Need help with Algae PLEASE

05nismoz · #1 10/26/2007, 04:06 PM

I have this brown algae on my glass. Its brown and stringy . I have tried every thing to get rid of it. The only thing that worked was a total black out for three days and the algae was gone for 2 weeks. Now its back stronger than ever. I clean it completely off the glass and 2 days later its everywhere. I have cut back on feeding to every other day. I have added 2 phos-ban reactors one with phosar hc and the other with carbon. Cut lighting back to 7 hrs a day. I do weekly wc of about 20+ gallons of RO/DI. Nothing seems to help. I really would like some help here. I am getting very discouraged.

Tank parameters and equipment:
180 gallon running 4 months
200 lbs live rock
240 lbs. of live sand
3600 gph dart pump
2 korlias 4
Geo Kalk and Calcium reators
225 coralife super protein skimmer
54 watt uv
RO/DI water
7 fish, 2 shrimp, sea , 2 sea cucumbers, brittle star, snails and grabs

Salinity:1.025
temp: 76
Ph: 8.2 - 8.3
calcium: 420
Alkalinity: 9 dkh
Magnesium: 1350
nitrate: 0
nitrite: 0
P04: 0

Here are 2 pic that are not the best. The algae is on the glass.
thanks for any help.

seapug · #2 10/26/2007, 04:15 PM

If its just on the glass, get a Magfloat glass cleaner and give it the once over each day like most everyone else has to.

Shewillbemine · #3 10/26/2007, 04:16 PM

Have you tried a sump/refugium to grow macroalgae? It takes trial and error, so you may want to try this option. Some people will actually introduce macroalgae into the tank in hopes of consuming the extra nutrients. Easier to take macroalgae out by hand versus starting at ugly microalgae.

05nismoz · #4 10/26/2007, 04:23 PM

I have a magna float but doesn't help much on the hard stuff. I also have a refugium with cheato in it on a reverse lighting schedule.

thanks guys

Tahlequah · #5 10/26/2007, 04:31 PM

with the magfloat you still have to go over the glass each and every day, once it gets big enough for you to see it is to late, and you have to scrub or use some sort of blade to get it off, such as a razer blade. I have the same thing but it is a hard green stubstance. If i let it get out of control I have to scrape it off in sheets with a razer blade.

05nismoz · #6 10/26/2007, 04:33 PM

so this is a normal thing. I do scape it off daily with a pad and it comes back this much in a day or 2
thanks

bertoni · #7 10/26/2007, 04:48 PM

Well, some people get away with less frequent cleaning. I do cleaning every couple of weeks, and some tanks do better. Reducing the nutrient level in the water should help, if you're interested. A phosphate reactor is one common approach. Another is growing and harvesting a macroalga.

05nismoz · #8 10/26/2007, 04:54 PM

bertoni: Thanks for the reply. I currently have 2 phosphate reactors one with phosar hc and the other with carbon. I also have cheato in my refugium.

bertoni · #9 10/27/2007, 12:01 AM

Are the reactors full? How much food goes into the tank on a daily basis?

05nismoz · #10 10/27/2007, 06:50 AM

The carbon reactor is full and phosar I is about 1/2 full. I used what the container said for my size tank. I feed about 1 1/4 cube of frozen food every other day.

bertoni · #11 10/28/2007, 02:06 AM

Hmm, what size of cube? That doesn't sound like all that much food. Since the tanks only been running for 4 months, I might not worry so much just yet, though.