Awful algae in sand bed!!
- Thread starter mangelo
- Start date
Uncle Luke
Active member
Curious as well
shuguley
New member
How long has the tank been up?
What is your fish stock list?
How much do you feed?
What kind of clean up crew do you have?
What is your source water?
How much flow do you have?
How often and how much are your water changes?
What are your water test results? Ammonia, nitrates, PH, temp, salinity, calcium, magnesium, alkalinity.
Do you have a chaeto in your fuge?
Do you run GFO or Carbon?
What kind of skimmer do you have?
What is your fish stock list?
How much do you feed?
What kind of clean up crew do you have?
What is your source water?
How much flow do you have?
How often and how much are your water changes?
What are your water test results? Ammonia, nitrates, PH, temp, salinity, calcium, magnesium, alkalinity.
Do you have a chaeto in your fuge?
Do you run GFO or Carbon?
What kind of skimmer do you have?
mangelo
New member
Regal Tang, Vel...Tang, Blue Atlantic Tang, Niger Trigger, Humu Trigger, 2 Ocellaris Clowns, Yellow Stripe Maroon Clown, 4 Chromis, Cardinal, Lawnmower Blenny, 2 skunk cleaner shrimp, 50 Naus. Snails, 50+ blue legged hermits, 10 Mexican Turbo Snails, 10 red legged hermits.
Sump with refugium with macro algae.
I feed brine and mysis shrimp once a day. Occasionally some pellets, but not everyday.
Water is RO / DI : TDS = 0.00
I have been doing weekly water changes at 20%
Ammonia = 0, Nitrages = 40ppm, PH = 8.3, temp = 80, salinity = 1.025. I don't know magnesium, and alkalinity.
What is GFO. No Carbon.
Not sure of brand of skimmer. It is installed in the sump.
Sump with refugium with macro algae.
I feed brine and mysis shrimp once a day. Occasionally some pellets, but not everyday.
Water is RO / DI : TDS = 0.00
I have been doing weekly water changes at 20%
Ammonia = 0, Nitrages = 40ppm, PH = 8.3, temp = 80, salinity = 1.025. I don't know magnesium, and alkalinity.
What is GFO. No Carbon.
Not sure of brand of skimmer. It is installed in the sump.
redhanded77
New member
wow, is it me or do you kinda of alot of fish in there?
but to your topic about algae, i got a crazy green algae bloom after i installed my halides. so i cut the time down to 4 hours a day and added a bunch of hermits and snails. after about a week or two, the algae slowed down. i also, used some phosphate filter pads and some phosphate remover installed in little baggies and put in my sump. about a month later, the algae is down considerably and things seem to be in control. how long is your light cycle?
again, this was my experience, so im just relating on to you. good luck!
but to your topic about algae, i got a crazy green algae bloom after i installed my halides. so i cut the time down to 4 hours a day and added a bunch of hermits and snails. after about a week or two, the algae slowed down. i also, used some phosphate filter pads and some phosphate remover installed in little baggies and put in my sump. about a month later, the algae is down considerably and things seem to be in control. how long is your light cycle?
again, this was my experience, so im just relating on to you. good luck!
mangelo
New member
Yeah, I guess I can't help it with the fish. I was told 1" of fish / 2 gal of water. I think I'm still good.
My algae bloom started after my MH also. I am running them 7 hours a day and my T5s at 12 hours a day.
I think phosphate is my next move. I am assuming I can buy any brand in the bags and just throw them in my sump?
My algae bloom started after my MH also. I am running them 7 hours a day and my T5s at 12 hours a day.
I think phosphate is my next move. I am assuming I can buy any brand in the bags and just throw them in my sump?
mangelo
New member
I talked to a person that I order from in Florida. She said that my local city water probably has Chloramine and / or Chloramide and that my RO / DI won't catch it. After they go through their chemical changes they end up as nitrate which once again feeds the algae.
She told me to get some ammonia block and mentioned Amquel brand.
Any thoughts on this?
She told me to get some ammonia block and mentioned Amquel brand.
Any thoughts on this?
jdieck
New member
Your bio-load is on the high side and feeding causes your high nitrates that in turn feed that microalgae.
