Help! I'm giving up

[johnny4491]

I'm In giving up ! Don't know what the problem is I just did a 2 gallon water change that's about half the water in the tank on Monday and it broke out more on bubble algae don't know my numbers yet I'll probably test on sat morning ! Some people are saying it's my light so I got some good deals on some LEDs that are on there way but any ideas my tank looks horrible:/

 

[Bagorat78]

What type of water are you using? Distilled? Tap?

 

[Marco.M]

How much life rocks do u have in your Tank ?

 

[reefguy565]

That does look pretty bad. What you have inside your tank? Cuc ?

 

[Diesel]

Nutrients............. you didn't added only new mixed saltwater but also nutrients in the form Po4's and maybe some No3's.
Good points are already made but let me ask you this before who go to a sulotion.
Do you mix your water yourself or you get it from a LFS?
If you mix it yourself how and what kind of water you use?
Test # are giving you a false reading if you test as the Spirulina algae is taking it all out to grow.

 

[Tahoe61]

What type of water are you using? Distilled? Tap?

^^^^^
Stock lighting in bio and nano brand tanks should be changed out within the first 8-9 months (sooner if able) if the lighting type is not LED.
If the water source is not contributing to algae growth then it has to be something else you're adding to the tank.

Manually clean that puppy and do a water change of %50 with RO/DI water after removing or dislodging algae. You can scrub it off with razors and soft brushes, let the detritus and algae settle and siphon all the yuck out. Keep repeating the process once a week for a month using RO/DI, and get a base line nitrates and phosphates if able.

 

[MadCityReefer]

Try this stuff out it worked for me.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/fauna-marin-ultra-algea-x.html

 

[Squirrel_reefer]

@UWC Vibrant should clear that up, concentrate on getting your water right first then try some vibrant.

 

[johnny4491]

What type of water are you using? Distilled? Tap?

I use RODI water that I buy from my LfS

 

[DeniseAndy]

Just looks like lack of maintenance and extra nutrients. The algae has nothing else to compete with for growth, so it is taking over. This is my own opinion and what I have done with really algae overgrown picos and my 40g. Happens any time I go away on vacation. :)

Take the rock out in a small bucket of tank water and go to town on it with a toothbrush. Rinse really well in cleaner water. scrape all the sides down and remove the pump and magnet (I think that was the rectangular thing on wall) and clean them in regular tap water. Scrub well!

Make sure you have good RO/DI saltwater ready and do a full water change. I mean 90%. Do not worry about bacteria as it is in the rock you scrubbed clean. You do not have a large bioload with only the fish, shrimp and snail from what I see. Also, make sure the salinity (specific gravity) is the same as the shrimp could have issues if it varies too much. Also make sure temp is same on new water.

Then, suck out the tank. The side scrapings should have settled and you can vacuum sand if want. On first clean I would just do the sides and 90% change.

After new water is in, add back the rock (that you had in clean saltwater and scrubbed. Then the pumps and anything else.

Now, with a small tank like this, you do need to keep up on maintenance. Especially if you are adding anything and the algae is the main consumer. What is in there now really does not need fed much at all. Do water changes every 5 days of about 10% and watch what you feed. Should get better fast.

Again, this I have done on many of my picos and even my 40g. Yes full water changes. It helps a ton!

 

[DeniseAndy]

I use RODI water that I buy from my LfS

Check the TDS or have them show you results. Just a thought.

 

[Irishman]

My tank was getting over ran with bubble algae then I bought some emerald crabs and it was clean a week later

 

[biggen]

That isn't bubble algae in the OP's picture. It almost looks like Cyano but greener. Looks like nasty slimy hair algae too.

Basically you need to check the water you are getting from your LFS. Get a TDS meter (or ask them to test for you) and make sure it is zero TDS. If it's not, then there is your primary problem.

Algae all comes down to excess nutrients. Currently, you are inputting more nutrients than you are exporting and the algae is taking advantage of it. Check your source water and cut back your feedings. Both of those things severely restricts nutrient imports.

You could also black out the tank for a few days to speed up the removal of any algae left over from a a good rock scrubbing/siphoning that you should also perform.

