Algae Bloom

[jallen100]

So I am going through another algae bloom from out of nowhere. I just did a 25% water change about 3 days ago which seems to have sparked this. Should I keep cleaning the algae up and blowing of rocks? Or should I just let it go and clean up afterwards?

Water seems good
pH 8.3
SG 1.026
Nitrates 0
Ammonia 0
Calcium 410
KH / Alkalinity / dKH 12.2

 

[rbursek]

Your param all look great but what is your water source nad RO/DI, and what I think is causeing this is high Phosphate which you did not disclose here, that is a very important test when first starting up.

 

[SteveNMegz]

pick it out of the tank, and blow off the rock and suck it up.

 

[rbursek]

Yeh SnM,
You have to solve the problem, just not fix it!!!

 

[SteveNMegz]

but it doesn't hurt to have a clean tank at the same time lol

 

[jallen100]

Sorry water source is RO/DI and Phosphate is 0. The tank is about 2 months old and this is the second bloom of Brown algae since it has been up.

 

[rbursek]

Then I think it is still doing a cycle, mine went thru that, kill the lights for 3 days, then bring them on over a week gradually.

 

[rbursek]

SnM,
not to be rude, and do not take that way, but with 4 months in this hobby you are giving more opion and pesonal experience then knowledge. Which at times we all do but have more of it over a longer time in it.

 

[jallen100]

Is it possible to be cycling with my parameters in order though? I would think I would see something off.

 

[rbursek]

Might be silicates from you sand, could be a bad test kit for PO4, which if RO/DI i would not think so, too much food, before rock and sand mature.

 

[jallen100]

That is very possible. I was asking in the Reef Fishes forum if I was feeding to much and never got a response. All my fish are 3" or under. I have 2 Blue Damsels, 2 Yellow Tail Damsels, 1 Purple Gramma and a Clown. I feed them 1 frozen cube of Mysis shrimp and a few shavings of frozen Cyclopeeze 1 time a day.

 

[SteveNMegz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12192146#post12192146 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rbursek
SnM,
not to be rude, and do not take that way, but with 4 months in this hobby you are giving more opion and pesonal experience then knowledge. Which at times we all do but have more of it over a longer time in it.

just passing on what all other people told us, but why not clean up the tank by pulling the algae out while looking for the source.

 

[Aquarist007]

here are some great tips for fighting algae: it has to be approached from the point that if you have an algae problem then you have a phosphate and or nitrate problem

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1329802

 

[jallen100]

Something I didnt think about was that I vacumed my sand bed when I did my water change. I have never done this before. Now the only other algae bloom I had was when my tank was cycling. It is possible that vacuming and disturbing my snad bed could have stirred up enough stuff to cause this? Again though I would think I would see it in my parameters. I am gonna go test my water again.

 

[rbursek]

SnM good point!
Yes you may have sturred up detrius and fed an Algae bloom, and maybe why your test do no show anything negitive, the Algae has used it for food, like consuming the PO4 or trates, you have the Algae but no more PO4 or trates, now it will starve, the light thing will help it do that.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12192488#post12192488 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jallen100
Something I didnt think about was that I vacumed my sand bed when I did my water change. I have never done this before. Now the only other algae bloom I had was when my tank was cycling. It is possible that vacuming and disturbing my snad bed could have stirred up enough stuff to cause this? Again though I would think I would see it in my parameters. I am gonna go test my water again.

it is generally not a good idea to vacuum your substrate--rather use a turkey baster to lightly baste the surface of it once a week.
This gets detrius ect back into the water column where it can be filltered off with min impact on the inverts and bacteria in the sand bed

 

[Aquarist007]

the reason you have zero readings is that the aglae bloom is consuming the phosphates and nitrates as quick as they are bing imported.

 

[jallen100]

Yeah, I cant believe I forgot about that. Honestly I had no plans to vacum it but I took the LFS advice which I knew I shouldnt because I have heard lots of people say not to do it. So that has to be my problem. I tested my water again and everything is ok.
Now the question is should I blow all the algae off my rock and sandbed with the baster or just leave it alone?

 

[Jmikitz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12192648#post12192648 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by capn_hylinur
the reason you have zero readings is that the aglae bloom is consuming the phosphates and nitrates as quick as they are bing imported.

you beat me to that answer.

my tanks all went through a few cycles. took about 3 months to get itself in check.
ran around like a fool trying everything..couldnt stop it.. i gave up and then it just vanished.. ive since added a phosban reactor and went with a 30gal fuge full of mangroves, macro , and caulerpa. since its taken hold the only algae i have to deal with is the pretty stuff

 

[jallen100]

I do have a fuge but I only have about 10 lbs of LS and about 4 lbs of LR in it. I was thinking about adding some chaeto. This has not been a constant fight with the algae though. I have had two blooms. The first one was big but I cleaned it up and it has not come back for almost the whole short time my tank has been up until now. This one is really small compared to the first one though.