AUGH!!!! GREEN ALGAE!!!! (pic.)

[RocketSeason]

I can't stand it! I have been fighting this for over a month! waterchanges do nothing! my parameters are great! I even lowered my days down to 10 hour days!

I am thinking about a lawnmower Blenny. Would this work in my system???

any other pointers?

-Matt

 

[JamesR]

Do you mean green hair algae or just algae that grows on the glass?

Jim

 

[RocketSeason]

lemmie take a pic.... its all over about 70 percent of my sand.

 

[aquafreak]

I wonder if 8 hours of light and a higher water flow would help? I have a brown algae problem myself and I'm hoping with RO/DI water changes regularly over the next month, a 1400 GPH flow rate, and lots more sand sifting critters will solve the problem. Also, I changed the filter regularly and it seems to have knocked it down even more. Is it an old cartridge?

These are just my ideas because I have had the same problems.

 

[quarryshark]

Looks like cyno, what is your PO4?

 

[Salttanker]

Wow Rocket. It almost looks fluorscent, unless thats your lights. I have green algae on the glass occassionally, but I haven't seen any like that before on the sand. I would get anything that eats green algae to help control it. Are there any windows close by that may be from natural sunlight? I'm not sure if it would be the lighting. I leave mine on for 12 hours a day and haven't had this problem. Maybe Steve -S could shine some light on this issue.

Mike

 

[ellisz]

Do you siphon it off when you do water changes? I would check the PO4 of your top water or the water you use to make salt water.

 

[survivinglove]

A lawnmower blenny eats the furry stuff on LR and the substrate (though mine, only prefers the stuff on teh live rock better).

The kind of stuff you have pictured, my Lawnmower hasnt touched.

Perhaps Stirring the top portion of hte substrate might help break it up. When I get a patch of that, I give it a few days and then mix it up a bit...the disturbance seems to be enough to keep it in check.

 

[ellisz]

If you stir it, it will spread. I would get a small diameter air line tubing and siphon it out.

 

[Salttanker]

If you stir it, it will spread.

Yep. Been there done that before. Won't do it again.

Mike

 

[survivinglove]

Interesting. B/c I do..and its all gone as of late.

Interesting.

Guess, as always..has a lot to do with yoru tank as a whole.

 

[RocketSeason]

so whats the quickest way to get rid of it? Major water changes??? I use spring water from wal-mart. Should I try a different brand???

thanks.
-Matt

 

[Salttanker]

Maybe switch to distilled water Rocket and see if that helps. Manufactured spring water has some additional products such as fluoride in it that may cause a problem. This product is necessary since the FDA felt that there wasn't enough minerals in spring water by itself for children. It's worth a shot.

Mike

 

[cmor1701d]

You want RO or distilled water not spring water unless you test each bottle. There could be all sorts of minerals in spring water. Test for PO4 too.

 

[RocketSeason]

the spring water is just proccessed tap water. not from an acual spring.

I moved my PH placement yesterday to hit more of the bottom and I got good results from it. I think I will either add another PH or just upgrade to a larger one.

any other Ideas?

 

[RocketSeason]

sorry, but I gotta go *bump* this. :|

 

[cmor1701d]

the spring water is just proccessed tap water. not from an acual spring.

Have you tested the water for phosphate (PO4)? It's a major source of cyno.

 

[Hara]

I see that you are using a canister filter as well as your live rock. What media is in it and when is the last time you changed it out?

 

[RocketSeason]

ok, I got some Chemi-Clean. removed my Carbon. (It had been in there for a little over 2 months I think....I am still trying to figure that one out...christmas is a blur. I wanted to remove the carbon anyway.) I switched my source of water to R/O water from culligan, and I think thats going to help alot. I now have to re-calibrate my skimmer to get it working properly, but Lets see what happens.

I can't tell you what my PO4 is cause no one I know sells a testing kit. I need to buy that along with a Ca/Alk testing kit.

any other suggestions?

thanks!

 

[BillyZ]

try adjusting your water flow. High PO4 as well as inadequate waterflow can contribute to cyano. water change, adjust water flow, work towards reducing nutrients. Protien skimmer or fuge with macro-algae perhaps.