anymore ideas on algae

M

Morrist3

New member
I posted a couple of weeks ago about my algae problem and got some great help (thanks guys). But it is still not resolved just wondering if anyone else had any ideas.

Here is my problem. I have a 220 gallon tank with a 40 gallon refigium behind it. I have a 3 inch live sand bed, 250 lbs of live rock. I have 8 damesls, approx 300 cleaner crews (snails, crabs etc.) I have a protien skimmer running 24/7, 600 watts of PC(tried reducing light time with no avail, even tried leaving them off a day or two). and 3 powerheads now, besides the return pump. The problem is my water is green. It is not on the rocks or glass, but is free floating. I have added carbon as someone suggested, and also a 25 watt uv filter. The carbon has been on for a week, the uv filter only about 48 hours, but not noticing any difference.
So should I just give it more time with the additions or should I try anything else. Thanks for your time guys.

Also water parameters are
temp 80
salinity 1.024
ph 8.2
amn 0
nitrites 0
nitrates 0
phosphates 0 (tested these on someones suggestion, thought it would be the problem but no.)

Anything else you need to know or that I forgot, please ask
 
If the UV is working and has enough flow, I would think you should see a difference given some time.

If you have some spare time and energy, doing some water changes might be an interesting experiment. If you can reduce the level of green with a series of 25% changes, and the green comes back, that'd show that the UV isn't doing much, IMO.

That salinity is a little low. I target about 1.026. It'd take 4-5 days to change it safely, though.
 
you know, people will KILL for greenwater!!! it feeds rotifers, featherdusters, all sorts of things like that.

otherwise, I like the others sugestions.
 
there are 2 1500 seios and a one that is 800gph, and then the return from the refuge with an output of about 900gph.
 
yeah green water is good, but I would like to see into my tank, It is so thick that I can't even see the rocks, I can kinda see a fuzzy shape of where they are at, but thats it. Not postive what fish I sitll have in there.
 
Just because your nitrate level is testing at 0 doesnt mean it is. If you have alot of algae in the tank the nitrate could just be being used as quickly as it is formed. You may want to cut back on your feeding. Do you have a skimmer? i would think that would pull alot of it out too, but im not sure.
 
maybe research greenwater, and find out how to kill it? lol, just kidding!!!

you can try to kill it by doing a few days of blackout: if the water is so thick ya can't see through it, any corals are going to be having a problem too, with less oxygen exchange and less light. A couple, oh, 2 day blackout may help... with the ^skimmer pulling out the algae as it dies.

(wow, I'm thinking again, WHOOT-sorry, I was brain farting earlier)
 
Cut back on feeding. if you can do it feed only every other day once per day. (Don't starve the critters)
What model and type of skimmer do you have?
Add more flow. You have about 18 X tank turnover in that system. Assuming you calculated the return correctly. Did that include the head loss?

Based on that the tank should have enough flow. Not necessarily to have sps but it shoud be enough for softies etc.

I would do a couple of things. I would increase the flow to somewhere around 25 to 30 times. I would reduce feeding as much as possible but not so much to stress the critters. I would also take a hard look at my skimmer. That thing should be pulling out copious amounts of gunk. If it isn't filling the cup every couple of days then you need to tune that skimmer up or get one that works more efficiently. If you are using RO?DI water I can't think of any other reason for the water to be like that. Feeding flow, feeding flow, feeding flow and nutrient extraction. Those are the keys.

Regards,

Pat
 
I'm not convinced more flow will help. If the UV filter isn't showing any effect yet, perhaps it's not working or the flow rate isn't correct.
 
I am only feeding every other day as of right now. I am using ro water, the skimmer is getting about a full cup every 3 days. The uv filter is using a pump at 450 gph, which is the exact spec the company said to use with that size.
 
Hmm, I wonder whether the bulb is any good, or something else is happening. Phytoplankton shouldn't be able to survive a shot of UV.
 
just a thought i use ozone in conjuction with skimming never had an algie bloom, ozone burns it out the water colume i know a lote dont like it [dangers of useing] but used correctly i swear by it my waters is always gin clear. another thought your not useing hagon test kit are you ,when i tested with it, it showed 0 nitrate and thay were over 100, tablet tests are best
 
you know... I shouldn't have even looked at this post.

cause now, its happened to me!!! UGH its ugly. it happened over 2 days: yesterday the water looked kinda cloudy, I thought ok, just a small bacteria bloom, it'll go away pretty fast.

today the waters getting green... ARGH!!!!skimmers cranked up, and lights are off. and I only have cheto for macro, so nothing went sexual.

maybe its cause its spring? bet I'll have lots of featherdusters and pods and stuff after this goes through.

I haven't tested anything yet... suppose I SHOULD, but don't have Trate test kit... I just know I need a big ole water change as soon as I get my salt-WHICH I ran out of last week, and need more of.

what a time for an algae bloom, huh?
 
ok, so I got some advice on how to get rid of them, and if you have fish that eat them all the better: add some rotifers!!! hehe, then you'll have a die-off of rots, but its probably better than a green tank.
 
This certainly is a conundrum. If it's not flow, not the skimmer, not the uv, not the feeding, I don't know where you turn next. I would have to agree with Jonathan re: the uv not working properly.

Swanwillow,
I agree, quit reading threads like this.

Let me know how that 3/4 water change goes.

Regards,

Pat
 
Hmm, adding some live rotifers is an interesting idea. The UV should kill them, though, I'd think, if it's working at all. I'm not sure they'll last long in a tank with fish, though.
 
If things get too bad and it threatens the inhabitants with suffocation (remember day/night, oxy/.co2), I'd try a very old-fashioned solution, a strong micro-filter to pull whatever's in that stuff out of the water column. If it's swallowed a lot of phosphate, nitrate, whatever, suck it out and throw it away. If it recurs (I used to live on a lake in the south while keeping a reef: the algae could be horrid) then look for a solution, but the strong filtration, pulled out for new every few hours and not left in, can at least keep your critters alive while you solve the underlying problem---which, yes, has to be solved.
 
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