Help! Overrun with algae!

[Mrspit66]

We have a 75 gallon tank we set up April 6th. Slowly but surely things have been going good, following several setbacks. We have a Fluvall 404 filter, seaclone protein skimmer, and a 228 powerhead. Current residents are several snails (8 total), 2 peppermint shrimp, 1 cleaner shrimp, red serpent star fish, yellow tang, humbug damsel, yellowtail damsel, 2 emerald crabs, 1 feather duster. About a month ago, we switched from two 40W bulbs to 4 VHO bulbs, 2 actinic 50/50 and 2 actinic blues. When we first set the lights up and up until about a week ago, the rock was really looking great. Oh, we have about 80# of LR. It started really turning purple. Then about a week ago, we started getting this explosion of algae. We'll scrape the glass every day and it will be covered the next day, and we've got hairy, green algae all over the rocks, like when we first set it up!! There's even brown, hairy algae on the sand. Is the tank just adjusting to the new light? LFS says maybe RO water we're using isn't clean, but I tested it and no ammonia, nitrates, nitrates. Could possibly be just a touch of phosphates, if I'm reading the test right. If there is, it would be the very lowest. I'm using the Hagen liquid test kit. I've attached a pic to illustrate my problem!

Your suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

Cathy

[reefguy11]

Hi

I have had the exact same problem! I dont think its the RO water but just incase run a granular phospate remover. How i solved my problem is by useing assort florida algae eating hermits. Thats what we get from our whole sale. Ask your LFS. They are about the size of blue leg hermits with neat patterend shells and the crabs are usually black and white or some combination. Also use sally Light foot crabs and scarlet leg hermits. I also just recently put a UV sterilizer. About a week later the algae was gone totally. I think it was a combination of all the but i think the UV really did the job but how I have no idea. Good luck and what ever you do dont cheap out on anything becausr thats what i did and it over ran all my corals

Jeff

[DaveP]

A few suggestions that you should research on this board:
1- The fluval is probably building up nitrates but you are reading 0 b/c the algae is sucking it up. So get rid of the fluval.
2- Get a deep sand bed in there. A proper sand bed with your live rock will rid all nitrates.
3- Buy a good amount of astrea snails, cerith snails, and 2 fighting conchs.

Are you dosing the tank with anything?? Do you have a sump?
DaveP

[JRCody]

Several months ago I switched from standard lighting to metal halides. A few weeks later I had a huge algae bloom. Your tank is just adjusting to the stronger, better lighting. The number of snails you have were probably enough to maintain algae growth under the old lighting. Now you need more. I have to keep about 15 turbo snails in my 55 to keep tank clean. If I were you I would keep 20 or so snails. It may sound like a lot, but you hardly notice them. Since I added the snails my glass, sand and even power-heads remain spotless.

[reefguy11]

A good rule is 1 Turbo per 2 gallons of water.

jeff

[JRCody]

Also- I am sure you know this, but keep sunlight from shining into your tank. I just noticed your picture and saw the light shining through the window in the background. Just a thought.

[Mrspit66]

Originally posted by DaveP
A few suggestions that you should research on this board:
1- So get rid of the fluval.
2- Get a deep sand bed in there. A proper sand bed with your live rock will rid all nitrates.
3- Buy a good amount of astrea snails, cerith snails, and 2 fighting conchs.

Are you dosing the tank with anything?? Do you have a sump?
DaveP

Okay, what filter is good if you all don't like Fluvall?? I also hear seaclone isn't the greatest protein skimmer. What do you all recommend?

As for DSB, my husband doesn't understand how a DSB would help if you're not running an undergravel filter. I know you guys strongly believe in DSBs; just explain how they help if you could, please. We've got about an inch of sugar-sized sand.

As for buying more stuff, unfortunately within six months to a year, we're having to move from the Tulsa area to the Houston area (and Texans, please, I'm not bashing Houston. I just don't want to leave where I'm at!! ) So the point is with this impending move, we don't want to buy a bunch of stuff we might lose.

BTW, all current inhabitants seem to be doing good.

Thanks again for your suggestions!! Keep 'em coming!!

Cathy

[JRCody]

I have a fluval 304 and I like it. It will pose a problem if it gets to dirty though. That is how the nitrates and nitrites build up. But regular cleaning of all the pads and replacing the activated carbon will prevent this.

DaveP is right, a sand bed would help. When a deep sand bed is used, nitrifying bacteria (similar to bacteria in live rock) occupy the sand bed. The sand allows water to flow through it and the bacteria feed on the nitrates and nitrites. The sand bed works like a filter. I hope I explained it clearly enough. I am about to put in a 6" sand bed in my tank.

