Algae what really causes it

[Tab28]

I have an algae issue. I know everyone says it is Phos, Trates, or Silicates. With my tests I read 0 on all 3. I use Salifert now. I have used several brands as well. So now I am buying a Hanna reader for Phosphates because the test kits have to be wrong is that correct? I use RO water and 2 skimmers and run phosphate remover constantly to be sure. My Mag 1250-1300, Cal 450 PH 8.4 and Alk 10.8. I run (4) T5 for 4 hours and (2) 250 MH for 7 hours. They do not run at same times T5 in AM and MH PM. I keep the bryopisis in check with Kents Tech, but that gets old and expensive. But it is the hair algae that looks like turf which grows on all my frag plugs to the point it causes the chalice frags to start to regress. Even my snails have clumps of this algae totally covering the shells.

 

[swannyson7]

THe algae will absorb the phosphates to grow giving you a false reading on PO4 and most phosphates tests are somewhat inaccruate as it is. The Hanna meter is better, but as long as the algae is absorbing your excess nutrients, you'll continue to get very low readings. Also, just an FYI... running 2 skimmers is counterproductive because they will compete with eachother to produce skimmate.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

Lights and nutrients are another reason algae will flourish. If there is over feeding in the tank you can have algae grow pretty easy. Plus 11 hours of lighting seems kind of high.

 

[Tab28]

Thank you for all the input.

I use kents phosphate remover, switch it out every 2-3 days so no leaching back into system. It does seem that the algae consuming the nutrients giving me the false reading but how can you hault it since it seems they get rid of it faster then the remover does. As for the lighting yes it seems like 11 hours is alot, I use to run 8 hours with all lights on at once but the heat build up was too much for the chiller and still had the algae problem. I have SPS and (3) clams so the MH is needed not sure what would be the miniumum needed for them. The T5 are (4) 39 watts so that is not enough par to travel the 24" depth of the tank. So they are what is normally on when I am at home. I feed my corals once a week and have some fish most are small like firefish and the the largest is fox face in a 120 gallon tank. I feed them 2x week and once is when I feed the corals. I have several shrimp and serpent stars that eat any food remaining on the sand bed and even take food out of the mouths of many LPS. Shrimp can be nasty like that.

 

[swannyson7]

Manually remove any algae you can and then put fresh phosphate absorber in a reactor. I agree that 11 hours for a light cycle is overkill, but not the true source of your problem. I'd cut back on your feeding. Even though the food is being consumed by the fish & inverts (preventing it from rotting) it still fouls your water when it comes out the other end of the fish.

 

[btkrausen]

Some of these algaes are almost impossible to fight. I went to "drastic" measures to abolish my bubble algae in completely starting over with my new tank.

As stated above, there are many ingredients to algae, and many can be the contributing factor in your tank. Bad lighting, too much lighting, overfeeding, not rinsing food out before feeding, uneaten food on the bottom of the tank, dead snails, etc.

 

[swannyson7]

You may also want to consider switching to GFO from the Kent Phosphate sponge... I believe the Kent stuff will start leaching phosphates back into the tank when it's exhausted. I know you said that you switch it out every 2 or 3 days, but who knows how long it will take to do that. Also, are you running the phosphate sponge in a reactor or a media bag in the sump? It works much more efficiently running in a reactor than it does just sitting in the sump.

 

[Troylee]

have you tested your rodi water???? sounds like your feeding it honestly...... like mentioned above if there is algae you get false reading... i would run rawaphos for po4 remover it's best hands down consider it black gold at it's price but it works!!!!!!! most likely your rocks are bound with po4 and it's leaching over time you could either swap your rock or ride it out...

 

[swannyson7]

Black gold is right, but works better than anythign else by far. I tried the high capacity GFo from BRS and I had to use three times as much for the same results. Not any cheaper when you take that into consideration

 

[fsu1dolfan]

have you tested your rodi water???? sounds like your feeding it honestly...... like mentioned above if there is algae you get false reading... i would run rawaphos for po4 remover it's best hands down consider it black gold at it's price but it works!!!!!!! most likely your rocks are bound with po4 and it's leaching over time you could either swap your rock or ride it out...

Black gold is right, but works better than anythign else by far. I tried the high capacity GFo from BRS and I had to use three times as much for the same results. Not any cheaper when you take that into consideration

Good to know...i actually have the BRS GFO and it has worked pretty well for me so far....guess when it is time to stock up i will give it a try. Thanks!

