Stupid Freakin Algae

Chaloupa · #1 10-27-2005, 06:17 AM

I have been battling algae in my reef....the pic...looks like all my rocks. There is no way I can tear it all apart and redo it. I have mushrooms and corals placed in too many places. I have decreased my feeding, and I have a Phosban Reactor that has been in place for 4+ weeks. I have a Kole Tang, Bicolor Blenny and had a Lawnmower Blenny-none have touched it so I go in every week and pick it off to the best I can. Any suggestions on how to deal with it? I have a Purple Tang in my FOWLR awaiting my next reef...do you think that if I switched out Tangs that he may help?
- I have a 65g hex, Coralife Aqualight Pro, Remora Pro Skimmer, sump, overflow, 70lbs live rock, small crush coral substrate
- 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 5 Nitrate, 380 Ca, 10-11 ALK, 1200 Mag, T 80-81, 2 Maxijets for flow, plus the return pump that I can't remember what the flow is...we water change every 10-14 days BUT don't use RO water...lots of mixed input on that...
- I do have the tank fairly stocked;5 blue legged hermits, 4 BG Chromis, 1 Kole Tang, 1 Yellow Watchman Gobie, 1 Bicolor Blenny, 1 Cherub Pygmy Angel, 1 Female Mandarin Dragonette, 1 Yellow Gobie, 2 Cleaner shrimp and 1 Coral Banded, many corals and shrooms and a few zoos. HELP! I don't know how to make it bigger.....hope this is ok....any help is VERY appreciated! I have also had 2 Seahares and not had them survive...they are definately not starving!

reeferaddict · #2 10-27-2005, 10:59 AM

You know, from what you're writing, I only see two things... one is the RO/DI water. Just from my personal experience it does a couple of things for me. 1. It eliminates any possibility of starting out with anything but pure water with pretty close to ZERO contaminants. Second, it gives you complete predictability with anything you want to add to your system. IE you don't have improper molecular binding and ionization by having phosphates or other reactive ions in the water. With RO/DI I have managed to acheive water chemistry stability and consistency... in my area at least.

The only other thing that jumps at me is the Hermit Crab and snail ratio... I keep probably 50 or 60 snails and 50 or 60 hermit crabs in my 200+ gallons of displays... even THEN I get algae that I have to harvest. I have Phosban too... but I also have loads of animals and feed them quite well. I think I'm going to pick up some more herbivorous creatures as well. The only other thing that may affect this would be your lighting, spectrum, photoperiod etc... algae is a battle we ALL fight at one time or another... anyone who hasn't hasn't had a reef tank for too long...

IslandReefer · #3 10-27-2005, 12:45 PM

I agree with Jim RO for assurance of consistancy as well as water purity.
Bottom line= if you got algea grow, you have an excess phos. source.
Prime suspects are; food added and sandbed (poss. LR if flow not high) and , of course water.
Solutions need to be cooperative. ie RO won't cure phos bound to sand in tank, just stops adding to the problem.
Personally I use my Foxface he eats virtually anything green,red etc

. the point being each fish eats algea according to its individual tastes, species usually are just a generallity.....how many of us out there have lawnmowers that eat nothing but yummy Nori?

In my tank (90g) I have a yellow tang, a foxface, a Kole and a Flameangel, all pick at different things....ie the Kole likes to leave kissy prints on the glass and Foxy picks into creveses.
Sooo add the Purple Tang, see if he eats it, add more snails, use RO, lighten feeding, syphon any sand crude you can get, harvest as much as possible.....and Good luck!
Also as a side note, I get more algea probs when my alk drops, so keep yer alk up!

I believe, as Jim says, we all battle algea at on time or another, with variable amonts of success from reestablishing balance to powerwashing your LR.

Hope this helps , sorry there seems to be no instant cure

muck · #4 10-27-2005, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaloupa

HELP! I don't know how to make it bigger.....hope this is ok....any help is VERY appreciated!

Edit your post and remove "-thumb" from your picture url and it will be bigger..

OCDP · #5 10-27-2005, 02:46 PM

I have two words for you my friend.... Sea Hare

I bought one and it worked wonders in my tank.. my reef was spotless ... and I would definitely say it was (yes was

) by far the best investment for my reef. Try one... give it a few days to adjust and it will most likely go to work on your algae.

Scott

Chaloupa · #6 10-27-2005, 03:25 PM

hey guys thanks!
I have tried a seahare and it didn't survive, will increase my cleanupcrew and add p. tang...no worries on the 2 tangs fighting? thanks again!

OCDP · #7 10-27-2005, 03:28 PM

Oh, sorry if I missed that somewhere in the thread.
I don't know why people have such a hard time keeping them alive? I had mine in my 20g for a couple months and I made the mistake of having uncovered powerhead intakes and.... yup, he got sucked in

If you can find another one, give it another shot.... they really do work wonders IMO & IME.

Scott

Chaloupa · #8 10-27-2005, 03:32 PM

hey Scott-I put that info on reef central but forgot to mention it here ....will maybe try another...ANYTHING to help

christyf5 · #9 10-27-2005, 05:43 PM

Looks like you've got some mermaids cup, turf algae and a couple types of caulerpa in there. My advice is that your fish probly won't eat it. If possible, take the rock out and scrub the living crap out of it. Use a couple of rinse buckets and make sure that the rocks are rinsed well before you put them back in the tank.

RO/DI water would be a definite help. What kind of skimmer are you running?

Christy

StirCrazy · #10 10-27-2005, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christyf5

Looks like you've got some mermaids cup, turf algae and a couple types of caulerpa in there. My advice is that your fish probly won't eat it. If possible, take the rock out and scrub the living crap out of it. Use a couple of rinse buckets and make sure that the rocks are rinsed well before you put them back in the tank.

RO/DI water would be a definite help. What kind of skimmer are you running?

Christy

I agree with Christy, nothing you add is going to take care of that, I have gone through it and am still going through it so I am not at the stage of cooking my rock in the very near future to rid it of all algae what so ever, the benifit of cooking the rock is it renues the rock and increases the critter life in it.

Steve