[ramsin32]

HI Cathy,

sorry to hear about your algae boom.

I read all the above threads.

Some i agree and some i am cautious about;

I have setup my tank for for months now, I have had any major algae boom. here is why i think it hasnt happened to me.
I have a refugium W razer caulerpa which has 4 inch DSB in it. It absorbs all the nitrate, and my phosphate is verylow too, and this is a no skimmer system ( i believe in natural filtration).

I just added 4.5 inch sand to main tank too.

My suggestions are:
as someone mention above research about ur Fluval--they produce a lot of nitrate-- I would get rid of it.

think of adding a natural method of fitration-- either DSB or refug or both. with ur skimmer and a natural method most of ur algae should be gone

ofcourse u should have the clean up crew. I asked Dr. Ron and he suggested to add turbo 5 at a time. I have seen in several articles 1 turbo per 10 gal--even though this is not a abselute rule. I have about 20 astrea snail. look into these packages it gives u an idea.

by the way seacolones are not effient at all. look into Remora or CPR BakPak ( well priced). honestly I dont dont think ur Seacolne is working with so much nutient in ur system


GL

Ramsin
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/s...=25&pCatId=420

[scott324]

Your algae bloom may be a temporary thing or it may be from the excess nutrients. I suggest using a DSB in any tank that has the proper inhabitants. Some will destroy, stir, eat parts of a DSB. Do a search and you will find the info you need. It is also important to state that if you have a DSB you should also DEFINATELY have a refugium or somewhere to grow macro algae. This is Dr. Ron's advice and he seems to be the expert on DSB's. Have a DSB or a refugium is only part of the equation. You need to have both and a good bug, critter population to keep it healthy. Again a search on DSB's will help. I am no biologist, but will give a quick run down of how a DSB works. There are Anaerobic and Aerobic zones in which specific types of bacteria live. The denitrifying(sp) cycle takes place in the rock and aerobic zones turning your ammonia and nitrites into nitrates. The anerobic zones use the nitrates like we use oxygen (this is where I get a little lost). This bacteria converts the nitrates into nitrogen which is released into the atmoshpere, thus keeping your tank nice and healthy. There are other disolved organics that the macro algae uses for the other part of the whole filtration process. That is a quick and dirty explanation, again if you have any questions there are tons of posts on DSBs or you can ask Ron and he is happy to answer. I suggest searching first because answering the same questions over and over can get frustrating. Good luck.

[JaneDoe]

A great place to start if you want to learn about how a DSB works and why it might benefit your tank.

http://www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm

[Jimbo327]

Mrspit66

Here is a quick and dirty explanation of DSB. Hope it helps:

Basically, with uneaten food and decomposing matter in your tank...that introduces ammonia into the tank. DSB contains several types of nitrifying bacteria that can convert that ammonia to harmless nitrogen gas. Some bacterias require aerobic regions to function, while some bacterias anaerobic regions to function. Each bacteria has its own function in the nitrogen cycle. Therefore the deeper oxygen-deprived parts of the sand bed will house the anaerobic bacterias. While the oxygen-rich upper layers will house the aerobic bacterias. That is all there is to it, nothing magical. The DSB just provides the right environment for all of the bacterias to function, and helps trap the nitrite and nitrate while the bacterias go to work.

Jimmy & Ratna

[Jimbo327]

hehe, Scott beat me to the explanation...

[Fuzzy]

I was out of town for about 4 weeks and came back to a really messy tank(56 tall). First thing I did was clean everything, and did a 40% water change with RO/DI water. Then I got 2 Turbo Snails, 6 Red Hermit crabs, 1 Lawnmower Blenny, 2 Nudibranch, and 14 Cerith Snails (from Harbor Aquatics). All this in addition to the 20 or so assorted crabs and snails already in place. Of the bunch I would say the Ceriths did the most good. They burrowed about 1/2" into the sand and went to town. Pretty much cleaned the whole thing in about a week. But the Blenny is really cool, adds a whole new level of amusement to our tank.

[ramsin32]

here is to answer the question about skimmers. i did the poll only for HO skimmers

http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbull...threadid=97946

[ramsin32]

and here is one for refugium it is short and sweet

http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish/li...&RecordNo=2360

personally I this DSB and refugium should be the heart of any tank.

using a skimmer in this case is a personal chose. the poll that i did favor use of skimmer 75% of the time.

[blufish]

Not to belabor the obvious, but get rid of the Seaclone and get a better skimmer. I have used both the CPR Backpack and the RemoraPro and I would definitely recommend the RemoraPro for hang-on-tank installations. With active nutrient export from a skimmer, your algae will probably start to disappear in few weeks to a month.

Blufish