What Gives? Algea Coming Back

[mrg02d]

Hello all,
I have been battling a long war with the brown algae. It is diatoms and cyano. I thought it was getting better, but it seems to be on the offensive today. I have followed all the steps in the 10 steps process, but no luck.

I just dont get it? My phosphates are showing zero now after I added clearmax to my canister. My nitrates are also zero. (Have been for some time).

I feed a pinch of food to my fish every other day. I only keep the lights on 7hours now. ( I have alot of coral and one crocea clam).

The only thing that I can think of is that my lights are bad. I recently added an IceCap ballast and 4 new URI VHO t5 bulbs. This gives a total of 160W over my 20g tank. The thing gets very hot since the bulbs are being driven so hard, and the fixture is a totally enclosed design with no room for cooling fans. I do blow a fan over and under the fixture to cool it. Could my bulbs be getting so hot that their color is shifting to a wavelenght that favors algae growth?

I refuse to use any chemicals to treat with, as I just dont trust them. I will be adding a mini refugium soon to help battle this problem. Any other ideas that may be slipping past me? I literally watched as my tank doubled in algea today! It just took 5 hours to cover my sand again and some rocks as well as a few corals! Its like its demon possessed?

Matt

 

[thominil]

Ditch the clearmax as it is better to solve the problem in the first place rather than just try to mask it. There may be phosphates and nitrates in your tank but algae is just using them up. Do a 25% pwc every other day.

By the way, anything that lowers or raises parameters or helps keep things "stable" IS a chemical.

 

[bavass]

I have read some where can't remember where. That one way of fighting algae is to run your lights for a few hours have them cut off for a few hours and them come back on for a few hours. Not sure if that will work have not tried it. I will look and see if I can find the story on it. Its been awhile. If so I will link it! Such a break in the light presence affects the algae's ability to photosynthesize and stunts its development and growth.

 

[InfernoST]

Brown algae is usually a sign of high silicate levels, have you checked them? If it's actually cyano then it would be more related to elevated nitrates and phosphate levels. I was experiencing both cyano bacteria and brown algae at the same time, what I did first was a few large water changes, increased the size of my cuc (If it's algae the cuc will eat it, if it's cyano they will usually stay away from it), blacked the tank for 4 days then started increasing my photo period gradually and added chaeto in a media bag and put it in the tank for now until I get my fuge installed so for now my photo period is only 4 hrs a day until the fuge is online.

 

[bavass]

Here is one small write up on it Algae Control - How to Use Light to Control Algae Growth
I can't find the one I was reading. Might have been in a book

 

[mrg02d]

Brown algae is usually a sign of high silicate levels, have you checked them?

Hello,
I have not checked them. Dont have a test for that. (Id have to special order one I guess).

Say there are high silicates. Where are they from and how do I remove them? I am using RO/DI water that tests 0 TDS.

Any thoughts on over heated lamps?

Matt

 

[InfernoST]

Hello,

Any thoughts on over heated lamps?

Matt

?????????

 

[mrg02d]

?????????

As in color shifting to a color more favorable to algae growth. Getting more yellow.

Matt

 

[InfernoST]

If your lamps are older and no longer generating the proper spectrum and intensity it could trigger an algae bloom. The silicates on the otherhand are usually found in straight tap water and could be leached from non food rated plastic containers. How are you storing your RO/DI water? Also is your DI resin depleted?

 

[mrg02d]

Hmmm, my lamps are new. So maybe that isnt it. I store my water in those 5 gallon plastic jugs that are meant to hold water in. (The blue plastic ones). My DI resin should be fine, it hasnt turned colors yet. My water also tests out at 0TDS, so the filters ought to be fine unless they are some how letting silicates through. The clearmax is supposed to absorb silicates as well as phosphates, so I guess it isnt doing its job.

Im stumped!
Matt

 

[Bige]

What is your PH? I am assuming this is saltwater.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Remind us again... how big of tank, and what fish are in it? And how long has it been since it cycled?

If your RO/DI is reading 0 TDS, assuming your TDS meter is correct, it's not silicates. If you test for them, most likely you'll find some, but you'll find some level of them in any salt mix out there.

 

[mrg02d]

I have a 20gallon acrylic tank (salt water). Two Ocellaris clowns and one sixline wrasse. Plenty of corals, hermits, and snails as well. Its been about 5 months now since my tank cycled. pH was 8.4 when I tested just a minute ago.

Matt

 

[InfernoST]

Silly question, is your CUC eating any of the brown algae or are they avoiding it? Can you provide some pics of the algae?

 

[dannyb]

Mm, Maybe it could be from natural light? Is it near a window with direct light?

Just having a stab in the dark.

 

[Bige]

I have had my tank up for 8 almost 9 months now and my algae/cyano problem went away last water change. I took out bioballs, bought two ph, started mixing my own sw, bought new light bulbs and bought a wave maker (which is awesome). Having said all that, I think it might just be the age of your tank. I never had anything but perfect water.

 

[mrg02d]

Hello,
The CUC picks at the stuff from time to time, but not enough to notice any difference. I see the hermits sifting the sand that has the brown stuff all on it. The snails seem to eat it off the tank walls. They never do enough to see any difference.

The tank is 15 feet from a large window that lights the room. Could be sun light?

I will try to get a picture. This stuff went away for some time on its own and then came back with vengeance!
Also, I tested my RO/DI water for phosphates and the color just MIGHT be that of 0.25ppm! (0 and 0.25ppm look very close to me) My DI resin still looks black, so I dont know why it would be failing. It still tests 0TDS on the digital meter...

I have also put back on my old Current Sundial light to rule out the current one I was using. This drops the power from 160W of T5 to 96W of T5. What do you guys think? 160W seems like alot of light over a 20g tank, no? Maybe I will measure the bulb temperature on the Sundial and compare to what I was getting with the souped up light. (IceCap driving VHO t5 bulbs)
Matt

 

[Jaybird]

I feel for you. I'm having the same battle right now....and that green stuff is covering everything. Even my skimmate is green and chunky! As well, I've got zero nitrates and zero phosphates.

I've got my fingers crossed for you.

 

[mrg02d]

The strange thing is, one day (a month ago) the stuff just vanished over night! I woke up to white sand and clean rocks! Then a week later, it returned. (Slowly). Ever since I started with the over powered lighting, the stuff SEEMS to have gotten stronger. I will stick with the 96W for 1 week to see if it makes a difference. I really like the other lights better. (Much more light!)

My mini refugium ought to be sorted out by next week. (Just waiting for the chaeto to arrive). Hopefully then I will see a reduction in phosphates and nitrates will stay at zero. (I will be removing all chemical filtration from the canister filter then). Clearmax may also be responsible for zero nitrates as it claims to remove them along with the phosphates and silicates.

Matt

 

[thincat]

Your algae is responsible for your 0 nitrates and phosphates. They are eating that as fuel. You may have to sit on it and wait till it burns itself out. For sure your overdriving lights are the main reason. Continue with the light feeding of your animals and remove what you can when you do PWC's and see how it goes in a week or so. You may need more CUC's in your tank.