 

[johnny4491]

Just looks like lack of maintenance and extra nutrients. The algae has nothing else to compete with for growth, so it is taking over. This is my own opinion and what I have done with really algae overgrown picos and my 40g. Happens any time I go away on vacation. :)

Take the rock out in a small bucket of tank water and go to town on it with a toothbrush. Rinse really well in cleaner water. scrape all the sides down and remove the pump and magnet (I think that was the rectangular thing on wall) and clean them in regular tap water. Scrub well!

Make sure you have good RO/DI saltwater ready and do a full water change. I mean 90%. Do not worry about bacteria as it is in the rock you scrubbed clean. You do not have a large bioload with only the fish, shrimp and snail from what I see. Also, make sure the salinity (specific gravity) is the same as the shrimp could have issues if it varies too much. Also make sure temp is same on new water.

Then, suck out the tank. The side scrapings should have settled and you can vacuum sand if want. On first clean I would just do the sides and 90% change.

After new water is in, add back the rock (that you had in clean saltwater and scrubbed. Then the pumps and anything else.

Now, with a small tank like this, you do need to keep up on maintenance. Especially if you are adding anything and the algae is the main consumer. What is in there now really does not need fed much at all. Do water changes every 5 days of about 10% and watch what you feed. Should get better fast.

Again, this I have done on many of my picos and even my 40g. Yes full water changes. It helps a ton!

Thanks I'm going to try that this weekend

 

[johnny4491]

Just looks like lack of maintenance and extra nutrients. The algae has nothing else to compete with for growth, so it is taking over. This is my own opinion and what I have done with really algae overgrown picos and my 40g. Happens any time I go away on vacation. :)

Take the rock out in a small bucket of tank water and go to town on it with a toothbrush. Rinse really well in cleaner water. scrape all the sides down and remove the pump and magnet (I think that was the rectangular thing on wall) and clean them in regular tap water. Scrub well!

Make sure you have good RO/DI saltwater ready and do a full water change. I mean 90%. Do not worry about bacteria as it is in the rock you scrubbed clean. You do not have a large bioload with only the fish, shrimp and snail from what I see. Also, make sure the salinity (specific gravity) is the same as the shrimp could have issues if it varies too much. Also make sure temp is same on new water.

Then, suck out the tank. The side scrapings should have settled and you can vacuum sand if want. On first clean I would just do the sides and 90% change.

After new water is in, add back the rock (that you had in clean saltwater and scrubbed. Then the pumps and anything else.

Now, with a small tank like this, you do need to keep up on maintenance. Especially if you are adding anything and the algae is the main consumer. What is in there now really does not need fed much at all. Do water changes every 5 days of about 10% and watch what you feed. Should get better fast.

Again, this I have done on many of my picos and even my 40g. Yes full water changes. It helps a ton!

I also heard if I take out my rocks that might spike ammonia is this true

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I also heard if I take out my rocks that might spike ammonia is this true

use a bottled bacteria, and no. not always true.

+1 scrub and by more corals feed less. maybe consider some pretty macros.

 

[johnny4491]

use a bottled bacteria, and no. not always true.

+1 scrub and by more corals feed less. maybe consider some pretty macros.

What do u mean use a bottle bacteria for what

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

What do u mean use a bottle bacteria for what

if your concerned about ammonia add A bottled bacteria to eat it. I use Prime. and stability.
when I open the bag on a new fish, I add Prime. to eat the ammoina.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Have your LFS show you their TDS meter, ideally it should be at zero coming out. I wouldn't worry about it if it is <5 though.

Some Chemi-Clean should clear that cyano right up as long as you have a good skimmer as you have to make sure you maintain your pH and Chemi-Clean will lower it. But you could aerate it another way if needed.

I don't see any actual bubble algae in your photo but I agree with adding some emerald craps if you do have some in there.

For the Vibrant recommendation, I am trying it out in my tank at the moment and have actually seen a slight increase in the amount of cyano in my tank. This may be do to it stripping the other algaes and causing an influx of left over nutrients, but I can't determine that definitively.

IME Nerite and even Mexican Turbo will eat cyano as I have caught both going to town on it.

 

[johnny4491]

That does look pretty bad. What you have inside your tank? Cuc ?

Cleaner shrimp and like 2 snails