Help! Algae out of control

[Patrice]

Brown algae is not related to phosphate. I had no phosphate no iron, no ammonia and have brown algae. Im am adding nitrate only to have control GSA. When i have GSA i will only have little GSA and no brown algae, no gda, nothing else . So nitrate is not related to brown algae

 

[Sincity]

Ya the skimmer I got is rated to 120 gal

 

[Sincity]

So the Lfs said for Dino to increase alk? So I got an alk buffer... Make sense?

 

[mr_X]

No. What is your current level at? Do not add anything to your tank unless you are absolutely sure you need it via test kits. This is a nutrient issue. You have to lower the nutrient level in the tank and vacuum out what you can with water changes until it's under control.

 

[Sincity]

Ok vacuumed out as much as I could ... Started the water change schedule going to hold off on alk additive until I test again in about two days

 

[melosu58]

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

A very helpful link.

 

[Sincity]

Ya it was, I might get some more Cuc I have about 5 turbo snails and 5 nassarius, a Sally light foot and about 4 hermits

 

[mr_X]

Snails and crabs are not going to eat that.

 

[MacDracor]

Please keep in mind that this is not a recommendation. I have a blue tuxdo urchin that will eat cyano and pretty much any sort of algae. He does not target the cyano, just if it's in his path, it gets eaten. He's not super efficient. He just wanders around aimlessly leaving clean trails.
But Doug is right (as usual). It's about fixing the source rather than trying to get the growth eaten.

 

[EriksFish315]

Yeah listen to mr x he's helped me along and by listening to what he had to say is worth everything.

 

[Gregcoyote]

X is right. This is a simple nutrient issue. The protein skimmer should help a lot. Don't mess with hydrogen peroxide or other cures as this could easily go wrong. Let the skimmer do its work and keep up the water changes using good makeup water.

 

[Sincity]

So my skimmer has been running for two days and so far no dirty bubbles in it at all..... I definitely need to get this thing tuned in :/

 

[jwalsh]

They can take a while to break in. I've heard some up to a few weeks. Mine personally only took 2 or 3 days before the skimate was getting pulled out but no worries just yet hang in there

 

[Sniperhank]

Depending on the skimmer, it can atke a week to work correctly. Give it time. I opened the air valve the entire way until it began to skim and tuned it back very slowly over the next week. Besides following X's advise, I would get in there and clean up what you already have hanging around. So, pulling the algae off your corals and taking some airline tubing and using it to siphon it out of your sandbed. I wouldn't do it all at once since that algae is currently what is keeping your nitrates down. Taking to much out at once will cause your nitrates to increase rapidly and that would be bad for your inhabitants.

Also...and I can't believe no one said anything yet...but a 55 gal is way to small for a tang.

 

[Jason M]

Looks like cyanobacteria to me with the bubbles and strings. Even after u start skimming don't expect it to clear up for awhile. Not when u have that much in there. May also be dinos

 

[Jason M]

Sorry I thought the fiesta page was the last page.

 

[Sincity]

Ya the yellow tang is a juvenile so only about 3 inches I'll be upgrading to a 200 plus gallon in about 5 months:/ when I move. I've been doing water changes every three days so I'll post the new test results today after water change

 

[Sincity]

Quick update pic stuff grows so fast any general thoughts on the tank besides I need to paint the back

 

[jwalsh]

I think it looks good man! What kind of skimmer is that?

 

[Sincity]

Psk-100 eshopps