Switching tanks

[Michelle3]

I have had my saltwater tank for over five years with no issues. Last year, I introduced one new fish and replaced my very old light with a newer LED one. Since then, I have been dealing with a horrific algae problem. I assume it is either from the new light, or the introduction of the new fish. Per the recommendation of my LFS I added a cleanup crew, then a second crew, but they are unable to keep up. I have tried to cut back the number of hours my light is on, but that has not helped either. I added a UV filter, reduced the amount I feed, and increased water changes, to no avail. I have several types of algae. The species on the glass is easy to clean off and not a big problem. The hairlike algae on the live rock grows like crazy. I have tried hand pulling and scrubbing it off the live rock and decorations, but the base remains, and it just regrows. The dark brown algae forms a mat on the bottom of the tank. My syphon is not strong enough to lift it up, so I remove most of it with a net. Due to the algae problem, and other complications with the odd shaped tank, I decided to start a new saltwater tank, using a spare 36-gallon bowfront that I have. I also have a spare penguin biowheel filter.

What is the best way to ensure I don't contaminate my new tank?
Will a 36 gallon bow front support the number of fish I currently have? Could I eventually add two more (e.g. flame hawk)
Does anyone have advice on switching the fish to a new aquarium without contaminating the new aquarium with the algae in the current tank?

Current tank information:
45-gallon, pentagon shape with a canister filter, heater, light, UV filter. I have a lot of live rock. The tank has one clownfish, a yellow watchman goby, a yellow tail damsel, a coral beauty and a purple dotty back.


I would appreciate any and all advice. Thank you so much in advance. :)

 

[Timfish]

What I do to deal with nuisance algae is manual removal, usually just using steel straws during weekly water changes and urchins. My favorites are shortspine Caribbean and Pacific species. Don't get pencil urchins, they're lousy in my experience for algae control and I've had a couple munch on leathers.

 

[Fish Fan]

Are you using tap water by chance?

 

[Tcook]

What are you nutrient levels? How much food do you feed daily? Adding a flamehawk to that 36 would turn it into a fight club imo.

 

[Michelle3]

Are you using tap water by chance?

Yes, tap water. I add water conditioner then stir the salt in until completely dissolved. I make sure that the water temps are similar. I have thought about buying RO water at the grocery store. Thoughts? What is strange is that I have had saltwater tanks since 2000 ( this particular tank is only 5 years old) and never had an algae issue. I keep thinking a new species of algae got introduced with the new fish or that changing the light to LED caused this.

What are you nutrient levels? How much food do you feed daily? Adding a flamehawk to that 36 would turn it into a fight club imo.

I feed one pinch of food once a day. Last time I checked my nitrate and nitrate levels were ok. I haven't checked phosphorous levels though. Any recommendations for something other than a flamehawk?

 

[Fish Fan]

I believe the tap water is your culprit here. The vast majority of us here use purified water to start with to both mix saltwater and to replace fresh water that evaporates out of the system. Most of us run our tap water through a Reverse Osmosis with DeIonization filter (RODI), which produces nearly pure water. You can look into options for an RODI system, but you could also use distilled water from any supermarket or purchase water from your Local Fish Store (LFS).

 

[JTP424]

It is interesting that you haven't had this issue.
Do you have any coral in your tank? I'm thinking it's along the lines of what Fish Fan is thinking. The tap in combo with the new light. The old light may not have been strong enough to grow algae. The new led may provide more par etc causing the explosion.
If it's Fowlr maybe look at a less growy light or work on turning down the lights on period.
As far as swapping, take it out and scrub it with a brush in some saltwater.
Introduce some solid clean up crew too.
As far as bioload. I don't know if you could add two more. You're pretty stocked, and downsizing is only going to cramp them more.

 

[Michelle3]

Any recommendations on a RODI system? Soon I will just have the 36 gallon tank, so something suited to that. Thanks!

 

[Fish Fan]

Any recommendations on a RODI system? Soon I will just have the 36 gallon tank, so something suited to that. Thanks!

It depends a lot on your budget, and whether or not your municipal (I assume) water company uses chlorine or chloramine as a sanitizer. You can call and ask, or they may well have a water report posted on their website.

For an ultra-budget option, there's the RO Buddy with DI. It works well for some, but I've heard the replacement media is non-standard and can be expensive.

Many like the filters by Bulk Reef Supply and SpectraPure, for example.

I'll give a shout-out here to @Buckeye Hydro who is an active member here on R2R and very knowledgeable and helpful. I'd give them a look for sure:
https://www.buckeyehydro.com/
You'll want a pressure gauge and some kind of TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter or pen for whatever you get.

Quickly, if you're new to these systems, just about any RODI filter can be attached to just about any home faucet with the appropriate adapter, they can be hooked up, used, disconnected and stored easily, so it doesn't have to be a permanent install. That said, most use a permanent install, which is also very easy to do with a variety of valves you can easy install yourself on the cold water line to one of your faucets. Don't be intimidated by the install, these filters look more complicated than they are.

 

[PharmrJohn]

I believe the tap water is your culprit here. The vast majority of us here use purified water to start with to both mix saltwater and to replace fresh water that evaporates out of the system. Most of us run our tap water through a Reverse Osmosis with DeIonization filter (RODI), which produces nearly pure water. You can look into options for an RODI system, but you could also use distilled water from any supermarket or purchase water from your Local Fish Store (LFS).

I agree. I had used tap water at first with algae issues. Then switched up to RODI. Seemed to solve the problem.