Algea ID plz

[sondaar]

Ok guys my tank has been cycling for a little over 3 weeks now and this green alge has been slowly getting larger and larger and now ive noticed it spread to another rock in the tank.
PH 8.1
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Ammonia 0
SG 1.026
Temp. 81.3

I also have a green film that grows on the glass that has to be cleaned daily. I have been trying to ID this but cant find anything that looks like it. Was thinking about putting a Foxface in as my first fish to hopefully take care of this. I know I need more test kits but that is all that I have at the moment but will be getting more as I start with more livestalk. As of now only have red legged hermit crabs but they wont touch the stuff on the rock.
Thanks for any help.

 

[sondaar]

no one?

 

[puka]

I am not really sure but some of it might look like chato but other then that i have no clue

 

[drummereef]

Possibly looks like Derbesia with some Bryopsis and even some dinoflagellates to me. I'm no algae expert though.

Questions...

1. Do you use RO/DI or tap water?
2. What are your nitrates and phosphates testing?
3. How much flow do you have?

Other tank params would be helpful as well...

 

[sondaar]

Im using RO/DI water for top offs and only able to test for
ammonia 0
nitrate 5
nitrite 0
ph 8.1
sg 1.026
temp 81.3
I guess I need to look at getting a phospate test kit pretty soon.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[drummereef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14774946#post14774946 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sondaar
Im using RO/DI water for top offs and only able to test for
ammonia 0
nitrate 5
nitrite 0
ph 8.1
sg 1.026
temp 81.3
I guess I need to look at getting a phospate test kit pretty soon.

Thanks for the help guys!

Sorry I asked for your params again! Just saw them in your original post. The phosphate test may or may not help in this case. Did you start the tank with tap water and are now using RO/DI? Do you know what the TDS of your RO/DI is reading?

How much flow do you have in the tank?

 

[sondaar]

Ive only used RO/DI water in the tank. Dont have a TDS meter but bought the unit used and replaced all the filters, RO membrane, and DI resen before before filling the tank. At the moment the only flow is the return pump at 640 gph with a flexable wye at end of return line in DT. The algea started on a piece of Bali ALOR live rock. Wasn't too worried about it until the crabs decided not to touch it. I've taken 3 or 4 of them and placed on the rock and they all just crawl off without touching the stuff. Hopefully I can find a fish or the source of the problem to take care of it because the rock has many diffrent kinds of life forms on it.

Thanks
Mike

 

[xian]

It almost looks like Ulva in certain places. Its a nice fleshy green algae anyhow. Looks like an nice snack for a bristle tooth tang.

 

[sondaar]

Thats 950gph on the return not 640.

 

[alextheromanian]

that to mee looks like a good snack for a tang...mine doesnt grow any so i have to feed him freezedry stuff.

its deffinately not hair algae or bubble or cyano ...looks almost like flat...

are your snails touching it?

 

[alextheromanian]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14775354#post14775354 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by alextheromanian
that to mee looks like a good snack for a tang...mine doesnt grow any so i have to feed him freezedry stuff.

its deffinately not hair algae or bubble or cyano ...looks almost like flat...

are your snails touching it?

TURBO SNAILS!
SNAILS SNAILS SNAILS...petco sells them for like 1.50 a pop.


try your luck with those.

 

[drummereef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14775124#post14775124 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sondaar
Ive only used RO/DI water in the tank. Dont have a TDS meter but bought the unit used and replaced all the filters, RO membrane, and DI resen before before filling the tank. At the moment the only flow is the return pump at 640 gph with a flexable wye at end of return line in DT. The algea started on a piece of Bali ALOR live rock. Wasn't too worried about it until the crabs decided not to touch it. I've taken 3 or 4 of them and placed on the rock and they all just crawl off without touching the stuff. Hopefully I can find a fish or the source of the problem to take care of it because the rock has many diffrent kinds of life forms on it.

Thanks
Mike

I would say the lack of flow is a major player then. Along with a nitrate and phosphate issue. With only the return at 640gph on a 90g tank, that's only 7x turnover. I would suggest upping that amount significantly. I would aim for a minimum of 30x turnover, that's minimum.

How about a skimmer, are you currently using one?

 

[CoRPS]

I have a 55g with a skimmer, I use RO water, my phosphates always test at zero and my nitrates always test at zero and I still have bubble algae and some other oddball algaes. I don't know what the problem is!

 

[Stetson]

If it is a macro try a small zebrasoma tang, great for mowing down macro algae

 

[kel2682]

I would take that rock out and scrub it and pull as much off as you can manually...After that I would leave it in a rubbermaid container with no light just heat and flow maybe lots of water changes ..If you dont like that method maybe try to remove from the tank by hand but that may incourage it spreading ...+1 on adding more flow this will help keep detrius suspended in the water column also You can try to raise your Mag to like 1600 and that may help it does for bryopsis and HA Im not sure about this one

 

[sondaar]

I am running a skimmer but dont know what brand it is as I bought everything tank, return, skimmer, sump, stand, sand, and 50lbs of live rock as a package deal used. Added another 50 lbs of live rock Fiji and Bali and the Bali rock seems to be the culprit. The skimmer is the one with the 640 gph motor it seems to be doing a good job with pulling trash out of the system that the craps are throwing around. Its about 8" diameter with a collection cup. My return pump is 950gph and I know I need more turn over in the tank and am working on getting some powerheads, 3 Tunze 6025s to be exact, but that is still a week or 2 away. Think I may try a Turbo snail or 2 as Alex suggested as Im a little leary to put fish in right now. Gonna have to look a Zebrasoma Tang up and see if it will be ok with my 90 gallon Stetson, Would a Foxface not touch it ? Not really wanting to pull the rock out atm Kel2682 as that will be my last resort.

Thanks
Mike

 

[xian]

Foxface would be fine or a small kole, or tomani tang. Try to see if you can get some big brazillian turbos.