So You need to get those nitrates down to get rid of the algae:
a) Reduce bio-load
b) Reduce feeding amounts and/or frequency
c) Improve skimming by skimming wet or increase your skimmer capacity.
d) Install a refugium with macroalgae (Chaetomorpha) to compete for the nutrients with the microalgae and periodically harvest the algae. If properly sized try including a DSB for nitrification. Populate it with a kit of pods and bristle worms.
e) Increase the amount of live rock if it is below say, 1.5 pounds/gallon
f) May use some Nitrogenous compound removal resin (Like Purigen)
g) If you have any mechanical filters clean them frequently.
h) Use carbon also replace it more frequently
i) If you by chance use any kind of trickle filter, remove the bio-balls over the course of several weeks.
j) Use granular ferric oxide GFO (Phosar, phosban etc.) to remove phosphates (another nutrient)
k) Keep the weekly 20% water changes until nitrates start to drop
l) If your light bulbs are older than 1 year, replace them.
m) Test and keep your magnesium at 1300 ppm, your alkalinity at 10 dKh and your calcium at 420 ppm
m) Check your tap water, If it is trated with chloramines then you need a special DI cartridge right after the membrane to remove the ammonia after the carbon breaks down the chloramine. DO not worry about using Amquel, it will only remove the toxicity of the ammonia but does not take it out of the chain of nitrification.
That's all I can think to help reduce nitrates.
Good Luck!
So You need to get those nitrates down to get rid of the algae:
a) Reduce bio-load
b) Reduce feeding amounts and/or frequency
c) Improve skimming by skimming wet or increase your skimmer capacity.
d) Install a refugium with macroalgae (Chaetomorpha) to compete for the nutrients with the microalgae and periodically harvest the algae. If properly sized try including a DSB for nitrification. Populate it with a kit of pods and bristle worms.
e) Increase the amount of live rock if it is below say, 1.5 pounds/gallon
f) May use some Nitrogenous compound removal resin (Like Purigen)
g) If you have any mechanical filters clean them frequently.
h) Use carbon also replace it more frequently
i) If you by chance use any kind of trickle filter, remove the bio-balls over the course of several weeks.
j) Use granular ferric oxide GFO (Phosar, phosban etc.) to remove phosphates (another nutrient)
k) Keep the weekly 20% water changes until nitrates start to drop
l) If your light bulbs are older than 1 year, replace them.
m) Test and keep your magnesium at 1300 ppm, your alkalinity at 10 dKh and your calcium at 420 ppm
m) Check your tap water, If it is trated with chloramines then you need a special DI cartridge right after the membrane to remove the ammonia after the carbon breaks down the chloramine. DO not worry about using Amquel, it will only remove the toxicity of the ammonia but does not take it out of the chain of nitrification.
That's all I can think to help reduce nitrates.
Good Luck!
WhiteLightsaber
New member
What brand of brine & mysis do you feed? GFO is granular ferric oxide, which removes phosphate from your water. Common brands are RowaPhos and PhosBan. I prefer running GFO through a fluidized filter, and I always run carbon on my system (I don't trust my leather or green star polyps with my Acro).
Are you running any mechanical filtration? Like a filter sock or the such. I see your powerhead pointed upwards. Or is that just the angle of the picture? I can't tell. I would point it downwards. How many pounds of live rock do you have? Is there any other form of bio filtration?
I still feel there are too many fish in your system. I really don't find triggerfish as a reef-safe animal. I know there is a lot of debate over those two triggers as whether they are reef-safe, I just don't see how. They will eventually eat your shrimp. And snails. Just my .02
Are you running any mechanical filtration? Like a filter sock or the such. I see your powerhead pointed upwards. Or is that just the angle of the picture? I can't tell. I would point it downwards. How many pounds of live rock do you have? Is there any other form of bio filtration?
I still feel there are too many fish in your system. I really don't find triggerfish as a reef-safe animal. I know there is a lot of debate over those two triggers as whether they are reef-safe, I just don't see how. They will eventually eat your shrimp. And snails. Just my .02
That V.Tang gets about 12" in just a few years, he's a poop machine for sure you'll want a high quality skimmer because of him alone. I'd start with about 100 cerith snails. They do a nice job of sand sifting at night, but I learned the hard way w/ my 75g....too many fish = too many problems. To fix the problems, I kept the fish, got a bigger tank!
