Film on glass....

[dileggi]

Hey everyone,

I have a quick question. Every single day...and I do mean every single day, when I get home, my tank has a greenish film on it. It does come off quite easily with a sponge or mag.

Does anyone else have this problem? I'm thinking I just need to cut my lighting back?

You can even see the snail trail on the glass...actually pretty funny! LOL!

Thanks in advance!

 

[seans tank]

this is a normal problem i do not believe cutting back on lighting is the solution you should just clean it everyday.

 

[dileggi]

Thanks for the input seans tank. It's one of those things that you never notice on anyone's else's tank but your own! LOL! I was starting to think I was running my lights too much...albeit only 12 hours per day, so it's not excessive.

I'll just keep the mag and sponge handy to clean the algae off every night!

Thanks again!

 

[Dustin1231]

yeah, dont let it build up or youll be using a razor blade to take it off.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11551626#post11551626 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dileggi
Thanks for the input seans tank. It's one of those things that you never notice on anyone's else's tank but your own! LOL! I was starting to think I was running my lights too much...albeit only 12 hours per day, so it's not excessive.

I'll just keep the mag and sponge handy to clean the algae off every night!

Thanks again!

the key to ridding the algae is flow and limiting its food---phosphates and nitrates.

Check your feeding habits
feed less but more often if you feel the need
rinse off all frozen food with r/o water before using
cut back on phyto if you are using it--that's what that algae is--everytime you scape it off the spores go back into the water column

the flow rate in the tank should be 20-40 times its volume. Make sure all corners of the tank and the substrate are receiving flow---this puts the detrius back into the water column where it can be filtered off.

try not cleaning it off for a number of days-----I know this is a hard one because I get flack from everybody when I do it:eek2:
But that algae on the glass is consuming phosphates and nitrates--if you check how they are getting in the tank and limit that then the algae will start to run out of a food source quicker by letting it grow a little longer before you scrape

 

[dileggi]

Thanks for the capn. I do rinse my frozens with rodi before I place in the tank.

You mentioned to cut back on phyto. I do feed some Cyclop-Eeze. Is this a problem?

As for flow, my rate is approx 716...almost 25%. I know I'm on the lower side of that rule of thumb, but I'm afraid going with a larger power head will cause a lot of "stuff" being blown around..meaning corals and so forth.

I'll try leaving it alone for a few days...if I can stand it, LOL and see what happens.

thanks again!

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11552054#post11552054 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dileggi
Thanks for the capn. I do rinse my frozens with rodi before I place in the tank.

You mentioned to cut back on phyto. I do feed some Cyclop-Eeze. Is this a problem?

As for flow, my rate is approx 716...almost 25%. I know I'm on the lower side of that rule of thumb, but I'm afraid going with a larger power head will cause a lot of "stuff" being blown around..meaning corals and so forth.

I'll try leaving it alone for a few days...if I can stand it, LOL and see what happens.

thanks again!

cyclopeeze is great--fish and lps corals love it---the timing can be important too--alot of the corals like to feed just before dusk--if you are running halides and attinics--the time when the halides have shut down for the day and the attinics are still on--the corals seem more respective to it

Phyto is generally consumed by most sps corals but a limited number of softies and sps corals.
It is the inverts that feed on the phyto--so if you have a refug use some in there--but if you are scraping alot of algae off the glass then you are feeding phyto into the water column.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11552054#post11552054 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dileggi
[

As for flow, my rate is approx 716...almost 25%. I know I'm on the lower side of that rule of thumb, but I'm afraid going with a larger power head will cause a lot of "stuff" being blown around..meaning corals and so forth.

I'll try leaving it alone for a few days...if I can stand it, LOL and see what happens.

thanks again! [/B]

the corals will love the increased flow--I just added another korila 4 today--bringing the flow up to 40 times tank volumn in gph. The corals are loving it---esp xenia and torch coral, the elegance, toad stool mushroom, and goniporia.
My three tangs love it--they drift with the flow and then swim back through it --all day
The only thing that doesn't like it is a rose anenome--which I can't figure out

If you the leave the algae for two or three days--cut down on the flake a little---you will notice it takes alot more time to grow back on the glass--and you will get to the point where a dozen or so turbos will take care of it for you.:smokin:

 

[ACBlinky]

Every tank gets film algae, though some more than others. Right now I have no snails in my 90g so I'm doing all the work, and I'm using the MagFloat about every 48h. I find that cleaning the glass after lights-out seems to help - the algae ends up suspended in the water column and is either eaten or (more likely) gets trapped in the filter sock overnight. It seems like scraping while the lights are on isn't nearly as effective, almost as though it's more inclined to stick to the glass while it's able to photosynthesize and multiply... or I could be imagining things

 

[demonsp]

I agree on flow. You will always get algea on the glass but it should not be so fast. Also CUC and tank age and water readings all play a part. As does lighting time and water source. Its all about control and the more you have the less problems you will have.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11556240#post11556240 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by demonsp
I agree on flow. You will always get algea on the glass but it should not be so fast. Also CUC and tank age and water readings all play a part. As does lighting time and water source. Its all about control and the more you have the less problems you will have.

You are right Lance--there is no magic bullet or way to control the algae--rather it is applying all the suggestions above in a long term consistent way.