Algae expert needed

[MarcelH]

I know this subject gets beaten to death, but couldn't find anything specific to my problem, so...

I'm plagued by this green algae. Don't know what type it is (slime?). It has the consistency of a wet porkrind but green. It becomes thicker and thicker, trapping bubbles, until eventually it releases and then you have a thick gob floating around the tank. Once a certain thickness it's easy to remove, but after a while it'll come back.

It's a 6 month old setup, transferred from an old setup that never had the problem. Point is all water had been replaced with RO/DI.

I have Southdown sand on bottom, about 1 inch, but it is always white and clean.

The stuff grows on bottom of rocks, on side of powerheads, on top of snails, etc.

I use ro/di water, do regular water changes of 10 to 20%. All parameters seem normal (phosphate, nitrate). Use a Top Fathom 500 skimmer. Live rock is about 10 years old. 75 Gal tank. 2X175 watt 10000k and 220 watts in power compacts.

Any other suggestions? Thanks for the help.

[Frick-n-Frags]

microalgae needs 2 things to grow: light and fertilizer

if you have corals that need the light, then reduce the fertilizer.

Where does fertilizer come from:

#1 and biggest contributor: fishfood
#2 fish waste
#3 crap in the sand
#4 old rock re-leaching bound phosphates etc that has been accumulating for 10 years.

You did not mention how many fish are in this 75gal tank.

Even if your test kits measure zero, the algae could be utilizing the fertilizer as it is produced.

What can you do?

Lose some fish
Cut the excessive feeding
grow competing macros in a fuge/sump
do more water changes and better maintenance in general
phosban
increase physical removal
reduce the lighting photoperiod if there are no corals that need it

good luck, remember it is a garbage in-garbage out situation and you are looking to reduce garbage in or increase garbage out.

[lavann]

get a couple of really large turbo's.

I got two really big turbo snails and within a 2 weeks they've cleaned 90 % of the algae off the rocks and glass.

the tiny ones don't really do much, the big turbos have a huge appetite and they are constantly eating.

for me it was the easiest way to control the algae.

[MarcelH]

Thanks for the response.
I'm beginning to think it might be the rock leaching out phosphates, since I've taken all other factors you mentioned into consideration. The tank only contains 4 fish: 6 line wrasse, rabbit fish, percula clown, and small tang.
I use a refugium on reverse daylight that grows a ton of macros. Also have a lot of Xenia and mushroom species (great nutrient exports as well).

Used phosphate remover before and my leather corals have never recovered from that. After using it they stayed closed for more than a week. Since then they stay closed for days at a time.

I don't overfeed either. I even turn off the main circulation pump so stuff doesn't get sucked up and trapped into refugium when I feed. When feeding just run a closed loop with a scwd.

So I'm beginning to think it might me the rock.

Thanks,

Marcel

[tonylamas]

Take a piece of rock out, soak it in freshly made SW for an hour or so, then test the phosphates of the water. If it is the rock leaching it, it will be detectable in the water.

[AquaNight]

Hello MarcellH

I have the same crap that's been plaguing me in spells. My tank is about 10 months old but it has old rock in it.

I'm inclined to to believe in the rock leeching theory as I keep everything else in check.

Here's how I've been dealing with it.

once a week (Tuesday) I go in with a medium/small powerhead clamped in a pair of long tongs and blow the crap off the rocks. I have a sheet of blue bonded filter media in my sump blocking all traffic to the return pump.

Then on Fri or Sat I go in and siphon out everything on the bottom ( I have a barebottom setup).

I increased my lighting in my fuge until I now have chaetomorpha growing top to bottom, side to side.

I've been at this for about 3 weeks now and I'm putting a noticeable dent in the stuff.

Also my RODI unit needs new filters, they are on order. My TDS is checking 14. I've read posts where people change out filters @ 5 to 7 so this may not be helping either.

My next big move is to aquascape using several different sizes of baskets commonly found at Wal-Mart etc..

I'm hoping to increase garbage out by having more access to the crap on the bottom of the tank.

I run a 3600 GPH pump with insane flow in the main tank so this stuff is tough enough to withstand that.

In my case poor husbandry up to 3 weeks ago is my only excuse.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Jeff

[MarcelH]

Thanks for the tips. I haven't touched the aquarium since my last post because of the hurricane (live in N.E. AL). Just checked my RODI water and it reads 1 ppm (same when filters were new). Lost the directions on using the DI filter though and don't remember what color it needs to turn to before removal (I think blue). Will the TDS meter let you know it is exhausted?
I'm going to be doing weekly 16 gal water changes (20%). I'm letting the stuff get a little thicker since it seems to be easier to remove that way.
I should be getting my Nikon d70 next week so then I'll be able to post some pictures of my progress.

[AquaNight]

Great. I'll keep you posted on my progress as well. Also I hope you weathered the hurricane well.

Jeff

[tryan]

The best solution is always the natural one I.E. turbo snails. But I would lay the blame on using old rock or a rock that was out of water long enough to have dieoff. which if you had any sponges embedded the dieoff starts immediately. When adding new rock to an established aquarium it is best to throw it into a $5, 20 gal tub with a powerhead in a dark closet for a week with a complete waterchange midweek. But remember algae grows in the ocean its a natural process and over time it will disappear if you water is kept in a pristine condition. And as far as RO/DI dont worry about it I use a single stage whole house filter with carbon media. No need for your fish to be healthier and live longer than you.

Remember usually the simplest solution is the best.