Marine Algae Problem

[kpete4]

Hey, I'm having a problem with algae in my 75 gallon aggressive marine aquarium. I use 100% RO water, and my nitrates, phosphates, ammonia are all extremely low. I religiously do a 10 gallon water change weekly using the RO water. The tank has more than sufficiant filtration and a bigger than i need skimmer. For lighting all i have is a 48" double strip light with a 50/50 bulb and i believe the other is a 10,000. But I've always had trouble with algae. I mostly get a brownish colored algae that shows up on the aragonite substrate, and a bright green algae that shows up on the glass. The green algae is very hard to get off and i have to use a razor.
Is there anything that i can do to keep the algae out??? or is it just part of having a salt tank????

[TinyWeapon]

Hi,

Can i know the number of fishes and feeding regime?

You mention that nitrates and phosphate is extremely low. Can i know how you test them? Test kits? What brand of test kits?

How long do you have the tank set up?

[kpete4]

I have 1 -4inch Rectangle Trigger, 1- 3 inch Zebra Dwarf Lionfish, 1 Blue Devil Damsel (he's what i used to cycle the tank and somehow he survived), and i have 2- (2-3 inch) foxface rabbitfish. + 5 redlegged hermit crabs, 3 large snails. I feed the trigger 3 times a day in a varriety of foods (mysis, krill, squid, brine, silversides, baby mollies, and formula 2 from ocean nutrition. I feed the lion 3 times a week (mysis, baby mollies, krill, ghost shrimp) I don't feed the damsel (he scraps leftovers from mysis, brine etc) The foxfaces graze the hair algae. I also feed them veggie leaf about twice a week. They eat the mysis, brine, formula 2 (herbivore prep) and just about everything else too. I also use Spetrum Thera by New Life (dried marine mix), and occassionally HBH Super Soft frozen food alternative with Krill. Everything that is fed is eaten within 30 seconds.

The tank was set up in august of last year (2005) So it has been almost 9 months.

I weekly test for ph, nitrate, ammonia, phosphate, salinity, and temperature. The test kits that i have are all (aquarium pharmaceuticals, inc.) None of these kits are outdated.

This week when i tested my results were:
Phosphate .25mg/L
Nitrate 30mg/L
Ammonia 0mg/L
Salinity 1.0215
Temperature 75 Degrees F
PH 8.2

I don't loose fish or stuggle with parasites or anything out of the ordinary. Just the algae

[wedgee]

Hi maybe I can offer some help...

1. Wat kinda skimmer do u have? (Bigger doesnt always mean better, so maybe u can post the brand and model?)

2. What kind of flow are u having in the main tank? I used to have Cyano algae all the time, and I managed to control it by just adding one additional Rio pump...

3. Do u use chemical filters? Rowaphos? Carbon? Poor quality carbon or unsuitable filter medium can cause phosphate to leech into the tank (What u cant measure doesnt mean it hasnt been sucked up by the nuisance algae...)

4. How deep is your aragonite sandbed? I presume its the normal sized, similar to type 2 or 3 white sand?

Don't give up, u can win this...

[kpete4]

thanks for the comments,

1. I am using a sea clone 150 protien skimmer.

2 & 3. The filtration and flow rate - I'm using a eheim 2026 canister filter at the maximum flow rate (with the normal filter media - white and blue pads, and the 2 "E" words) I also have a aquaclear 110 filter (maximum flow rate) w/ the foam pad, carbon insert (changed less than a month ago), and the bio media. 3rd is the seaclone 150 protien skimmer.

4. The aragonite sandbed is aprox. 2-3 inches deep, - i'm not familiar with type 2 or 3 white sand??????


Are the test results that i quoted in the 3rd message in an appropriate range???

Do you think putting live plants like a calerpa (or however you spell it) would help with the phos/nitrate and compete w/ the algae?????

[Aqua Doctor]

Hey, I'm having a problem with algae in my 75 gallon aggressive marine aquarium. I use 100% RO water, and my nitrates, phosphates, ammonia are all extremely low. I religiously do a 10 gallon water change weekly using the RO water. The tank has more than sufficiant filtration and a bigger than i need skimmer. For lighting all i have is a 48" double strip light with a 50/50 bulb and i believe the other is a 10,000. But I've always had trouble with algae. I mostly get a brownish colored algae that shows up on the aragonite substrate, and a bright green algae that shows up on the glass. The green algae is very hard to get off and i have to use a razor.
Is there anything that i can do to keep the algae out??? or is it just part of having a salt tank????

have you tested your ph and alkalinity? in some cases when these are not correct, problems like you decribe occur. Another point to raise would be the your light cycle ie. how long you have your lights on for? sometimes a "slight change/adjustment" in the light cycle will work wonders.
GOOD LUCK!

