What Gives? Algea Coming Back

[mrg02d]

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.

That sucks about the lights. The tank looked so much better with the 160W! Although, nothing but the clam liked being up high in the tank with the 160W. I will stick with the 96W and see how things go. Should I still be okay with 96W for most corals?

Might the mini refugium (modified AquaClear 70 HOB filter) make a decent dent in the problem when its set up? I will keep up with PWC, ClearMax, and sucking the crap out until the chaeto gets here.

As for more CUC, what would you recommend? Right now I have about 7 hermits, 5 trochus snails, 3-4 cerith snails, an emerald crab, and a pom pom crab.

Matt

 

[mrg02d]

Here are some pictures. Some of it that forms on the sides of the tank look whispy. Some just looks like a brown rust.

 

[Jaybird]

looks like diatoms more than algae

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

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

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that 2x clowns and 1x wrasse in a 20g is pushing it? Maybe that's where your excess nutrients are coming from?

 

[InfernoST]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that 2x clowns and 1x wrasse in a 20g is pushing it? Maybe that's where your excess nutrients are coming from?

That is definitely pushing it but I have seen worse. Looks like diatoms, they are a pain in the butt, but manageable, and probably triggered by your lighting upgrade as TC said. Keep cleaning it out, keep your photo period reduced and take care of any excessive nutrients. I would try to get your silicates checked as well.

 

[mrg02d]

If it helps, my new filter seems to hold a gallon of water.

I like to push things...Just not over the edge.

I will stick with the 96W and reduce the main lights down to 6 hours instead of 8. Do actinics cause any algae growth? I wouldnt think so...
Do you think the chaeto will make a bit of a difference? Seems if this junk on the sand is enough to bring nitrates and phosphates to zero, then a big ball of chaeto should help, no?
Matt

 

[Jaybird]

I'm having an algae problem too and I can say that my actinics don't seem to add to the growth. It's not very scientific, but the green stuff only seems to grow when the rest of the lights kick on

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I like to push things...

Well then... expect your algae production to be "pushed" also.

 

[thincat]

Kurt, do you think that he would be better off to let his tank acclimate to the 160 watts overdriven lights. I think that he would be better served since it does look like diatoms and it should burn itself out.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

... I think that he would be better served since it does look like diatoms and it should burn itself out.

Well alrighty then. We're all here just giving opinions, and I gave mine.

 

[mrg02d]

Everything seems happy with the 96W lights, and it does have a nice set of timers, so maybe that would be best? Would 160W really benefit more than the problems created from it feeding algae?

Okay, so today my Chaeto arrived. It came early! I havent got my refugium set up yet. What should I do with the stuff? Its quite alot! I took out some of the pieces that had browned. I took a good bit of it and stuck it into a polyester sock that petsmart was selling for filter media. Its now floating in the DT, but it doesnt look like it will allow much light in through the tiny holes. How long can this stuff live without proper light levels?

Thanks!
Matt

 

[Jaybird]

What if you use the 160W equipment but remove a couple of bulbs. Wait until the tank settles at 96W to take care of the algae....add a bulb...wait to settle...add a bulb.

Might work.

As for chaeto, I leave mine as a big ball in the sump.