Help!! Algae!!!

Rsbritt27 · Apr 11, 2016

Hello All,

I am currently running a 29 gallon biocube. Nothing has been modified on the tank as of yet; I am having a problem with algae all of a sudden. I am very new to this so I take my water the local pet store to have tested and everything is fine. I have 2 clown fish 3 snails and 3 hermit crabs. Does anyone know how I can get rid of the green haired algae?? Thanks....

_Conway · Apr 11, 2016

What are nitrates and phosphate reading. They are the nutrients feeding the algae.
How much lighting does tank get.
Intensity and time. Light helps it grow.

Rsbritt27 · Apr 11, 2016

nitrates 0.25
Phosphate 0.13
Moon light runs all day
White light on 7am off 7pm
Blue light on 8am off 8pm

PatW · Apr 11, 2016

If you go to the reef chemistry section, you will see that Randy Holmes-Farley recommends of phosphate level of less than .03 ppm. So you can do water changes using salt water made with 0 tds RODI water. Or you can run GFO to absorb the phosphates.

My dry rock leached phosphates and I had .13 ppm phosphates. The algae went nuts. I have almost gotten rid of them with water changes, GFO and macro algae in the sump. Once the algae started to really get going my phosphate levels went to zero probably because the algae were sucking the phosphate out of the water.

There are several sources of algae. One is leaching out of the rock. Eventually, if you keep removing the phosphates, all of the phosphates will come out of the rock and be removed.

The second is using fresh water contaminated with phosphates to do too offs and make salt water.

The third is feeding your fish lavishly. The food always has phosphates so over time it builds up.

The fourth would be fish or inverts dying and releasing phosphates through decomposition.

Oceansize · Apr 11, 2016

Your nitrates and phosphates are not "too" high for a healthy tank, but they are high enough to explain the algae. But even if your nitrates and phosphates were exactly where they're supposed to be to limit algae, you're still going to get a little from time to time. A little is to be expected, especially with newer tanks.

Salty1962 · Apr 11, 2016

I got mine down with a Lawn Mover Blenny and Flame Tang, hand removal and heavy skimming. I also run bio-pellets and a small amount of GFO until it's gone. Cut your feeding and lighting photo period down some and it will help. Just a cross road of a new tank setup/cycle. JME

Jakepen · Apr 11, 2016

How long has the tank been running?

Brian Kim · Apr 11, 2016

Rsbritt27 said:
Hello All,

I am currently running a 29 gallon biocube. Nothing has been modified on the tank as of yet; I am having a problem with algae all of a sudden. I am very new to this so I take my water the local pet store to have tested and everything is fine. I have 2 clown fish 3 snails and 3 hermit crabs. Does anyone know how I can get rid of the green haired algae?? Thanks....

I don't think your algae is that bad, is this a new tank? Also, I think you could cut down your light schedule a bit, 13 hours a day seems a bit long.
Is it the new biocube 29 with led lighting? If not a new tank check your CF light bulbs, I remember replacing them every 6 months when I had a Bcube back in the days.