a quick ?

[daytonaconnecti]

how do all of you have such great looking tanks, with out any algea, anywhere, their must be a secret, or something...i have been fighting it for years, nothing i do or add helps....no water changes help, no chems, help the addition of a sump hasnt help, or the new skimmer i have, or the macro in the fuge, hasnt helped, may be it just that i have a bb and ian not getting the trace elements need or something.....

 

[Katchupoy]

Hi Daytona,

Lets dissect your issues. Do you have any pics of your tank? maybe a full tank shot? If you look at my signature, there is a full tank shot of mine and Im running BB for the past 10 years. So we can say safely that its not BB.

What kind of algae? a picture will greatly help.
Are you using ro/di water? or just simply tap water or maybe filtered tap water?
How much do you feed? how many times?
What kind of lighting? old MH bulbs can attribute to algae growth?
What temp of tank are you in?
How about salinity? do you have a hydrometer?
Your tank specs will help too.

 

[Chichas01]

everybody has it at some point. It comes and it goes. Just part of the fun with reef tanks

 

[returnofsid]

IMO, there must be something that you're importing, that's feeding your algae. This could be from your water supply, food (over feeding or feeding a low quality food), over stocked tank or chemistry.

Are you using RO/DI water? If so, when did you change filters last? Have you tested for TDS?
What size tank do you have?
What fish do you have in this tank?
List all of your equipment, such as lighting, filtration, skimmer etc.
What do you feed? How often? How much?
Detail your maintenance schedule.
What do you test for? What are you test results? What test kits do you use?
What, if anything, do you dose?

What type of algae are you having issues with?

The more details you're able to give us, the more likely we'll be able to help!!

 

[daytonaconnecti]

Hi Daytona,

Lets dissect your issues. Do you have any pics of your tank? maybe a full tank shot? If you look at my signature, there is a full tank shot of mine and Im running BB for the past 10 years. So we can say safely that its not BB.

What kind of algae? a picture will greatly help.
Are you using ro/di water? or just simply tap water or maybe filtered tap water?
How much do you feed? how many times?
What kind of lighting? old MH bulbs can attribute to algae growth?
What temp of tank are you in?
How about salinity? do you have a hydrometer?
Your tank specs will help too.

her are a few pics View attachment 38718

View attachment 38719 its a 46gal 15 gal sump, 150 10,000k w m/h 2 24 atinics,almost a year old, on 10 hour cycles a new swc 120 skimmer,salt water from the pet store,i feed very little spectrum small pellets, water changes every other week, 10 gal... been bb for about 7 years,always had the algea, just on a few rocks it doesnt seem to spread, i have moved the rocks around ,no help. oh a 6 month old yellow tang, 5 month old box fish, 7 year old blue dam, and some green sponge of some kind, 2 pep shrimps, 1 lawn mower blenny...

 

[daytonaconnecti]

Hi Daytona,

Lets dissect your issues. Do you have any pics of your tank? maybe a full tank shot? If you look at my signature, there is a full tank shot of mine and Im running BB for the past 10 years. So we can say safely that its not BB.

What kind of algae? a picture will greatly help.
Are you using ro/di water? or just simply tap water or maybe filtered tap water?
How much do you feed? how many times?
What kind of lighting? old MH bulbs can attribute to algae growth?
What temp of tank are you in?
How about salinity? do you have a hydrometer?
Your tank specs will help too.

what do u dose to suplament the absence of trace elements, that the sand provides

 

[TJL]

You shouold not dose for anything your not testing for, first off. Take some water into your LFS and have them test Salinety, PH, Nitrate, Phos, Alk & Mg compare results with any you have already tested for then post results here for help/suggestions. IMO you probably won't need to dose anything if your replacing nearly 20% of water twice a month, but may have high Nitrate or Phosphates from food or your F/W supply.

Todd

 

[burning2nd]

what kind of algae... is that...

we need a closer picture... i hope thats not bryopsis....
http://www.hawaii.edu/reefalgae/invasive_algae/chloro/bryopsis_pennata.htm

you can back down to 8 hours a day stop doseing all together.. most of the times its not needed like people think...

i have a very healthy BB setup... and it was much eazyer then a sand bed..

also i might suggest a RODI setup... you can more effeiently make your own salt water and top off water..

www.thefilterguys.biz

b4 you do anything id like to see a better picture of that algea... if thats what it could be.. you have veryl little choice.

 

[Burke]

Also, what is your cleanup crew? Snails, crabs, etc...

 

[daytonaconnecti]

what kind of algae... is that...

we need a closer picture... i hope thats not bryopsis....
http://www.hawaii.edu/reefalgae/invasive_algae/chloro/bryopsis_pennata.htm

you can back down to 8 hours a day stop doseing all together.. most of the times its not needed like people think...

i have a very healthy BB setup... and it was much eazyer then a sand bed..

also i might suggest a RODI setup... you can more effeiently make your own salt water and top off water..

www.thefilterguys.biz

b4 you do anything id like to see a better picture of that algea... if thats what it could be.. you have veryl little choice.

this link may let you see closer
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52331i know some of it comes right off, put most of it is attached real good, when you try to pull if off,its like little branches of the stuff still stays attached

 

[TJL]

Did you ever try the Emerald crabs I suggested. You don't seem to have the common green hair algae indicative of poor water quality and if I remember from previous post it behaves more like bubble algae or similar macro algaes. I think if gave it a good cleaning by hand and toothbrush Emerald crabs would probably finish it off. OR pretend its Highly Prized & Ultra Rare then it will surely fade away!

