malkore
Aquarium Advice Addict
I've been trying to stop the algae growth in my reef tank for 2 months now.
Large green tufts of hairy algae growing all over my live rock, trying to cover some of my soft corals.
I thought my bulbs were spent on spectrum,s o I changed both on 2 separate weekends. No help.
I reduced the lighting time to 10 hours total, with only 8 hours of 100% wattage (actinic used for dusk/dawn effect for an hour each)
I thought my trace of nitrate was it, so I pulled the sponge from my HOB (for breaking water surface/oxygenation mainly)...no help, though nitrates are undetectable again.
Phosphates are more than 0.00ppm but not by much...maybe 0.2ppm at most.
Alkalinilty is always a little low, calcium around 400ppm, magnesium a bit high at 1400ppm.
Between mysterious invert deaths, my corals just acting stunted, and general disinterest, I'm on the verge of finding a new owner for this setup...or returning the fish for credit, selling my live rock, skimmer and fuge, and storing the rest away somewhere for a future planted tank setup.
I can post pics if necessary, but its green tufts of hairy algae. my hermits don't touch it, and none of my fish are algae grazers (2 false percs, royal gramma, 6 line wrasse). Reducing the lighting timer did slow down the growth of algae on teh front glass (which looks more like diatoms...dusty brownish/red algae, wipes/scrapes off easily)
Help before I tear this thing down in frustration!
Large green tufts of hairy algae growing all over my live rock, trying to cover some of my soft corals.
I thought my bulbs were spent on spectrum,s o I changed both on 2 separate weekends. No help.
I reduced the lighting time to 10 hours total, with only 8 hours of 100% wattage (actinic used for dusk/dawn effect for an hour each)
I thought my trace of nitrate was it, so I pulled the sponge from my HOB (for breaking water surface/oxygenation mainly)...no help, though nitrates are undetectable again.
Phosphates are more than 0.00ppm but not by much...maybe 0.2ppm at most.
Alkalinilty is always a little low, calcium around 400ppm, magnesium a bit high at 1400ppm.
Between mysterious invert deaths, my corals just acting stunted, and general disinterest, I'm on the verge of finding a new owner for this setup...or returning the fish for credit, selling my live rock, skimmer and fuge, and storing the rest away somewhere for a future planted tank setup.
I can post pics if necessary, but its green tufts of hairy algae. my hermits don't touch it, and none of my fish are algae grazers (2 false percs, royal gramma, 6 line wrasse). Reducing the lighting timer did slow down the growth of algae on teh front glass (which looks more like diatoms...dusty brownish/red algae, wipes/scrapes off easily)
Help before I tear this thing down in frustration!