Why cant I get rid of my algea?

kzoo · 06/30/2007, 11:12 AM

I am not new to saltwater, have had a 240gall reef for years, down graded to a 65gall due to new baby. I have tried every thing to get rid of my cyno and hair algea problem. Ro water -0tds, turn over rate 50tph, feed light, 80lbs of live rock, run phos-ban, new mh lights, good clean up crew,phos 0.System up 5 months. Yet my sand and small amout of rock (mostly sand) are covered.What can I due?

ZooZ · 06/30/2007, 12:30 PM

water change..

kzoo · 06/30/2007, 12:40 PM

done many - and tried vacing the sand

MJH736 · 06/30/2007, 01:02 PM

aggressive protein skimming and increased flow in the tank will help and you may want to remove sand and clean it or remove it all together

drummereef · 06/30/2007, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kzoo
I am not new to saltwater, have had a 240gall reef for years, down graded to a 65gall due to new baby. I have tried every thing to get rid of my cyno and hair algea problem. Ro water -0tds, turn over rate 50tph, feed light, 80lbs of live rock, run phos-ban, new mh lights, good clean up crew,phos 0.System up 5 months. Yet my sand and small amout of rock (mostly sand) are covered.What can I due?

kzoo, can you describe the algae or take a pic? Is it green, brown, red or hairy, slimy, rusty, etc... There are many methods of overcoming algae issues but need to know what you have first.

Also, what does 50tph mean in regards to flow?

CeeGee · 06/30/2007, 01:15 PM

same here. I have what looks like dirty blonde hair (in the tank and out

). I have done water change after water change using RO/DI that tests 0 TDS. Runnng Rowa in a reactor. Have Chaeto in my fuge that seems to not grow at all. Blow out rocks all the time with a turkey baster. I am going to tear down soon remove all sand and scrub my LR till it bleeds. I know that I do more maintenance than most people and my tank looks like crap. I think my issue is mostly phosphate although I am running rowa. It doesn't seem to help. I have new bulbs and running a pair of 6000 streams in a 38 gallon tank so I know I don't have flow issues.

kzoo · 06/30/2007, 01:33 PM

Here is a pic. I just changed my ro membrane and got a tds tester. Only test kit I dont have is silica. 50 times turn over for flow. Thank for the help.

kzoo · 06/30/2007, 04:54 PM

bump

Frick-n-Frags · 06/30/2007, 05:53 PM

you can't have that much cyano without some serious nutrient sink in there somewhere fueling it.
The cyano points to the substrate.

are you sure your fertilizer test kits are good?

Reefghoul · 06/30/2007, 05:57 PM

What is your idea of light feeding, How much and how often?
How long as the tank been up?
How long are your lights on for?

I would get a sand sifting goby, they are killer at keeping the sand clean...

leebo_28 · 06/30/2007, 06:16 PM

did you use your old sand when downgrading?

kzoo · 06/30/2007, 08:48 PM

My feedings are 1 or may be 2 a day a few small pitches of pellets or 1/4 of frozen cube. Sand was new, the only thing I can think of was the rock I put in was mostly dead (add live on top) and had some die off in the cycle. I run my light for 8 hrs a day. I said earlyer 5 months the tank has been running but it is a little over 4.

leebo_28 · 07/01/2007, 07:27 AM

^^^morning bump^^^
it doesn't look it but is your base rock DIY?

Smitty91 · 07/01/2007, 07:48 AM

kzoo, your 65 gal tank is still relatively new at 5 months. These outbreaks are not uncommon at that stage. One thing you can do is to remove the algae by peeling it or scraping it off the sand. Persistance and patience will pay off. IMO, your tank hasn't reached an equilibrium yet and this is nothing more than the new tank syndrome.

When you mention tried vacing the sand, are you referring to vacuming the sand?

In addition to what has already been posted, someone once mentioned that it's not necessarily a bad thing to keep the lights off for the entire day 2 - 3 times a month.

Smitty

vessxpress1 · 07/01/2007, 08:40 AM

That's cyano, red slime algae. If your tank is new, give it some more time. Try the lights out for a few days. It won't hurt anything. Just simulates normal cloudy days.