[TinyWeapon]

Phosphate .25mg/L
Nitrate 30mg/L

These two are the main culprit to the algae boom. Reducing these amount in the system will see results.

Nitrate normally causes by
- Fish waste. Reduce the number of fishes to reduce fish waste.
- Excess food.
- dead organism. eg dead fish, dead rocks etc...

Solution
-change water freqently


Phophate normally cause by
- food (dry or wet)
- Water source eg. tap water, NSW source.

Solution
- Change source of water.
-uses of phosphate removal media eg, Rowa.
Other possible causes.
- Lights. Reduce lightings to reduce food for algae.

[planted86]

I have 1 -4inch Rectangle Trigger, 1- 3 inch Zebra Dwarf Lionfish, 1 Blue Devil Damsel (he's what i used to cycle the tank and somehow he survived), and i have 2- (2-3 inch) foxface rabbitfish. + 5 redlegged hermit crabs, 3 large snails. I feed the trigger 3 times a day in a varriety of foods (mysis, krill, squid, brine, silversides, baby mollies, and formula 2 from ocean nutrition. I feed the lion 3 times a week (mysis, baby mollies, krill, ghost shrimp) I don't feed the damsel (he scraps leftovers from mysis, brine etc) The foxfaces graze the hair algae. I also feed them veggie leaf about twice a week. They eat the mysis, brine, formula 2 (herbivore prep) and just about everything else too. I also use Spetrum Thera by New Life (dried marine mix), and occassionally HBH Super Soft frozen food alternative with Krill. Everything that is fed is eaten within 30 seconds.

The tank was set up in august of last year (2005) So it has been almost 9 months.

I weekly test for ph, nitrate, ammonia, phosphate, salinity, and temperature. The test kits that i have are all (aquarium pharmaceuticals, inc.) None of these kits are outdated.

This week when i tested my results were:
Phosphate .25mg/L
Nitrate 30mg/L
Ammonia 0mg/L
Salinity 1.0215
Temperature 75 Degrees F
PH 8.2

I don't loose fish or stuggle with parasites or anything out of the ordinary. Just the algae

no wonder alot of algae...

you got quite alot of poo machine...

[d2hpeter]

and reduce feeding frequency and quantity

[Darylyap]

and reduce feeding frequency and quantity

hi bro peter, how are you doing?
how's your nano tank?
it's been awhile i "disappear" from AQ, been at car forum lately.
take care bro!

[Darylyap]

and reduce feeding frequency and quantity

hi bro kpete, i'd advice the same. but i have no experience with triggers, lions & rabbits, nt sure if they go hungry real fast?
for my blue & yellow tangs, i feed them once a day with ocean nutrition 1&2.

[kpete4]

when i got my trigger he was a little skinny, stomach sunkin in and stuff and a very reliable source told me to feed him small amounts multiple times a day. My trigger is now as healthy as can be.

If you guys saw my tank i don't think you'd say that i had an algae bloom. In fact now that i've been into the saltwater stuff for a little while, i've realized that a lot of the algae that i have been getting is normal and somewhat healthy. I think i was so used to my freshwater tanks where i didn't have any algae anywhere in the tank, that when i would get a little on the glass of the saltwater tank i thought something was wrong. I have worked on lowering the nitrates and phosphates but i think most of what i have for algae is normal
thanks for the help!
K

[henryteo88]

Hey, I'm having a problem with algae in my 75 gallon aggressive marine aquarium. I use 100% RO water, and my nitrates, phosphates, ammonia are all extremely low. I religiously do a 10 gallon water change weekly using the RO water. The tank has more than sufficiant filtration and a bigger than i need skimmer. For lighting all i have is a 48" double strip light with a 50/50 bulb and i believe the other is a 10,000. But I've always had trouble with algae. I mostly get a brownish colored algae that shows up on the aragonite substrate, and a bright green algae that shows up on the glass. The green algae is very hard to get off and i have to use a razor.
Is there anything that i can do to keep the algae out??? or is it just part of having a salt tank????

Have you considered transitioning to a full NNR system ? Use at least 4 to 6 inches of sand bed with about half inch gap right below. I have tried this conversion and it works fine.