algea and feeding

[SCUBAFREAK]

i am currently battling an algea problem. i have a 29 gallon tank has been running over a year now. I checked my phosphates and they are through the roof. Nitrates are at about 20. The problem wasnt that bad untill i just added new t-5's and a protien skimmer the other day. I came home last night and my whole tank was covered. Mostly cyno but a little hair. It is amazing how fast it can grow. I assume the new lights are helping it along. I have been doing weekly 10 gallon water changes. Hoping that the skimmer will help. it has only been running a day now. I feed 1/2 a cube of mysis every night and ocasionally a pinch of flake. Should i scale back my feedings to every other day? Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

thanks
Ryan

 

[edwing206]

cut back on the time that the lights are on

 

[SCUBAFREAK]

my lights are on approx 10 hours a day. any other suggestions??

 

[nemonick84]

I'd say keep going with the weekly water changes. Cut down to maybe a 1/4 cube of mysis each day. I know with my 55G I only feed about a third of a cube and that's for 5 fish. I also mash it up fairly well so that it flows more easily throughout the tank. Reduce your lighting period for the time being and try to starve the algae. That combined with your new skimmer should help the problem. If you really want to get a headstart, clean off as much of the algae as you can and do a 50% water change. Also, maybe invest in a HOB fuge?
HTH,

Nick

 

[moobar]

Cutting back lighting time will help in limiting the algae growth but it will not remove the original reason. You can remove phosphates with: skimming, manually harvesting macroalgae, a phosphate remover, water changes.

How many fish you have? Maybe you can feed smaller amounts. That would help too. Hope this helped

 

[SCUBAFREAK]

Thanks. i will try to cut back on the feeding. try and do biweekly water changes till it gets under control then go back to weekly water changes. i put some phosphate remover in my hob filter. we will see how that works. I also put another powerhead in the tank to up the flow a little more. i will cut back on the light to and just wait it out. all i have for coral right now is a mushroom that came on a piece of live rock. Thanks again. if anybody else has any suggestions send them my way.

thanks
ryan