Help Algae has over run my aquarium

[robow]

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This is 2 days after 30% waterchange and cleaning. This has been going on for over a month now I dont know what to do as soon as i clean algae starts to come back. All levels are ok 0 phos 0 nitrates Use 0TDS ro water for my water changes. I have cut back on feeding and light. 2 pellets of food every other day and about 8 hr lights. what should I do.

 

[pat8you]

What do you mean by 2 pellets? Are you using frozen food or dry food? must be nutrients entering your system some how. Just have to figure out how there are getting in there.

What fish do you have and how big is the tank?
What do you have for a cleaning crew?

 

[Jaybird]

Holy Mother of God!!! That is crazy algae!

I could cut the lights back by a couple of hours to start.

You mentioned a 30% water change. How are you doing your water changes? What are you using for chlorine?

As well, how long has the tank been setup for?

 

[robow]

I use dry food that comes in a small pellet that sinks. I have a tomatoe clown and a very small fuzzy dwarf lion fish. The tank is 29 gallons. For a cuc I have about 10 nassuri snails 3 cerithra(sp) snails a couple blue leg hermit crabs and a emerald crab. When i do a water change i clean the top bit of the san and try to syphon out as much of the algae as possible. The tank has been up for about 5 months now.

 

[Jaybird]

Are you using tap water and a water conditioner (PRIME)?

Sorry, I didn't see above that you are using RO water.

With a 29G and a lionfish and clownfish in there I would be surprised that nitrates are zero. It's a lot of fish and not a lot of water, so, you should be seeing nitrates, unless the algae is using it all up.

 

[bavass]

Wow that is crazy! Are you sure your test kit is ok? I would have your LFS test the nitrates. Have you tested for silicates?

 

[robow]

I hate to argue when I am looking for help but I don't think a clown the size of a quater and a lion the size of a 50 cent piece is that much of a bio load. I have had these 2 since a bout a month after I set up the tank never had nitrates read more than 5 that was before the algae

I have had 2 lfs test my water comes back good each time. no I haven't tested for silicates maybe I should

 

[CaptainAhab]

I doubt silicates are the issue. You sure about that tds reading? how old are your lights? Even then, with old lights.. it needs food..

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[robow]

I am taking some water to lfs to get checked tonight I will also take some fresh to see what they get for tds. The lights are about 2 months old.

 

[pat8you]

I would guess the algae is consuming all your nitrates and phosphates. When you have an algae that grows that quickly it will almost always consume the nutrients before you can see them on the test kits.

How often do you do water changes? I would say do some 25% changes once a week and cut back your lights to 6 hours. I would check in and around your rocks. Some times you will get a dead spot in the rocks and food and other junk will collect there and then leech nutrients back into the system. You may have collected a pile of junk in your rock work that is feeding the algae.

 

[melosu58]

FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "10 Step Plan for Nuisance Algae Control"