Green & red algae - zero phosphates and zero nitrates

[flanque]

Hi,

I have an algae problem. I have some, but not a lot, of red algae at various spots in my tank on the rock. I also have all over the back of the tank on the glass, as well as on the power heads and my canister filter in and outlet tubes a "furry" green algae, like carpet. It's only about an inch long at worst but there's a lot of it. It also breaks up easily with some a quick swish of the hand to invoke a bit of current.

I have recently added a brown tang in the hope that he'll help take control of it. The green algae doesn't seem to be on the rocks very much at all, but it is there just in a far lesser capacity.

My measurements are consistently as follows:

Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
Phosphate - 0ppm
pH - 8.2
CA - 300-320ppm
KH - 7dKH

The salinity is 1.019 at the minute due to whitespot treatment but that has only been that way for around a fortnight. This problem with the algae has progressively gotten worse since my red faced blenny was killed by a mantis (don't worry, I've taken care of the mantis since) which was months ago.

I have a light period of 10 hours, consisting of 2x30watt white/day lights. I know I should have an actinic and will sort that out soon. The lack of an actinic has been for only around one month.

I feel either daily, or bi-daily either flake, nori on a clip or frozen mysis. It's fair to say that not a great deal of it goes wasted as I stand there slowly squirting small amounts in with a plastic suringe until they stop eating.

I have not measured silicates and so this is an unknown factor here.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I can post some pictures later on if that'd help too.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Pictures would help. It sounds like you have cyanobacteria, but they sounds like hair algae a little later. How much flow do you have in the tank?

 

[melosu58]

Thats what it sounds like to me also. Here are some links with good suggestions on them.

Cyano
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=48

Hair algea
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=14

http://www.fantasyreef.com/showthread.php?t=478

 

[flanque]

I'll post some pics when I get home. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't these need a source of food through phosphates? Mine are consistently at 0ppm.

 

[melosu58]

Nitrates also. They are being used up as soon as they are in the tank which is why you are showing 0 or your test kit is bad.

 

[oo7cable]

Im haveing the same problem, I know my tank is overstocked, and my light cycle is a bit long (12 hours). But doing PWC every few days is helping a lot! I also got a nice RO/DI unit (Finally!) from ebay. It works wonders! Im constantly removing the Cyano by hand. What a pain that is! Its almost all gone now, so keep doing the PWC's! Good Luck

 

[flanque]

Pictures would help. It sounds like you have cyanobacteria, but they sounds like hair algae a little later. How much flow do you have in the tank?

Ok, attached are some pictures to help identify the problem more thoroughly.

 

[roka64]

Wow. Personally, I take out my equipment and clean it at least once a month. I clean the impellers, in the ph and intakes/out takes. I feel the cleaner the equipment is, the better it runs. I have also found it very diffucult to get a phosphate reading when cyano is present. I think it feeds off of it rather quickly, making a reading very hard.

I feel either daily, or bi-daily either flake, nori on a clip or frozen mysis. It's fair to say that not a great deal of it goes wasted as I stand there slowly squirting small amounts in with a plastic suringe until they stop eating.

This is possibly a cause of excess nutrience. You can also reduce your lighting, to 6-8 hours.
I would do a PWC, clean equipment, reduce feeding and lighting, and see where that gets you.

 

[austinsdad]

I'd cut back feeding to once or every other day too. Also, does your cleanup crew need updating? Didn't see many of'm in your pics.

 

[Hara]

It looks more like dino then cyano to me.

 

[oo7cable]

Is Cyano the only oxygen producing bacteria? I see a ton of bubbles in that last pic. I have some Bubbles in my sand under the cyano in my tank.

 

[flanque]

Hi,

Sorry on the feeding what I meant was I feed either daily or every second day. It depends on how I feel. I never feed more than they choose to eat. Once they stop or really slow down their eating during the feeding session I just throw the rest of the feed away. With the frozen food I also thaw it in a cup of tank water, then tip it all out over a net and run a few more cups over it in the net, with the aim being to get rid of as much "loose" nutrients in the feed/water.

I normally do clean my equipment, it's just with power heads they stick to the glass rather strongly making it difficult to get them off without popping the suction caps out!

I'd cut back feeding to once or every other day too. Also, does your cleanup crew need updating? Didn't see many of'm in your pics.

My clean-up crew consists of a single hermit crab. I probably should get more. What might be some ideas for a clean-up crew and the maximum I should be adding to the tank? I did have a second hermit crab with the view to add more but they just faught and only one survived.

 

[Devilishturtles]

flanque, check out this article.

http://www.reefs.org/library/article/t_crail.html

I too think you are suffering for a Dinoflagellates (which, like cyano, isn't a true algae) rather than cyanobacteria. The article reccomends a few solutions that have worked for the pros and researchers, as well as a deeper description as to what it is.

I would most definitley consider the addition of snails to your clean up crew, perhaps an urchin as well. I'm hesitant to suggest and Algae Blenny, mainly because they are hard to care for. But boy they control algae well.

My advice is to remove all that you can physically first, either suction or scrubbing it off. Remember if you scrub it off to still try and remove all you can, then do a water change. (Dying algae can just just as bad for the tank as dying fish). Black the tank out for a few days, and try running some activated carbon or phosphate sponge. I agree with melosu that the reason your tests are showing up 0 for both nitrate and phosphate is likely because the algae is consuming it so quickly.

HTH

oo7cable, cyano and dinoflagalletes are the only O2 producing "algae" that I know of. Usually cyano forms in thicker sheets with less bubbles. Dino usually forms in somewhat thinner sheets, much more bubbles. Usually.

 

[flanque]

Yeah I tried snails once but the problem I found was that they kept falling over and would then become the prey of the hermit crab and fish. I had six of them but they all died.

 

[roka64]

I like Nassarius, cerith snails and Top Crown Snails, maybe even a fighting conch. Those snails seem able to upright themselves. The fighting conch is cool too. I have a queen conch, you should have seen my hermit try to get her shell!

 

[JessicaK]

flanque, check out this article.

try running some activated carbon or phosphate sponge.

I had this kind of problem with my last nano it wsa a 5 1/2 and it was doing everything to get rid of the algae. It never went away until I ran carbon. I'd definitely give it a try.

 

[flanque]

Yeah I used to run carbon a few months ago and stopped... hmm, there's a co-incidence! I'll give it a shot.

 

[Hara]

http://www.fantasyreef.com/showthread.php?p=14153#post14153

 

[mazilla]

Yeah I tried snails once but the problem I found was that they kept falling over and would then become the prey of the hermit crab and fish. I had six of them but they all died.

hmmm, i keep around 30-50 various snails, 3 fighting conch, and a couple dozen or so hermits at least. needless to say, my 55 stays pretty clean.