Algae on glass always!?

[Hoodstream]

I can’t get water parameters right now at work but last time everything was stable. Tanks fully cycled, bioload established, and yet I’m having algae on the glass everyday.

I have a 37 Gallon Tall.
Fish:
2 Clowns
1 Yellow Watchman Goby
1 Bicolor Blenny

Inverts:
4 Turbos
2 Astraea Snails
8 Hermits Red/Blue Legs
1 Halloween Hermit
1 Pistol Shrimp

Also got 3 rock nems. I feed once or twice a day depending on work and only what my tank can consume. I got phosphate remover in the filter and a protein skimmer that’s rated for a 60 gallon.

However I always have algae on the glass I run 8-12 hours of lights, and I can’t understand why I’m having my full front glass covered in algae daily. I understand algae is expected but my other tanks have no where near this problem. I’m sorry I can’t get water parameters atm but does anyone have any ideas?

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Maybe try more snails to clean the glass. Without parameters, it is hard to say. Everyone says their parameters are good or stable, but a lot of the time, they aren't.

Why do you need PO4 remover?

 

[Hoodstream]

Maybe try more snails to clean the glass. Without parameters, it is hard to say. Everyone says their parameters are good or stable, but a lot of the time, they aren't.

Why do you need PO4 remover?

I added it because of the algae. Thought maybe I was over feeding.

 

[moz71]

Unfortunately some tanks just generate more film algae. There was a discussion on a past thread wher some people clean like once a week and bunch of us clean constantly. I am at every other day but see it grow start growing back the next day. Forget once a week or every five days. I have had low phosphate and still get it. Nitrates around 10 ppm. Forget more snails. All they do is just make crazy designs on glass. Maybe it’s the 10 nitrates. But I gave up tinkering.

 

[Hoodstream]

Unfortunately some tanks just generate more film algae. There was a discussion on a past thread wher some people clean like once a week and bunch of us clean constantly. I am at every other day but see it grow start growing back the next day. Forget once a week or every five days. I have had low phosphate and still get it. Nitrates around 10 ppm. Forget more snails. All they do is just make crazy designs on glass. Maybe it’s the 10 nitrates. But I gave up tinkering.

Yeah I give up on snails because the glass looks terrible last test was Friday and ammonia nitrite were 0 with a nitrate around 5-10ppm. Calcium, ph, alk all good didn’t test phosphates cause of the skimmer and phosphate remover in filter. Stopped home on lunch and saw it getting milky and light green on the glass again and made this post out of frustration. Water is crystal clear but the glass is just always got film.

 

[moz71]

Yeah I give up on snails because the glass looks terrible last test was Friday and ammonia nitrite were 0 with a nitrate around 5-10ppm. Calcium, ph, alk all good didn’t test phosphates cause of the skimmer and phosphate remover in filter. Stopped home on lunch and saw it getting milky and light green on the glass again and made this post out of frustration. Water is crystal clear but the glass is just always got film.

I feel your pain. Same boat water crystal clear Hey maybe it’s the nitrates at that level. But I can’t seem to get nitrates any lower so so-be-it!

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Yeah I give up on snails because the glass looks terrible last test was Friday and ammonia nitrite were 0 with a nitrate around 5-10ppm. Calcium, ph, alk all good didn’t test phosphates cause of the skimmer and phosphate remover in filter. Stopped home on lunch and saw it getting milky and light green on the glass again and made this post out of frustration. Water is crystal clear but the glass is just always got film.

Some of the films on tank glass are bacteria, not algae. Without pictures and a lot more information, all you will get is guesses which will be no better than your guesses.

 

[ying yang]

My first 6 months was getting alot algae on front glass and cleaned x 2 a week but for last few months I hardly ever clean it.
I do add more of the appropriate cuc when tank tells me to so this will help me.
Clean glass like 1x a fortnight now sometimes longer and most tje time is when doing water change and drip water down outside of glass lol
Not sure how old your tank is but maybe in time you will have clean glass less.
And probably a good idea to add more cuc that clean glass to help you as your tank telling you need more cuc if glass always dirty.
I only add say 6 snails at a time in my 80 gallon then assess it week or so after if need more .
But cuc there to help me and not entirely do all of it as I'm the janitor of my tank but I can appoint some help havha

 

[Hoodstream]

Some of the films on tank glass are bacteria, not algae. Without pictures and a lot more information, all you will get is guesses which will be no better than your guesses.

