Startup Water Quality

[goldenboy]

Well, I've been going for about 4 weeks now and I have hair algae and still a lot of diatom blooms. I have only been topping off with distilled water and leaving the lights off while the tank cycles. Is this normal or do I need to do something / add something to control the hair algae?

Please Help

 

[melosu58]

During the cycle your tank will experience nuisance algeas. Once your tank cycles you will be able to add a clean up crew and do PWC`s. How far along are you on your cycle? What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings?

 

[Ziggy953]

Some water test results will help us along to helping you. Also I read that you have recently started over...how old are the bubls in your PC? The canister filter, what do you have in there for media? Do you have sponges in it or anywhere else in your filtration? Sponges and that bio-wheel can contribute to high nitrate readings which inturn can cause algae blooms. The diatoms aren't anything to really worry about they appear in a new system. The hair algae is a different story. Get us some readings on your water and lets go from there.

 

[MT79]

Is the tank exposed to sunlight?

 

[tangster]

During the cycle your tank will experience nuisance algeas. Once your tank cycles you will be able to add a clean up crew and do PWC`s. How far along are you on your cycle? What are your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings?

you are far enough along the way to add some emerald crabs--they will take care of the algae
The best method and I know I will take some opins about this is to add a Tang--one Tang will clean up your tank in two days.
However that said-----you have to be sure that your tank has at least cycled once--your ammonia and nitrates should be zero.
I took a chance at the 4 week time in my 110gal because I never did see an ammonia or nitrate spike. It had an algae bloom also--the tang ate it all in two days. That tangster remains my favorite fish to date--and hence my name-LOL
Tangster

 

[melosu58]

IMO buying fish to control algea is a band aid solution. You need to find out what is feeding the algea and stop the source. FWIW I never had any luck with my yellow tang eating hair algea. He would just ignore it. I`m sure some eat it and some dont. I still think that cutting the source off is the key.

 

[MT79]

Even though the tank is 65 gal, if it is not at least 4' long to allow for swimming room, a Y. tang would not be recommended. As Melosu said, you need to find the root of the problem, and being a new tank it's not surprising there are some nutrient/algae issues.

I have only been topping off with distilled water

Have you checked it for NO3 and PO4? If not I would recommend taking it to a LFS to test it, if you don't have a PO4 test kit. I assume you have a NO3 already. Those two things are generally the primary fuel source for algae.

 

[Ziggy953]

I agree the emeral crabs will eat the hair algae but they will NOT fix the problem. I'll just point you to the questions I asked earlier.

 

[goldenboy]

Some water test results will help us along to helping you

Here are the results:
Water Temp - 80 deg.
SG - 1.023
Ph - between 8.2 and 8.4 ppm (closer to 8.4)
Ammonia between 0 and .25 ppm (color closer to the 0 scale)
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Overall Nitrate - 10 ppm
Calcium - 320 mg/L ppm

I am using API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) brand of drip / color chart tests.

 

[melosu58]

Did you notice your ammonia and nitrites going up then back down.

 

[goldenboy]

They did go up and have now gone back down. They have been pretty level now for about a week.

 

[melosu58]

Well it looks like you had your cycle then. I would check out these links then.

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

http://www.fantasyreef.com/database/index.php?p=getitem&db_id=11&item_id=5

 

[goldenboy]

Thanks again for all of the help and the links.