algae help please.

[Charlie.636]

Starting to get a bit out of hand. What should I do? My hermits dont seem to be touching it and my lawnmower blenny is going around with a full belly. Help please!!

 

[Dav3]

Oh wow! CUC and fish aren't the answer for algae issues. They only add to it or delay it.

You have excess nitrates and/or phosphates. Start by doing numerous large water changes with rodi water based saltwater. Pull out algae with the water hanged if you can.

Cut back on feeding.

What size tank? Age? Filtration? Feeding schedule and amount? Parameters? Livestock list?

 

[Charlie.636]

Thanks.
Its a 30g tank with two powerheads and a pengiun 200 filter. Its been set up since june I think. At first I had bad diatoms and my sand looked really dirty. Then I lowered my light closer to the tank and the sand all cleaned up. But the past couple weeks the HA has just be growing like wildfire.

Can I pick that hair off the bottom of the tank?

 

[Dav3]

Do you do weekly water changes? You may want to consider getting a skimmer. It will help.

Also be sure to clean the penguin filter weekly or bi-weekly as well as replace filter pads regularly.

 

[Nimo]

Check phosphate levels. They are probly pretty high.
Also is the tank any where that it get natural sun light? If so that will make algae a nightmare.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Do you use tap or RODI water for changes and top offs?

 

[Brilliant_Barbs_21]

Do you use tap or RODI water for changes and top offs?

Exactly the question I was about to ask. If you don't use RODI then that's the culprit.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Check phosphate levels. They are probly pretty high. Also is the tank any where that it get natural sun light? If so that will make algae a nightmare.

Agreed they are/WERE high but would probably show up at 0 due to being consumed by the algae. There is an apparent issue it just needs to be realized.

 

[Nimo]

Agreed they are/WERE high but would probably show up at 0 due to being consumed by the algae. There is an apparent issue it just needs to be realized.

Phosphates could be being added with water changes if not useing RO water. I personaly dont use RO water I have phosphates in my tap water but I use a phosphate reactor and protien skimmers. Phosphates go up with water changes but the reactor takes them back down.

 

[Fishman007]

Phosphates could be being added with water changes if not useing RO water. I personaly dont use RO water I have phosphates in my tap water but I use a phosphate reactor and protien skimmers. Phosphates go up with water changes but the reactor takes them back down.

No, phosphates go down by a wc, phosphate reactors and GFO just absorb them. The reason your phosphates go up when you do a wc is because you dont use RODI water. We cant really help OP until he gives us some missing info...

EDIT: just saw that you said they go up Without useing RODI water

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Why would you use tap water knowing Phosphates are entering your tank? Kind of counter intuitive considering you bought a reactor. Should have just bought an RODI filter.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Phosphates could be being added with water changes if not useing RO water. I personaly dont use RO water I have phosphates in my tap water but I use a phosphate reactor and protien skimmers. Phosphates go up with water changes but the reactor takes them back down.

I'm also not too sure what you mean here? If phosphates are in the water, they are feeding the algae, hence my statement. If this is the case, the phosphates won't show high readings.

 

[melosu58]

Buying livestock will not solve the problem. You need to find the source and cut it off. Here is a good battle plan for nuisance algae

FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "10 Step Plan for Nuisance Algae Control"

 

[Nimo]

I'm also not too sure what you mean here? If phosphates are in the water, they are feeding the algae, hence my statement. If this is the case, the phosphates won't show high readings.

Depends on the concentration of phosphates if there is a high phosphates in the water being added it will feed the problem. And will show in test.

 

[Nimo]

Why would you use tap water knowing Phosphates are entering your tank? Kind of counter intuitive considering you bought a reactor. Should have just bought an RODI filter.

I choose to use my tap water because the issues with it can be fixed alot cheaper than useing RO water and then adding a bunch of chemicals to get the Ph balanced and having to add back all of the minerals that the RO unit removes.
I use the phosphate reactor to take the phosphates out and a protein skimmer to take out other unwanted trash I dont have to dose chemicals

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

I choose to use my tap water because the issues with it can be fixed alot cheaper than useing RO water and then adding a bunch of chemicals to get the Ph balanced and having to add back all of the minerals that the RO unit removes. I use the phosphate reactor to take the phosphates out and a protein skimmer to take out other unwanted trash I dont have to dose chemicals

The only thing you have to add to RODI water is salt. It has nothing to do with balanced ph and chemicals. And I understand what a phosphate reactor and protein skimmer do. Sorry but I don't feel like you have a fundamental understanding of the benefits of using RODI in a salt water tank.

 

[Sniperhank]

I choose to use my tap water because the issues with it can be fixed alot cheaper than useing RO water and then adding a bunch of chemicals to get the Ph balanced and having to add back all of the minerals that the RO unit removes.
I use the phosphate reactor to take the phosphates out and a protein skimmer to take out other unwanted trash I dont have to dose chemicals

You don't have to add anything to ro/di water besides your saltmix... Sounds to me like you might have been given some bad advice somewhere along the line.
In terms of your phosphate reactor and skimmer, with a sea of hair algae that you currently have it isn't doing the trick. Check out the above linked on how to battle hair algae. It'll take awhile, but it works.

 

[Nimo]

You don't have to add anything to ro/di water besides your saltmix... Sounds to me like you might have been given some bad advice somewhere along the line.
In terms of your phosphate reactor and skimmer, with a sea of hair algae that you currently have it isn't doing the trick. Check out the above linked on how to battle hair algae. It'll take awhile, but it works.

I am not the OP my tanks have no algae problems and never have. I was simply trying to give an idea as to some of what could be the problem of the OP.