 

[swannyson7]

Good to know...i actually have the BRS GFO and it has worked pretty well for me so far....guess when it is time to stock up i will give it a try. Thanks!

np!

 

[iamwrasseman]

sounds to m elike you have to much light and nutrient in your water which is the perfect breeding grounds for algae . adress your clean up crew and reduce your nutrient levels ,yes nitrate po4 and silicate .also you should manually remove as much as possable and you could also use a refugium IMO.

 

[nixer]

things that you guys didnt include are ph and kh

 

[greg0385]

like said earlier, check you tds from your rodi water, try not to overfeed, remove as much as possible. it could be leeching out of your rocks, have heard stories that rock have nutrients in them that leak out of certain rocks. whats your light cycle? there is def. something feeding it. if im right all algae needs is light,and something to feed on like extra nutrients in the water like po4, keep trying and it should clear up soon.

 

[CJO]

+1 on what Troylee said. Test your makeup water. Your feeding doesn't sound at all excessive (unless you are throwing in a dozen frozen cubes 2x a week) and it sounds like you have a very light bioload for a 120 gallon tank. As Swannyson7 said, the algae is using up all of the excess nutrients in your water column, so it is not reading on your tests.

How long has your tank been set up? Do you have pics of your algae? Also, don't worry about silicates, diatoms use silicates, not algae.

CJ

 

[Tab28]

Wow thanks for all the input. It is nice to get different points of view instead of the text book repeated over and over.

My tank has been up for about 2 years. Before that it was a 60 gallon running for over 10 years. I did bring over most of the live rock from the ole setup as well as adding much more. If the live rock is visible to the light it has something growing on it or encrusing much of it. I do feed my fish twice a week once with frozen and once with pellets. In both cases I turn the wave makers for feeding and by the time they switch back on there is nothing left on the tank floor. The nitrates are at 0 and have been that way I had a bed trate problem with my old setup. I do not have any redslime issues and none of the brown sand algae.

My lighting times can be adusted but that is not what causes the algae. I had algae problem when only running 8 hours a day. In nature the sun is bright for at least 12 hours a day. My bulbs are not even 3 months old yet. I can usally tell when they need replacing by watching my clams not sure if that is a good way but they always seem to let me know. I have several SPS, mainly Acro, Milli and Monti, high in the tank and LPS form chalices to scolyies on the bottom. I also have 2 anemones a huge sebae had for over 3 years at least 12" across and a RBT for maybe 2 years now.

I need to get some new phos remover and I do have a reactor to put it into. I know many use the upflow better. Right now I use Kents I place the bag in the outflow into the sump. There is lots a watermovement in the strainer basket where the pipe enters the sump. Since I have to replace it every few days putting Kents into the reactor does not make much sense. But it does make sense that it may be exhausted after maybe 1 day and leech back on the 2nd and 3rd. Which is why I think the Hanna reader would be easier since it gives you a number instead of the color thing. I do not know about most but I am always second guessing, does it have a hint of blue in the sample or is there too much direct light to get a correct reading. Too many variables for me and it is evident my guessing may be wrong.

I do test my RO it has digital reader that tells you the numbers on enter and exit of the unit as well as a hand held model I use to be sure.

 

[swannyson7]

Titration tests are very difficult and lighting plays a huge factor. I do all my titration test outside in the sun so that there aren't any shadows or weird light coloration to alter the results. Looking down the test tube against a white background makes a huge difference as well, so you may want to try that. You said you have quite a bit of SPS... have you noticed any browning or loss of coloration since the start of the algae problem? SPS will usually start to lose its color when there's a PO4 problem

 

[CJO]

The TDS meter on your RO unit will not react to the phosphates. You can have 0 on the TDS meter and still have quite a bit of phosphate coming out of your RO unit. Also, if you don't have a DI filter at the end, you might want to consider doing that. It will catch many of the things that the RO misses.

CJ

 

[btkrausen]

I've heard in the past that you can get a more accurate measurement of PO4 when measuring a few hours after the light has gone out. Not sure if thats true or not, what do you think?

 

[slice]

I've heard in the past that you can get a more accurate measurement of PO4 when measuring a few hours after the light has gone out. Not sure if thats true or not, what do you think?

It makes sense to my pea brain that algae would have less uptake of PO4 after lights out for a while and leave more available to the test.