Algae

[Jorge1717]

Idk why my tank is getting over run by algae. What should I do? And why is this happening?

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[dturner.pt]

I am having the same issue. Bulk reef supply has a few good videos about the issue. One way to fix this is by building a refugium that soaks up all the nutrients and phosphates. This will take these nutrients out of your main display and starve the algae in your tank.. I am in the process of building one, just don't have the money to complete it... Some species of urchins eat algae too. Emerald crabs will eat it as well.

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[Rogger Castells]

First thing would be to determine their food supply, could be a number of things like Nutrients (po4-no3-silica) or it could be old light bulbs, once you determine that by testing the water, you need to find the source of that nutrient and target that accordingly.

 

[mtgmichaelg]

If you can't build a refugium, I would look at how much you are feeding your tank, lowering how long the lights are on, and run a little GFO and carbon. Then it comes down to pulling out the algae during water changes.

 

[DgenR8]

First thing would be to determine their food supply, could be a number of things like Nutrients (po4-no3-silica) or it could be old light bulbs, once you determine that by testing the water, you need to find the source of that nutrient and target that accordingly.

^^
This.

Nuisance algae can not grow in your closed system unless you are somehow fueling it.

 

[knukles55]

A nice media change with consistent water changes and reduced feedings and light scheduele abjustments might do the trick.....

 

[Ludwigia73]

That almost looks like briopsis... tough to get rid of. Emerald crabs will eat it if there is no other food for them. Manual removal is the only good way. Rip out as much by hand that you can, it should pull out in clumps, then submerge the rock in a bucket of water and scrub the holy crap out of it, trying to make sure the particles of algae don't get back into the tank. You can control it like they said above, but it's almost impossible to get rid of. Nutrient export is the number one way to control it.

 

[Jorge1717]

A nice media change with consistent water changes and reduced feedings and light scheduele abjustments might do the trick.....

I do weekly water changes and media change every month and nothing. It's frustrating


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[Jorge1717]

That almost looks like briopsis... tough to get rid of. Emerald crabs will eat it if there is no other food for them. Manual removal is the only good way. Rip out as much by hand that you can, it should pull out in clumps, then submerge the rock in a bucket of water and scrub the holy crap out of it, trying to make sure the particles of algae don't get back into the tank. You can control it like they said above, but it's almost impossible to get rid of. Nutrient export is the number one way to control it.

I scrubbed all of them already and it keeps coming back


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[Ludwigia73]

Also, the rocks have been absorbing nutrients a long time, some will be taken care of by the anaerobic bacteria, but when you do water changes, the nutrients leech back out into the cleaner water, and the algae grows that way too... it'll take alot of water changes to reach an equilibrium and stop feeding the algae.