292	Did the water change Wednesday night, testing the Nitrates last night. They are still at the 15-20ppm level. I changed 3 gallons in my 20 gallon. Is 15% not enough? Should I go for more?