If it persists down the road, nuke it with chemi-clean. Some people hate chemi-clean and swear it wiped out their tank while others swear by it. I swear by it. It took care of my cyano and it never came back. You can't run carbon while you're using it and you have to keep the water well oxygenated during use. Take out as much of the stuff by hand before you dose it though because once the algae dies off, it will release what it has locked up in it, back into the water. That could be where people get in trouble.

ccorpse27 · 07/01/2007, 08:46 AM

Do you have a fuge with some macro algae? I had hair algae bad in my 20L but I added a large fuge and with pruning and less feedings, I reduced it greatly. I'd add a fuge if possible, even if it's a modded HOB filter. I'd also try a phosban reactor and scrub the algae off with a tooth brush in some old tank water during your next water change.

jmack · 07/01/2007, 08:55 AM

What does your cleaning crew consist of? Mine had dwindled down in the past year and about 3 wks ago I started getting cyano...I was doing 30% waterchanges all along. I ordered about 100 red tip hermits, a few stars and cukes. Now it's gone and my green algae is starting to diminish too. I also saw a drop in nitrates so I think they really helped.

kzoo · 07/01/2007, 09:50 AM

Thanks for every ones help, my rock was not base rock it was dry live rock, my clean up crew is 10 red leg hermits, 8 large turbo snails, red lip algae blenny, and a few certh snails. As for a fuge I do have one but the macro is turning white and dieing (I guess due to no food) I am running phosban.
I think that smitty91 may be right on the new tank being I had only some live rock and the other was life less maybe my balance is not in place.

cfarrow2 · 07/01/2007, 10:44 AM

what's on the fuge for lighting? Is there a light cycle on the fuge? Some peeps run their fuge lighting 24 hours a day to prevent their macro from going "sexual."
It sounds like the HA and and cyano might be out-competing your macro for nutrients. Work at getting the HA out as well as the cyano, chances are the macro will start absorbing the nutrients that are fueling the algae/cyano.
I also swear by chemi-clean, it works! Just make sure you follow the directions closely. Good luck!

Reefghoul · 07/01/2007, 02:17 PM

Like others said the tank is still new, I would feed less every couple of days and only once. You fish should be fine unless you have some that really need multiple daily feedings... Also, i would cut down on the lights, go to 4 hours a day...but you will still need to give this tank some time to get through its new tank cycle.

06/30/2007, 11:12 AM	#1
kzoo Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 589	Why cant I get rid of my algea? I am not new to saltwater, have had a 240gall reef for years, down graded to a 65gall due to new baby. I have tried every thing to get rid of my cyno and hair algea problem. Ro water -0tds, turn over rate 50tph, feed light, 80lbs of live rock, run phos-ban, new mh lights, good clean up crew,phos 0.System up 5 months. Yet my sand and small amout of rock (mostly sand) are covered.What can I due?

06/30/2007, 01:15 PM	#6
CeeGee Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: TN Posts: 3,272	same here. I have what looks like dirty blonde hair (in the tank and out ). I have done water change after water change using RO/DI that tests 0 TDS. Runnng Rowa in a reactor. Have Chaeto in my fuge that seems to not grow at all. Blow out rocks all the time with a turkey baster. I am going to tear down soon remove all sand and scrub my LR till it bleeds. I know that I do more maintenance than most people and my tank looks like crap. I think my issue is mostly phosphate although I am running rowa. It doesn't seem to help. I have new bulbs and running a pair of 6000 streams in a 38 gallon tank so I know I don't have flow issues. __________________ My algae WAS special. Current Tank Info: 75 gallon display, 40 gallon breeder sump, RLSS R6i, ATI Powermodule, Apex, Ecotech MP40's

06/30/2007, 05:53 PM	#9
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	you can't have that much cyano without some serious nutrient sink in there somewhere fueling it. The cyano points to the substrate. are you sure your fertilizer test kits are good? __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB

06/30/2007, 06:16 PM	#11
leebo_28 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fl/Pa now Posts: 456	did you use your old sand when downgrading? __________________ crayons go one drawer higher Current Tank Info: year 1/2 still new 90rr :(

07/01/2007, 07:27 AM	#13
leebo_28 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fl/Pa now Posts: 456	^^^morning bump^^^ it doesn't look it but is your base rock DIY? __________________ crayons go one drawer higher Current Tank Info: year 1/2 still new 90rr :(

06/30/2007, 12:30 PM	#2
ZooZ Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 694	water change..

06/30/2007, 12:40 PM	#3
kzoo Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 589	done many - and tried vacing the sand

06/30/2007, 01:02 PM	#4
MJH736 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 13	aggressive protein skimming and increased flow in the tank will help and you may want to remove sand and clean it or remove it all together

06/30/2007, 01:33 PM	#7
kzoo Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 589	Here is a pic. I just changed my ro membrane and got a tds tester. Only test kit I dont have is silica. 50 times turn over for flow. Thank for the help.

