Algae!!!

[jacobreynolds6883]

Ok so my tank is still under a year old and I cannot keep the algae from growing! I had several issues from the start and had to restart the whole system after a ich outbreak. Perimeters have been great and ready for fish now for 4 weeks but I’m taking it slow and setting up a QT tank first. I do have 4 snails and 4 crabs in there now. Purple Coraline is growing great but algae keeps growing all over. I clean most of it off 2 times a week but doesn’t seem to stop it. Light cycle is turned down to 7 hours. Any suggestions or fixes would be great? I’ve attached some photos.

Following is my tank setup 36g tank, canister filter, hob protein skimmer, and 2 Powerheads.

 

[laverda]

Either get rid of the canister filter or clean the filter media in it every 4 days. Canister filters do not work very well on reef tanks. They do a great job of removing detritus and particulate matter from the water column, but not from your system. However unless you clean them at least weekly they become nitrate factory’s. All the crud they collect starts breaking down and producing nitrate in just a few days. Most people with canister filters do not clean them untill the water flow is noticeably reduced. By then they have pumped lots of nitrates into the tank. A skimmer on the other hand removes the same stuff from the water column and your system, not allowing it to break down to nitrate and phosphate in your system.

 

[Sallstrom]

You can not produce lots of nitrate if you don't add a lot of food. My guess is that you don't feed a lot now. So don't worry about the canister filter at the moment.

I think it looks fine. You can add more algae eaters if you want to get rid of algae faster. Urchins are great grazers. Without enough algae eaters you will have to wait a long time for the unwanted algae to disappear.

 

[jacobreynolds6883]

You can not produce lots of nitrate if you don't add a lot of food. My guess is that you don't feed a lot now. So don't worry about the canister filter at the moment.

I think it looks fine. You can add more algae eaters if you want to get rid of algae faster. Urchins are great grazers. Without enough algae eaters you will have to wait a long time for the unwanted algae to disappear.

I’ve done some research today on urchins, sounds like tuxedo or pincushion would be the best. What’s the pros/cons of these two and which one would you suggest? Any special precautions I should take with the urchin? Also with no way to QT should I stick the urchin after acclimation straight into my display tank, since there is no fish to keep ich going and will be several weeks before fish are introduced?

 

[jacobreynolds6883]

Either get rid of the canister filter or clean the filter media in it every 4 days. Canister filters do not work very well on reef tanks. They do a great job of removing detritus and particulate matter from the water column, but not from your system. However unless you clean them at least weekly they become nitrate factory’s. All the crud they collect starts breaking down and producing nitrate in just a few days. Most people with canister filters do not clean them untill the water flow is noticeably reduced. By then they have pumped lots of nitrates into the tank. A skimmer on the other hand removes the same stuff from the water column and your system, not allowing it to break down to nitrate and phosphate in your system.

I’ve been told many times to take the canister filter out and after heavy consideration I plan too this weekend. Since I would not have room for a sump with current setup any suggestions on setting up biomedia filtration? I don’t have a overflow nor a drilled tank and I’m trying to avoid overflow with this first tank setup being small/spending less money. I do have a nice HOB filter would this be a better option or do completely without biomedia?

 

[Sallstrom]

I’ve done some research today on urchins, sounds like tuxedo or pincushion would be the best. What’s the pros/cons of these two and which one would you suggest? Any special precautions I should take with the urchin? Also with no way to QT should I stick the urchin after acclimation straight into my display tank, since there is no fish to keep ich going and will be several weeks before fish are introduced?

I'm not sure I've had a pincushion urchin. Maybe one, and that one ate mushroom corals But I'm not sure it was a pincushion.
The tuxedo are fine, doesn't get so big.
I would go for a collector urchin, they are great grazers.
IMO they don't need to be quarantined.

 

[laverda]

I’ve been told many times to take the canister filter out and after heavy consideration I plan too this weekend. Since I would not have room for a sump with current setup any suggestions on setting up biomedia filtration? I don’t have a overflow nor a drilled tank and I’m trying to avoid overflow with this first tank setup being small/spending less money. I do have a nice HOB filter would this be a better option or do completely without biomedia?

I would set up the HOB as a refugium or ATS. Red and blue LED grow lights will work great for both, are inexpensive and come in all sorts of configurations.

A tuxedo urchin is a good choice. A pincushion urchin will get to big for a small tank.

 

[Irene]

This thread is very helpful.
I too am fighting algae and about ready to give up. I have a skimmer rated above my tank size, 2 power heads, a HOB refugium that’s very healthy and algae-free, a HOB filter with a phosphate reducing pad that I clean or replace regularly, appropriate number and size of fish, lots of live rock and coralline algae. Reduced time and intensity of lights. Change 10-20% of water regularly. Feed moderately.
—But I can’t get rid of the algae that grows just about everywhere. It’s like shag carpet on my rocks and walls. I can’t keep up with it and it looks awful.

— I’m beginning to wonder if afternoon sun and my live sand are culprits. I don’t have room for a sump so have to live with HOB filter for now.

Advice needed before I surrender and get out of this hobby!!!

 

[Irene]

This thread is very helpful.
I too am fighting algae and about ready to give up. I have a skimmer rated above my tank size, 2 power heads, a HOB refugium that’s very healthy and algae-free, a HOB filter with a phosphate reducing pad that I clean or replace regularly, appropriate number and size of fish, lots of live rock and coralline algae. Reduced time and intensity of lights. Change 10-20% of water regularly. Feed moderately.
—But I can’t get rid of the algae that grows just about everywhere. It’s like shag carpet on my rocks and walls. I can’t keep up with it and it looks awful.

