MAJOR algae issues

[badger126]

I thought i'd seen a lot of algae before but I was wrong. I can't figure out what species it is or what to do about it! At first I thought it was just typical hair algae but I haven't seen it get this long before. The whole back of my tank is covered in like 2-3" of "lawn" as I call it.
I wouldn't think it's a nutrient problem because I use RO water and feed sparingly. Lights are brand new. I do keep them on a little bit long per day but I'm working on that since I don't have a timer. Is this just a typical new tank kind of algae? Will it disappear on its own or should I do something?

 

[Skimmy]

what is the system size?
what do you have for filtration?
what is your maintenance regime?
how long has the system been up?
what is your feeding/dosing regime?

 

[ciao]

How much flow do you have?

 

[badger126]

75g, currently on a tiny AQ70 for mechanical filtration(cleaned out every other day) and a Remora skimmer.
Set up ~2-3 weeks ago, no water changes quite yet but one is scheduled for this weekend.
Feed twice daily, alternating between flake, pellets, and frozen
Flow is that HOB filter + 2 K3's
As you can see by the back of the tank, the algae grows despite the flow. In fact my clowns love the algae back there - they think it's an anemone

 

[Skimmy]

you are feeding too much!
I would personally feed only different varieties of frozen foods, once a day max, and cut the flakes/pellets out completely.
also, your tank is new and you arent even through the bacteria cycle yet, so it's just now starting to establish a fair amount of nitrates in the system. to some degree an algae bloom is unavoidable.
also, your skimmer is a completely worthless POS, so that unfortunately might as well be no skimming at all. if you want help with that tell me your budget and i will help you pick out a good skimmer.
run carbon 24/7, wait until about 4 weeks from inception to do a waterchange, otherwise you wil just dilute and prolong your bacteria cycle.

have you thought of adding a rubbermaid container or cheap glass tank as a sump to the system? this way you can run a better skimmer, refugium, and media reactors together, which would be better than hang on gear.

also, you are using RO/DI water, yes??
and you probablly dont have near enough flow, what type of corals do you plan on stocking your tank with?

 

[badger126]

Oh I thought that I mentioned that I was adding a sump this week. Sorry. It'll be a 40B w/refugium. Eventually I will get a better skimmer but I'm at my budget max atm. And I am already through the cycle, I never saw ammonias or nitrites in this tank because all the rock/filters/etc even the water was from another cycled tank.

The skimmer has done what I would consider a fair job so far, although I have not much experience inthe matter. It's pulled out 3-4" of skimmate since it's been set up and it keeps my nitrates at 0(I'm sure the algae is helping with that too).

Do you have an ID on the algae? Have you seen it before? I just don't know whether I should start pulling rocks and scrubbing or just leave it be and it will disappear. I do have a substantial clean up crew, but they can't hardly make a dent on those long strands of algae!

 

[Skimmy]

Oh I thought that I mentioned that I was adding a sump this week. Sorry. It'll be a 40B w/refugium. Eventually I will get a better skimmer but I'm at my budget max atm. And I am already through the cycle, I never saw ammonias or nitrites in this tank because all the rock/filters/etc even the water was from another cycled tank.

The skimmer has done what I would consider a fair job so far, although I have not much experience inthe matter. It's pulled out 3-4" of skimmate since it's been set up and it keeps my nitrates at 0(I'm sure the algae is helping with that too).

Do you have an ID on the algae? Have you seen it before? I just don't know whether I should start pulling rocks and scrubbing or just leave it be and it will disappear. I do have a substantial clean up crew, but they can't hardly make a dent on those long strands of algae!

it's just green hair algae(derbesia), not even bryopsis, so not too bad. and i would say yes, physically remove the algae.
and no, the skimmer is NOT keeping your nitrates at zero.
3-4" of skimmate in the cup for that time frame is nothing!!
you should be skimming about 8 oz. a day out of a tank like that.

 

[badger126]

lol well my nitrates are at 0 last time I checked so it must be my lawn. other than physically removing it, is there anything else that I can do? Will it eventually disappear on its own?

It's crazy stuff ~ it's actually rooted to the glass somehow. Very difficult to pull off, even for my emerald crab haha he can eat the strands, but it's funny watching him try to pull the roots off. I doubt anything but a razorblade will take it off the glass very efficiently

 

[returnofsid]

Your test results are showing 0 nitrates because your algae is consuming it as fast as it's being produced. If you had 0 nitrates, you wouldn't have an algae problem.

New tank, stocked too fast, fed too much will result in algae problems.

 

[ciao]

+1 on everything above. I've heard that the flake food has phosphates as well which might of contributed to the problem. Have you tested for Phosphates? I What kind of livestock do you have in there now?

 

[badger126]

Last time I tested for phosphates there were none, but that was a week or so ago. I'll reduce feedings to 1 a day and stop with the flake, it's a cheap crap wardley bottle that came with some other stuff I bought so it probably does have phosphates. My fish seem to like it more than the pellet though. I have 2 clowns, 1 chromis, 1 pj cardinal, and 1 pink anthias. Also an emerald, sally lightfoot, decent sized clean up crew, and a few small coral frags that seem to be doin well. I haven't seen a lot of new algae growing in the past day or so, but the stuff that is in there is definitely getting longer.

 

[saltwaterfishes]

I have this algae in my overflow but not in the tank, I clean it out when I do a water change. My yellow tang does a really good job eating string-like algae.

 

[ciao]

yeah, my yellow and soho tang will mow down anything that looks like vegetation on the rocks! Too bad they won't touch the stringy dinoflageletes that grew on the sand.

 

[roblou]

It's crazy stuff ~ it's actually rooted to the glass somehow. Very difficult to pull off

If the majority of it is on the back glass, can you just use an algae scraper to take it all off with a few swipes?

I'd turn off whatever pumps you have before you scrape it off and have a siphon hose ready to suck up the algae before it has a chance to float off to another part of your tank.

hth & good luck!

Rob

 

[Shane and John]

Take the advice and upgrade your skimmer..(single most important piece of equiptment you can have)..Also..Siphon out as much as possibe..Slow down..Thats a stocked tank for such a Young tank...Read and Enjoy the Hobby..!!!!

 

[badger126]

Ya i'd like to upgrade, but one thing at a time. I started with a SeaClown and inherited the remora. It is the bigger one, I think the one with the mag drive. I'll upgrade as soon as I get my sump set up and some more money saved up.