Still more algae?

[armyman16]

Hey I have a newly finished cycled tank and I did my big water change but there is still algae growing on everything!
When my cycle was completed the nitrates were only at 10-20 ppm but it had already had its huge ammonia and nitrite spike so I did a 15 gallon water change on my 75 gallon tank and the nitrates dropped down to 5 but their is still algae growing!
The guy at my lfs tested my phosphates 2 days ago and said they were very low and the 15 gallon water change would take care of it...I don't have a phosphate test kit so I cant test right now but what else could be causing more algae to grow??

 

[Terrance]

How long do you leave the lights on? What do you have inside the tank and what kind of equipment?

 

[armyman16]

How long do you leave the lights on? What do you have inside the tank and what kind of equipment?

Equipment? Are you talking about filtration? Sorry still learning all this stuff
I leave the lights on from anywhere to 8-10 hours a day, I'm going I go buy a timer so they always go off after 9 hours either today or tomorrow
All I have in there is 6 hermit crabs and 6 snails
Well and live rock

 

[Terrance]

Yes. What kind of filtration? Any skimmers or refugiums? What kind of lighting?

 

[armyman16]

Yes. What kind of filtration? Any skimmers or refugiums? What kind of lighting?

For filtration I have 20 gallon sump with a protein skimmer and bio balls, and it is a Current USA 4x96 watt compact fluorescent light

 

[ezy33]

What type and color temperature are your lights? Old lamps can cause problems too. I had algae problems until I started using RO/DI water and a phosphate remover. Phosphates are found in your water and your food. With a new system you will find it evolves with different algae problems. Next may be diatoms or Cyanobacteria. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Terrance]

Thats a lot of light. Decrease the amount of light per 8-10hr days. Or decrease the hours per day you leave the lights on.

Your total wattage is 384. You are getting a little over 5w per gallon. Aim for 2 or less watt per gallon.

 

[armyman16]

What type and color temperature are your lights? Old lamps can cause problems too. I had algae problems until I started using RO/DI water and a phosphate remover. Phosphates are found in your water and your food. With a new system you will find it evolves with different algae problems. Next may be diatoms or Cyanobacteria. Good luck and enjoy.

Earlier I had said they were compact fluorescent..is that what you are asking?
Haha I don't know what you mean by color temperature?

 

[ezy33]

Earlier I had said they were compact fluorescent..is that what you are asking?
Haha I don't know what you mean by color temperature?

Compact fluorescent lamps come in different color temperatures.

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html

 

[armyman16]

Compact fluorescent lamps come in different color temperatures.

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html

Oh ok and I do not know, I bought the aquarium and light and everything all together about a month and a half ago so I didn't purchase the bulbs but the lady I had bought it from had it setup as a reef tank

 

[Royal Pein]

Are you using RO/DI water or tap water?

 

[armyman16]

I top off with tap but water change with LFS RO/DI

 

[Royal Pein]

I had problems with algae as well. Now I have almost none. I bought 7 Turbo snails for my 55G and they eat up all my algae.

 

[armyman16]

I had problems with algae as well. Now I have almost none. I bought 7 Turbo snails for my 55G and they eat up all my algae.

Yeah I just bought some snails the other day, and I've been cleaning the front glass, I'm not worried about the looks im more worried of what's causing the algae, I don't wanna put a fishy in if there's something wrong with my water

 

[spoonman]

Stop using the tap water. All water changes and top offs should be with rodi.

 

[Talons1980]

I had brown algae all over the live rock and on the sand bed. I decreased my lighting time to about 7 hours, bought a gold head sleeper goby, and now use a submersible uv sterilizer. The goby took care of the sand, much better than snails, crabs, or sand sifting star. The uv sterilizer is awesome. Cleans the water, helped remove the algae, and it kills all parasites so now I'm much less concerned with ich.

 

[Royal Pein]

Your fishes should be fine if your ammonia and nitrites levels are at 0 and if your nitrates levels are low. Some fishes such as Tangs eat some algae that grows in your tank.

 

[Schism]

Your algae problem is being caused by several thing potentially:

1) tap water, no no no. Not even for top offs, many things in tap can feed algae growth.

2) nitrates and phosphates. Low is not good enough, any amount of phosphates and nitrates period can and will grow algae somewhere in some form. Do more waterchanges.

3) Do not decrease lighting, that doesnt fix anything. You bought the light used so chances are the bulbs are old. After 9-12 months T5 bulbs become more red in spectrum which fuels algae growth. Change your bulbs, its a must.

Fix the problem with water changes and bulb change. Nitrates and phosphates should be undetectable, also be sure you are siphoning out the algae as it contains bound up nitrates and phosphates.