Going dark to cure algae

Emma1234

Emma1234

New member
Hi everyone,

I have a 55 gallon tank with no detectable phosphates (hanna checker) or nitrates (Salifert and Red Sea). I have only two little fish (clown and royal gamma), which I feed a very small amount of flake food once a day. I have about 40lbs of live rock. The tank is about 4 years old. I have a protein skimmer (which probably needs to be replaced. I have to soak it in vinegar every couple weeks or else it will start to randomly overflow or underflow). I do a four gallon water change (RO/DI water with Instant Ocean Reef salt) every week. I have a lobo (growing doing well), mushrooms (these are doing very well) some zoas, softies and LPS. No SPS corals. I use filter socks, which I change every couple of days. I have a good lighting system. MAXSPECT Razor. Corals really started to grow more when I changed over to this light. It turns on about 1:00pm, ramps up gradually to about 70-75% intesity at about 7pm. Stays at that intensity for a couple hours. Then ramps down and shuts off at midnight.

My problem is algae. It really grows between the weekly water changes. I "harvest" it every week. But it is very difficult to remove some types. I have at least two different types. The ones I notice are green. One type I can remove. It is a soft velvety type. The other type (on a different rock) is impossible to remove by hand. It is more of a short stub green algae that is not soft but something like a crew cut that seems to be growing out, and embedded into, the rock.

I use GFO and Phosguard.

I saw this video on BRS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zft6lJraRg

They recommend going dark for a few days. My questions are:

What do you think/recommend that I try?

If I try going dark would going dark hurt the corals?

How long should I go dark?

Thanks :beer:
 
Going dark for a short time is really just a waste of time for an algae problem.. Its just going to be temporary at best..

Simple fix is to use Fluconazole... It works wonders.. OR as stated increase your natural algae predators.. urchins/sea hares/turbo snails,etc..

I recommend the Fluconazole though.. It will easily take care of your hair/turf algae..

And why gfo and phosguard?
IMO undetectable nitrates and phosphates isn't a good thing.. Both are beneficial nutrients.. Too little is just as bad as too much..
 
Quit the filter socks and the GFO. Tuxedo Urchins get after algae. I might have missed it? What fish do you have?
 
mcgyvr said:
Going dark for a short time is really just a waste of time for an algae problem.. Its just going to be temporary at best..

as stated increase your natural algae predators.. urchins/sea hares/turbo snails,etc..

And why gfo and phosguard?
IMO undetectable nitrates and phosphates isn't a good thing.. Both are beneficial nutrients.. Too little is just as bad as too much..
Click to expand...
This is great advice.

Did the problem start when you added your new light?
 
Your photoperiod is too long, 8-9 hours total is enough.
Your intensity seems a bit high to me.
Do the blackout, then crank those lights down man.
 
mcgyvr said:
Going dark for a short time is really just a waste of time for an algae problem.. Its just going to be temporary at best..

Simple fix is to use Fluconazole... It works wonders.. OR as stated increase your natural algae predators.. urchins/sea hares/turbo snails,etc..

I recommend the Fluconazole though.. It will easily take care of your hair/turf algae..

And why gfo and phosguard?
IMO undetectable nitrates and phosphates isn't a good thing.. Both are beneficial nutrients.. Too little is just as bad as too much..
Click to expand...

I use the phosguard and gfo because I've heard/read that the tests might not detect phosphates and nitrates. Something about the algae consumes the phosphates so fast that it doesn't show up in the test. So, the thought is that putting in the GFO and phosguard will consume the phosphates/nitrates before the algae. But I am not seeing a decline in algae.
 
Emma1234 said:
I use the phosguard and gfo because I've heard/read that the tests might not detect phosphates and nitrates. Something about the algae consumes the phosphates so fast that it doesn't show up in the test. So, the thought is that putting in the GFO and phosguard will consume the phosphates/nitrates before the algae. But I am not seeing a decline in algae.
Click to expand...

Gfo and phosguard do the same thing...They reduce phosphate levels..They do not work against nitrates at all..
As they both serve the same purpose I just don't understand why you would run both..
 
mcgyvr said:
Gfo and phosguard do the same thing...They reduce phosphate levels..They do not work against nitrates at all..
As they both serve the same purpose I just don't understand why you would run both..
Click to expand...

Oh, I see what you were asking now. The reason I used both is that I've been using the GFO for years and still had the algae problem. My local fish store recommended I try the Phosguard at double the recommended dosage. But that hasn't worked either.
 
saveafish said:
^^^^ this

When your algae eaters poop you can pull it by export.
Click to expand...

I've had a blue tuxedo urchine. He was beautiful but didn't clear up the algea. I have turbo snails. I bought about half a doze a while back. No luck getting rid of the algae with them either. I also tried nudibranches. I bought them the same time I bought the mexican turbo snails. You guessed it. Still have the algae. I've stayed away from the sea hares because I hear they are toxic. I've tried dosing with Hydrogen Peroxide. It worked for a while but the algae came back after a month. And I lost my blue tuxedo urchin and a yellow leather toadstool after I dosed.
 
Daddi0 said:
Perhaps get a sea hare or snails
Cheers! Mark
Click to expand...

I've had a blue tuxedo urchine. He was beautiful but didn't clear up the algea. I have turbo snails. I bought about half a doze a while back. No luck getting rid of the algae with them either. I also tried nudibranches. I bought them the same time I bought the mexican turbo snails. You guessed it. Still have the algae. I've stayed away from the sea hares because I hear they are toxic. I've tried dosing with Hydrogen Peroxide. It worked for a while but the algae came back after a month. And I lost my blue tuxedo urchin and a yellow leather toadstool after I dosed.
 
Emma1234 said:
Oh, I see what you were asking now. The reason I used both is that I've been using the GFO for years and still had the algae problem. My local fish store recommended I try the Phosguard at double the recommended dosage. But that hasn't worked either.
Click to expand...

Because you don't have a phosphate problem ;)
 
For anyone suffering from algae problems in their tank here is some information.

1) I've heard that "going dark" can cure the algae outbreak. I shut off the lights on Sunday and covered the tank with towels to keep light from getting in. I turned the lights back on on Friday. The algae is still there. I don't see much of a difference.

2) Next I'm going to try the Fluconazole as recommended by mcgvyr above (thanks!). You can find out more abouot Fuconazole here http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2679489&highlight=fluconazole

3. This is after trying hydrogen peroxide and various algae eaters (see above).

I'll update after I see how things go with the fluconazole. Figures are crossed.
 
Hydrogen peroxide has worked for me. I did however pull the rock for about 15 mins. Pulled it and let it sit for 5min then spray and let it sit like 10. Rinsed it in my dirty tank water after a change.
 
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