Other algae fuels?

[Sarcothelia]

I wouldn't say I am being overwhelmed by algae, but for whatever reason it will not stop growing at a manageable, but still annoying pace.

Phosphates: 0
Amm/Trates/Trites: 0
10 hour light cycle
Running carbon, GFO, using/removing filter socks during water changes
Using RO/DI water, seachem salt mix. weekly, bi weekly 20-30% water changes.

What else could be causing algae? Whenever I wipe it off the glass it comes back, I have a 300 gph return in my 24 nano (200 gph at 1 feet) with 2 adequate powerheads, so flow isn't an issue. In fact, algae growth is greatest on the rock getting the most flow.

Is there anything I'm missing? Corals are happy, coralline spreading, water is crystal clear. Is there some other fuel for algae growth?

I am going to add some chaeto to the several gallon sump if I can get my hands on it, but I still do not know why algae is growing in the first place.

It's just run of the mill hair algae but it never seems to want to go away for good.

 

[Hubert90]

I believe it's nutrient imbalance. Phosphate needs to be being 0.5-2ppm and nitrate between 15-20ppm.

 

[Sarcothelia]

I definitely don't underfeed or overfeed, and I always thought phosphates and nitrates were meant to be low?

I guess I'll try chaeto and see where that gets me, but unless there are silicates in that seachem mix I don't see why it's growing.

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

I'm having the same problem in my nano, I just started running some GFO today. Phosphates and nitrates will always read zero since the algae consumes it to grow. Maybe feeding is your problem? How often are you feeding and do you rinse it off first?

didn't see your feeding post there, hmm. How many fish do you have? and what are they?

 

[Sarcothelia]

One 2" clownfish, one 1.5" cave transparent goby and a 2.5" long nosed hawkfish which I will soon be trading for a more 24g suited tank. I rinse any krill or mysis I feed beforehand and even then only add a little bit at a time.

I add a pinch of bite sized sinking pellets in the morning and night or the equivalent in frozen food. But yea. It's not overwhelming algae, but it is a bit annoying that it never seems to completely disappear. For a while I was underfeeding, fish started picking at the CUC so I adjusted a bit. But I still had the problem before then.

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Yup can't help yah I guess, I have no idea why my algae grows either. Stupid stuff!

 

[Sarcothelia]

I'm just going to try some chaeto in the teeny sump it comes with and attempt to soak up whatever it is that is letting the algae grow >>

 

[kay-bee19]

Nitrate and phosphate test kits can only test for excess nitrate and phosphate. If a nuisance algae problem exists, so do nitrates and phosphates, despite the 0ppm results you're getting. The algae is uptaking the compounds at the same rate they're being leached or introduced (in the same manner 1st stage beneficial bacteria uptakes ammonia in a fully cycled tank, 0ppm ammonia readings but of course ammonia is being produced all the time by fish, etc).

The live rock and sand may be leaching phosphate. If you do not have a deep sand bed, stir the sand as you're doing a water change to remove and micro-particulates which may be contributing to the problem. If you have a deep sand bed (3"+ in depth), do not do this.

Manually remove as much of the algae as you can. As algae is starved out and dies it will release the nutrients it had previously utilized, which will in turn fuel and sustain the remaining algae. By manually removing algae you're actually removing sequestered phosphate, nitrate and other nutrients.

While they can only effect the symptom (the algae) and not the cause (the phosphate and nitrate), clean up crew such as turbo snails and emerald crabs can be effective at tackling algae (they more or less perform the 'manual algae removal' ) for you. (not sure how compatible they are with the long-nose hawkfish, though).

If you do not have photosynthetic life forms in your tank, signficantly reduce your photo-period (4 hours or less down from the current 10 hours), and implement periodic 3 day black outs.

Is your GFO being used in a reactor or media bags? If the latter, use a reactor for greater PO4-removal efficiency.

 

[rambler67]

What kind of algae? What time of day are you testing the water? At the end of the light cycle the algae can consuming the nutrients.

I add a pinch of bite sized sinking pellets in the morning and night or the equivalent in frozen food. .

This could be part of the problem. check the food you are using some food contains phosphates.

And here is a good article to check out. FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "10 Step Plan for Nuisance Algae Control"

 

[Hubert90]

What kind of algae? What time of day are you testing the water? At the end of the light cycle the algae can consuming the nutrients.

This could be part of the problem. check the food you are using some food contains phosphates.

And here is a good article to check out. FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "10 Step Plan for Nuisance Algae Control"

That link doesn't work for me. =|

 

[rambler67]

sory doe this work fantasyreef.com/database.php?p=viewitem&dbid=11&itemid=5

 

[melosu58]

And here is a good article to check out. FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "10 Step Plan for Nuisance Algae Control"

It works for me. That`s a great checklist for nuisance algea.