Good Luck, Todd

 

[NC2WA]

First, stop dosing your tank with trace elements, you do not need them.

After a W/C, the only dosing I do to my tank is add Ca (as I use I/O salt) and Mg. I check for Alk and dose appropriately..thats it !!!

Second, post your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrates, phosphate, and Mg).

Third, what is the lighting schedule (and when is the last time you change your bulbs?)
Fourth, do you have alot of water flow in the tank.
Fifth, what type of skimmer do you have and do you empty the collection cup on the skimmer at least once a week?

Lastly, do you have a RO/DI unit? if so, there are two things you should do. First, check the TDS reading with a TDS meter and second how often do you change the sediment and carbon filters???
If you do not have a RO/DI unit, do you get your water from a LFS or use tap water??

Sorry for all the question, but they are needed to point you in the correct direction.

 

[returnofsid]

Still needing answers to all of these questions.

IMO, there must be something that you're importing, that's feeding your algae. This could be from your water supply, food (over feeding or feeding a low quality food), over stocked tank or chemistry.

Are you using RO/DI water? If so, when did you change filters last? Have you tested for TDS?
What size tank do you have?
What fish do you have in this tank?
List all of your equipment, such as lighting, filtration, skimmer etc.
What do you feed? How often? How much?
Detail your maintenance schedule.
What do you test for? What are you test results? What test kits do you use?
What, if anything, do you dose?

What type of algae are you having issues with?

The more details you're able to give us, the more likely we'll be able to help!!

 

[keener1830]

I read that the PC Bulbs are almost a year old the last time I ran PC's at about a year my tank went out of control with green hair algee replaced the bulbs and it all went away. Something you might look at.

 

[daytonaconnecti]

Still needing answers to all of these questions.

local f/s for my water,46 gal mt 15 gal sump,2 pep shrimp,1-6 month old tang. 1-5 month old box fifh, 1-8 year old blue dam,and a 3 month old lawmower blenny,1- 150w 10,000k m/h 2- 24w atinics, spectrum small, less that a pinch for all..once a day,10gal water change every other week,f/s has tested the water a few times, and tell me its good,not dosing never had...

 

[cephcrazy]

I had issues with algae and now I've been algae free for 6 months. It helped tremendously when i hooked my rodi in as a top off, But for my algae army I got a lawnmower blenny two lettuce nudi's ,also some blue leg hermits a dellabella? sea hair a few Mexican turbos important IMO to get Mexican turbos their the ones with one foot it's not split...The sea hair and rodi hooked in did most of the work!!

After about a week all the algae eater were about to starve!! I had a major problem when i first put them in it was phenomenal !!
Good luck don't get to discouraged

 

[daytonaconnecti]

a few latest pic, dont be to hard on me...its not the greatest, but iam trying View attachment 38740

View attachment 38741

View attachment 38742

 

[returnofsid]

So you're getting your saltwater AND your freshwater from your LFS? Don't rely on their tests. Get quality gest kits and test yourself. Test your tank water, the LFS saltwater AND your freshwater, for Nitrates and Phosphates.

If you've got a Tang in a 46, I can almost guarantee that you have nitrates. Your tank isn't large enough for any Tang. Boxfish are typically also very "dirty" fish, which will add to your nitrates.

I would imagine that you have nitrates and phosphates that are feeding your algae problem. Sometimes, these won't show up on test kits, because the algae is consuming them, faster than you can test for them.

I would also recommend larger water changes, or doing them weekly, instead of every other week.

 

[NC2WA]

Agreed to what returnofsid say...your tank is way too small for a Tang..Tangs swim and graze all day (and need a minimum of a 6ft long tank) so the waste they produce is enomorous...does not sound like you are keeping up with the cleaning fast enough...I know you are prolly attached to this Tang (writers note: but I would never put a Tang in a 46g unless I knew it was going to a large tank eventually), but large water changes weekly is what I would recommend.

I would also recommend getting a quality test kit (Salifert or Elos) for Ammonia, Nitrate and Phosphate; don't rely on the LFS as the primary source of testing, I would suggest you use it as secondary source (with your testing as the primary).

You will also have to consider some of the algae will have to be removed from the rock by yourself. Unfortunately, there is no panacea here.

Personally, I feel if you remove the Tang from the tank and do large water changes weekly for a couple of months you will see a massive improvement, but, as previously stated, I know you are prolly attached to the Tang (as we reefer to tend be and is OK) so this is most likely not an option for you, so large water changes and test and test and test the water with a good quality testing kit is what I would recommend.

Kirk

 

[daytonaconnecti]

So you're getting your saltwater AND your freshwater from your LFS? Don't rely on their tests. Get quality gest kits and test yourself. Test your tank water, the LFS saltwater AND your freshwater, for Nitrates and Phosphates.

If you've got a Tang in a 46, I can almost guarantee that you have nitrates. Your tank isn't large enough for any Tang. Boxfish are typically also very "dirty" fish, which will add to your nitrates.

I would imagine that you have nitrates and phosphates that are feeding your algae problem. Sometimes, these won't show up on test kits, because the algae is consuming them, faster than you can test for them.

I would also recommend larger water changes, or doing them weekly, instead of every other week.

cool thanks for the info, btw i had this problem, before the two fish.....