Here’s a picture of a Snapchat I took this morning

 

[Hoodstream]

Here’s a picture of a Snapchat I took this morning

It’s literally just white milky and green film

 

[Freenow54]

Not much to go on but forget snails, and or starfish they don't work that quickly at all. Probably lighting if all else good. My new tank is way worse every 4 days. I use a different method . I scrape it and catch it with a net and remove it. Just hoping things will settle down. My comments on the snails, and starfish is about my older tank. I have to use a very sharp blade to get *** off. As you can gather not big on chemical warfare

 

[Hoodstream]

Really appreciate the responses I’m reading other threads of people with stable parameters and running into the same issue and some without and I guess it’s just a part of reefing just weird it’s on one of my 4 tanks only . Thanks to everyone so far for replying appreciate it.

 

[exnisstech]

My tanks have been running for 2-6 years and I have to clean every couple of days. On 2 tanks I have 3 lights at different setting and always get algae on the glass first in the center of the tanks where the light is set brighter than the other ones. I just accept it and clean. If I turn the lights off or down no algae but the corals are not happy so I just deal with it. I'm starting to figure out there are way more important things to be concerned about than some film algae on the glass that takes 5 minutes to remove. If I don't have the time for that and water changes etc I need a different hobby. But then again I'm one of those strange people that don't mind spending time working on the tanks.

 

[Hoodstream]

My tanks have been running for 2-6 years and I have to clean every couple of days. On 2 tanks I have 3 lights at different setting and always get algae on the glass first in the center of the tanks where the light is set brighter than the other ones. I just accept it and clean. If I turn the lights off or down no algae but the corals are not happy so I just deal with it. I'm starting to figure out there are way more important things to be concerned about than some film algae on the glass that takes 5 minutes to remove. If I don't have the time for that and water changes etc I need a different hobby. But then again I'm one of those strange people that don't mind spending time working on the tanks.

Yes I agree with the importance of things but I don’t think it should result in a different hobby. I have a ton of tanks both fresh and salt and manage a freshwater fish store and I think it’s frustrating when some tanks have algae and others don’t especially when we all take pride in our tanks. 5 minutes is no biggie for maintenance but there are tanks that have 0 algae problems so to question these kinds of issues is to be concerned about the more important things because an abundance of algae can also point to issues that could fall under the serious category.

 

[Hoodstream]

Yes I agree with the importance of things but I don’t think it should result in a different hobby. I have a ton of tanks both fresh and salt and manage a freshwater fish store and I think it’s frustrating when some tanks have algae and others don’t especially when we all take pride in our tanks. 5 minutes is no biggie for maintenance but there are tanks that have 0 algae problems so to question these kinds of issues is to be concerned about the more important things because an abundance of algae can also point to issues that could fall under the serious category.

Probably going to buy a better magnet scrapper and chalk it up to the lighting, and a younger tank maturing.

 

[WisReef]

I have a robosnail glass cleaner on the front of my display tank. It's far from perfect but it does help cut down on the daily maintenance of keeping the front glass clean (I have an in-wall tank). If I didn't have that, I certainly would need to manually clean it frequently.

 

[DeniseAndy]

One thing that helps me cut down a bit on cleaning glass/acrylic is dosing phyto. When I do it consistently, I go longer between scraping.

 

[Hoodstream]

I have a robosnail glass cleaner on the front of my display tank. It's far from perfect but it does help cut down on the daily maintenance of keeping the front glass clean (I have an in-wall tank). If I didn't have that, I certainly would need to manually clean it frequently.

I had no idea what a robosnail was and googled it and am baffled. This is so cool. Double thumbs up, had no idea this existed.

I have a tank with odd dimensions so I had to get glass cut so it’s a pain to unhook the led, pull a sheet of glass out, scrape, wipe down, and repeat in reverse. This is a cool find.

 

[WisReef]

I had no idea what a robosnail was and googled it and am baffled. This is so cool. Double thumbs up, had no idea this existed.

I have a tank with odd dimensions so I had to get glass cut so it’s a pain to unhook the led, pull a sheet of glass out, scrape, wipe down, and repeat in reverse. This is a cool find.

Yeah it does the job, but it's does need more TLC than I'd like to offer at times. I was hopeful for the MOAI robotic cleaner to come out soon but it's been in production for like 4 years...

 

[damsels are not mean]

Unfortunately some tanks just generate more film algae. There was a discussion on a past thread wher some people clean like once a week and bunch of us clean constantly. I am at every other day but see it grow start growing back the next day. Forget once a week or every five days. I have had low phosphate and still get it. Nitrates around 10 ppm. Forget more snails. All they do is just make crazy designs on glass. Maybe it’s the 10 nitrates. But I gave up tinkering.

So many factors at play I think. Nutrients may play in it but I don't think nutrients limit algae in any home systems. I think it depends on what species of algae and bacteria we have in our tanks that can colonize and fog up the glass quickly. Not to mention the tolerance each aquarist has for fogginess. One person's "I have to clean every day" may be another's once a week.