Algea Problems

[HartfordWhalers]

I have had my tank for about 4 months and i still have tons of algea. All over my rocks I have a green algea thats not longer then 1cm. Also I have red algea all over my rocks and sometimes on my sand about every week i pick it out. Is this normal to have to pick it out every week. I have a filter protein skiimer, refugium, everything i was told i needed. I don't no what to buy cuz i dont no if it will eat my corals.
I currently have devilshand, green star polyps, shrooms, xenia and a kenya tree. Help me please

~Andrew

 

[HartfordWhalers]

anyone?

 

[Bandsaw]

Can you provide us with some more details?

1. What do you have for flow in your tank? Having Red Cyno is a sign of poor flow.
2. How about critters other than corals? How many and what are you feeding?
3. Are you using RO/DI water?
4. Have you tested for PO4 and NO3?
5. What do you have for live rock? Some live rock has TONS of pent up PO4 that must be used up before the Algae starts to die off.
6. What are you using for filter material. Some cheap filter cotton/floss leaches PO4 like crazy.
7. Are you running any kind of PO4 removers?

Besides that, it is usually normal for new tank, as much as a year old, to undergo some kind of algae plague.

What ever the case algae problems, particularly green hairy algae, are almost always associated with PO4 problems. You need to find the source and eliminate it.

You are doing a good thing by harvesting the algae. As algae dies, it releases the PO4 that it consumed back into the environment this becoming more PO4 source for more algae.

 

[HartfordWhalers]

Thanks alot sorry i didnt add to many details, ill check all the things you told me to,
Thanks again