Got a little algae problem...
 

Over the past couple of weeks, our tank has started to develop some gha...or at least I think that's what it is. It started on just one rock but has now spred to several other rocks in the tank. It isn't super bad yet but how do I keep this from getting out of control? Checked the tank parameters and phosphates are reading 0 but our system is fairly new and something must be feeding this algae...any thoughts?


Here's a couple pics of the rock where it originated and where it's the worst:
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...agsFish112.jpg
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...agsFish111.jpg


There's also another kind of macroalgae growing on the rocks that I've never seen before...anyone know what it is?
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...agsFish119.jpg

I've got tons of thoughts. How do they get that big ship in that little bottle. Why is it always darkest before the storm. Why did..........whoops, oh ya, your question. :lol:
If your tank is new then algae is usually a given. Most people will tell you that they have had the same thing. Watch how much you feed, that can really add to your problems. Cut back on your light period for a while and that will help as well. Almost everyone goes through the same thing for a while.
Lighting can also add to the problem.

the thing with checking po4 is that the algae is using it up so fast in the tank your test kit wont catch it. i would test all water being used for the tank and see what you have there. hopefully its a new tank syndrome and should reside but syphon as much of it as you can. arent the tangs eating it. the 2nd pic is i believe dictoya which can be a major PITA. how often are you feeding? do you use RO for changes and top off? what type of food are you giving? how much are you skimming a day?

Lawnmower blenny....

Ours attacks the stuff on sight.....

Had a whole bunch growing on overflow box, power heads, return lock lines etc.

He took care of it all...

Cool little fish too!

economical as well....

Better than any algae eater I ever had in freshwater........

good luck
TJ

What else do the blenny's eat besides algae?

thanks for the replies...

niloc...unfortunately the regal is showing no interest in the algae. I will check the water tomorrow again, we use RO water and all of the cartridges and ro membrane were replaced when we started the tank. We are feeding a few things, we are mostly feeding frozen mysis, one cube a day and also some formula 2 flake. As for skimming, we are probably pulling out between 1-2 cups a day. We are doing weekly/week and a half water changes as well.
I will look up that other type of algae as well. I hope we will be able to get rid of it.

As for the lawnmower blenny...we're not sure if we want to go that route yet.

i would suggest finding the problem before throwing livestock at it like you said.

I think I will be putting a phosphate reactor on right away here and see if like you said, that there are phosphates but they are just getting used up right away by the nuissance algae.

So after doing a little bit of research, the algae that is growing on the rocks is in fact Sargassum hystrix and not dicotoya as Colin had suggested. It is a type of kelp...anyone ever had it? If yes, how do you get rid of it? We keep pruning it back but can't seem to completely remove it.

Mine eats everything BUT algae!