— I’m beginning to wonder if afternoon sun and my live sand are culprits. I don’t have room for a sump so have to live with HOB filter for now.

Advice needed before I surrender and get out of this hobby!!!

 

[Irene]

This thread is very helpful.
I too am fighting algae and about ready to give up. I have a skimmer rated above my tank size, 2 power heads, a HOB refugium that’s very healthy and algae-free, a HOB filter with a phosphate reducing pad that I clean or replace regularly, appropriate number and size of fish, lots of live rock and coralline algae. Reduced time and intensity of lights. Change 10-20% of water regularly. Feed moderately.
—But I can’t get rid of the algae that grows just about everywhere. It’s like shag carpet on my rocks and walls. I can’t keep up with it and it looks awful.

— I’m beginning to wonder if afternoon sun and my live sand are culprits. I don’t have room for a sump so have to live with HOB filter for now.

Advice needed before I surrender and get out of this hobby!!!

 

[Irene]

This thread is very helpful.
I too am fighting algae and about ready to give up. I have a skimmer rated above my tank size, 2 power heads, a HOB refugium that’s very healthy and algae-free, a HOB filter with a phosphate reducing pad that I clean or replace regularly, appropriate number and size of fish, lots of live rock and coralline algae. Reduced time and intensity of lights. Change 10-20% of water regularly. Feed moderately.
—But I can’t get rid of the algae that grows just about everywhere. It’s like shag carpet on my rocks and walls. I can’t keep up with it and it looks awful.

— I’m beginning to wonder if afternoon sun and my live sand are culprits. I don’t have room for a sump so have to live with HOB filter for now.

Advice needed before I surrender and get out of this hobby!!!

 

[laverda]

This thread is very helpful.
I too am fighting algae and about ready to give up. I have a skimmer rated above my tank size, 2 power heads, a HOB refugium that’s very healthy and algae-free, a HOB filter with a phosphate reducing pad that I clean or replace regularly, appropriate number and size of fish, lots of live rock and coralline algae. Reduced time and intensity of lights. Change 10-20% of water regularly. Feed moderately.
—But I can’t get rid of the algae that grows just about everywhere. It’s like shag carpet on my rocks and walls. I can’t keep up with it and it looks awful.

— I’m beginning to wonder if afternoon sun and my live sand are culprits. I don’t have room for a sump so have to live with HOB filter for now.

Advice needed before I surrender and get out of this hobby!!!

What is in your Refugium if there is no algae? Light you Refugium with red and blue LED grow lights and grow algae there instead of in your display tank. You could convert it or you HOB filter into an ATS easily. They are very effective at growing algae. By lighting it properly it willout compete with the algae in your display.

 

[jacobreynolds6883]

This thread is very helpful.
I too am fighting algae and about ready to give up. I have a skimmer rated above my tank size, 2 power heads, a HOB refugium that’s very healthy and algae-free, a HOB filter with a phosphate reducing pad that I clean or replace regularly, appropriate number and size of fish, lots of live rock and coralline algae. Reduced time and intensity of lights. Change 10-20% of water regularly. Feed moderately.
—But I can’t get rid of the algae that grows just about everywhere. It’s like shag carpet on my rocks and walls. I can’t keep up with it and it looks awful.

— I’m beginning to wonder if afternoon sun and my live sand are culprits. I don’t have room for a sump so have to live with HOB filter for now.

Advice needed before I surrender and get out of this hobby!!!

I have finally gotten rid of most of my algae from my original post. This is the list of items I have done to drastically reduce the algae growing in my tank.

1. I took a soft bristle brush and cleaned all green algae of my rocks and items within my tank.
2. I built a hood for my tank.
3. I trade my LED light for a CoralLife dual T5 Ho light.
4. I use Kent Phosphate Sponge in a homemade filter sock placed in the HOB filter.
5. Removed my canister filter.
6. Lastly but the most important I believe, light cycle is 3pm-9pm and I keep a black fabric over tank walls when light is off due to sunlight in the room.

Hopefully this helps you, let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Hemmdog]

This thread is very helpful.
I too am fighting algae and about ready to give up. I have a skimmer rated above my tank size, 2 power heads, a HOB refugium that’s very healthy and algae-free, a HOB filter with a phosphate reducing pad that I clean or replace regularly, appropriate number and size of fish, lots of live rock and coralline algae. Reduced time and intensity of lights. Change 10-20% of water regularly. Feed moderately.
—But I can’t get rid of the algae that grows just about everywhere. It’s like shag carpet on my rocks and walls. I can’t keep up with it and it looks awful.

— I’m beginning to wonder if afternoon sun and my live sand are culprits. I don’t have room for a sump so have to live with HOB filter for now.

Advice needed before I surrender and get out of this hobby!!!

Afternoon sun 100%

 

[jacobreynolds6883]

Afternoon sun 100%

Thanks for posting here, I really enjoyed reading your 90g tank journey. I hoping one day to upgrade to a larger display but one thing at a time.

 

[Hemmdog]

Thanks for posting here, I really enjoyed reading your 90g tank journey. I hoping one day to upgrade to a larger display but one thing at a time.

Thank you! that was so nice.