06/30/2007, 04:54 PM	#8
kzoo Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 589	bump

06/30/2007, 05:57 PM	#10
Reefghoul Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 161	What is your idea of light feeding, How much and how often? How long as the tank been up? How long are your lights on for? I would get a sand sifting goby, they are killer at keeping the sand clean...

06/30/2007, 08:48 PM	#12
kzoo Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 589	My feedings are 1 or may be 2 a day a few small pitches of pellets or 1/4 of frozen cube. Sand was new, the only thing I can think of was the rock I put in was mostly dead (add live on top) and had some die off in the cycle. I run my light for 8 hrs a day. I said earlyer 5 months the tank has been running but it is a little over 4.

07/01/2007, 07:48 AM	#14
Smitty91 Reefer Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Livermore, CA Home of the fastest Rodeo in the West Posts: 248	kzoo, your 65 gal tank is still relatively new at 5 months. These outbreaks are not uncommon at that stage. One thing you can do is to remove the algae by peeling it or scraping it off the sand. Persistance and patience will pay off. IMO, your tank hasn't reached an equilibrium yet and this is nothing more than the new tank syndrome. When you mention tried vacing the sand, are you referring to vacuming the sand? In addition to what has already been posted, someone once mentioned that it's not necessarily a bad thing to keep the lights off for the entire day 2 - 3 times a month. Smitty Last edited by Smitty91; 07/01/2007 at 07:55 AM.

07/01/2007, 08:40 AM	#15
vessxpress1 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NW IL Posts: 1,603	That's cyano, red slime algae. If your tank is new, give it some more time. Try the lights out for a few days. It won't hurt anything. Just simulates normal cloudy days. If it persists down the road, nuke it with chemi-clean. Some people hate chemi-clean and swear it wiped out their tank while others swear by it. I swear by it. It took care of my cyano and it never came back. You can't run carbon while you're using it and you have to keep the water well oxygenated during use. Take out as much of the stuff by hand before you dose it though because once the algae dies off, it will release what it has locked up in it, back into the water. That could be where people get in trouble.

07/01/2007, 08:46 AM	#16
ccorpse27 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Central Virginia Posts: 379	Do you have a fuge with some macro algae? I had hair algae bad in my 20L but I added a large fuge and with pruning and less feedings, I reduced it greatly. I'd add a fuge if possible, even if it's a modded HOB filter. I'd also try a phosban reactor and scrub the algae off with a tooth brush in some old tank water during your next water change.

07/01/2007, 08:55 AM	#17
jmack Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: NV Posts: 1,060	What does your cleaning crew consist of? Mine had dwindled down in the past year and about 3 wks ago I started getting cyano...I was doing 30% waterchanges all along. I ordered about 100 red tip hermits, a few stars and cukes. Now it's gone and my green algae is starting to diminish too. I also saw a drop in nitrates so I think they really helped.

07/01/2007, 09:50 AM	#18
kzoo Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 589	Thanks for every ones help, my rock was not base rock it was dry live rock, my clean up crew is 10 red leg hermits, 8 large turbo snails, red lip algae blenny, and a few certh snails. As for a fuge I do have one but the macro is turning white and dieing (I guess due to no food) I am running phosban. I think that smitty91 may be right on the new tank being I had only some live rock and the other was life less maybe my balance is not in place.

07/01/2007, 10:44 AM	#19
cfarrow2 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Overland Park, KS Posts: 626	what's on the fuge for lighting? Is there a light cycle on the fuge? Some peeps run their fuge lighting 24 hours a day to prevent their macro from going "sexual." It sounds like the HA and and cyano might be out-competing your macro for nutrients. Work at getting the HA out as well as the cyano, chances are the macro will start absorbing the nutrients that are fueling the algae/cyano. I also swear by chemi-clean, it works! Just make sure you follow the directions closely. Good luck! __________________ Happiness is contagious. What are you spreading? Current Tank Info: 55 gal. 216 W. T5s. Wet/dry sump w/ Mag 5 return. Softies, 3 fish, shrimp, urchin. HA factory for the time being.

07/01/2007, 02:17 PM	#20
Reefghoul Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 161	Like others said the tank is still new, I would feed less every couple of days and only once. You fish should be fine unless you have some that really need multiple daily feedings... Also, i would cut down on the lights, go to 4 hours a day...but you will still need to give this tank some time to get through its new tank cycle.