Algae takeover in my 13.5 gallon clownfish tank need help

[AaronB5916]

My clownfish tank since day one has been overrun by green algae all over the glass even after water changes for months and less feeding it comes back within days i need help to what i can do to stop it.
Ph-8.2
Nitrate-20
Nitrite-0
Ammonia-0
Salinty-0
Fish stock- pair of clowns, cleaner shrimp, 4 turbos, 2 hermit crabs, 2 bubble tip anemones
The fish tank light stays on for around 15 hours a day and there are no windows in my room I don't understand what I am doing wrong I need help with this.

 

[FishyFishFish]

I’m not sure but, for comparison, my light is on for 6 hours a day and at least one of those hours is just blues.

I think I need to increase mine a bit but I backed it off as I was starting to get a bit of cyano. 15 hours a day seems like quite a lot to me.

 

[AaronB5916]

So, you think I should cut down the light a lot maybe only have it on when i get home for like 6 hours

 

[FishyFishFish]

The fish don’t ‘need’ the light, but you want to make sure the BTAs get enough. I’m not an expert but I think my 6 hours is too short, but I might try taking a couple of hours off of your 15 and seeing if that helps. Hopefully an expert will chime in with some other suggestions.

Your salinity figure in your parameters has a mistake. Nitrate at 20 is maybe a bit high but nothing dreadful. Do you test for phosphate?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

How old is the tank? Phosphates feed green algae so you should test the phosphate level. Agree with above that 15 hours of light is a lot IMO.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Reduce white light intensity and add snails such as Turbo grazer, astrea, cerith, nerite and trochus.
Is tank by chance at or near a window?

 

[lazlodawg]

15 hours is a lot! Also - Is the algae just on your glass? If so, can you just scrape it off? Post a picture!
I used to get real uptight about algae, but now, as long as it's not growing over corals or getting plague-like in proportions, I don't really worry about it.

 

[AaronB5916]

How old is the tank? Phosphates feed green algae so you should test the phosphate level. Agree with above that 15 hours of light is a lot IMO.

How old is the tank? Phosphates feed green algae so you should test the phosphate level. Agree with above that 15 hours of light is a lot IMO.

 

[AaronB5916]

How old is the tank? Phosphates feed green algae so you should test the phosphate level. Agree with above that 15 hours of light is a lot IMO.

The tank is a few months old, and I have a saltwater test kit but it only tests Ph nitrate nitrite and ammonia should I get something to test phosphate and what should my phosphate level be

 

[AaronB5916]

15 hours is a lot! Also - Is the algae just on your glass? If so, can you just scrape it off? Post a picture!
I used to get real uptight about algae, but now, as long as it's not growing over corals or getting plague-like in proportions, I don't really worry about it.

The algae only really is on the glass and sand and I scrape it off while I do a water change and not even a day later it will grow back

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Oh, it’s called new tank syndrome, or so-called ugly phase. Just practice good tank maintenance and it passes in time as the tank matures.

I think you have an API Test kit which is not considered accurate. Not too important, but important if you will want to keep corals later. Phosphate test is important to monitor and prevent algae and cyano

 

[AaronB5916]

Oh, it’s called new tank syndrome, or so-called ugly phase. Just practice good tank maintenance and it passes in time as the tank matures.

I think you have an API Test kit which is not considered accurate. Not too important, but important if you will want to keep corals later. Phosphate test is important to monitor and prevent algae and cyano

ok so what test kit do you recommend I get and how long will this phase last

 

[lazlodawg]

If it's only a few months old, your bio-filter is not yet mature and you will have a succession of algae types. Here's a list of what I would try after having a similar experience on my first tank.
1. Reduce photoperiod slowly to 12 hrs
2. Increase water change frequency
3. Add a media for increased surface area for nitrification such as Seachem Matrix- Surface area for nitrifying bacteria might be limited in your nano.
4. Monitor Nitrate and Phosphate levels (I use Hanna Ultra low range checker for phosphates and Salifert Nitrate tests. Everyone has their favorites though!) Do NOT let these levels fall to zero or you'll spend a lot of time reading this thread.
5. Avoid chemical fixes that end up causing more headaches than just having to scrape algae. You have an ecological niche being filled by algae right now. Kill the algae and something worse might take its place!
6. Look into a good nano sized clean up crew if you don't have one. Be careful because once your tank matures and the algae recedes, they might slowly starve to death.

 

[kingjames_dc5]

Being that your tank is so new it’s going to go threw all types of algae stages your definitely gonna wanna cut the lights back to 12 hours or less if you’re still using the stock light I recommend looking up nightcrew timer/controller on Amazon to help this will allow you to turn the lights on and off and control the intensity of the light. I would recommend getting a cleanup crew or cuc strawberry conch, astrea snails, nassarius snail and hermit crabs to help keep it under control. I would recommend Hanna for a po4 test very accurate and easy to use. Salifert is also another good choice for tests like no3 alk and so on.