rfgonzo
New member
I have two separate tanks. 1 is a 210 gallon reef with a 75 gallon refugium and a 55 gallon sump. The other is 100 gallon eel tank with 40-gallon sump. The eel tank has one Japanese dragon moray and one Brazilian Moray inside. The phosphate levels in this tank on a Hanna checker are maxed out at 2.50 which is the highest the Hanna Checker goes. The nitrate levels on a salifert test kit are also maxed out over 100. The eel tank has been running for at least 5 years. I don't check parameters on this tank normally, however I wanted to do a comparison. The eel tank has absolutely zero algae growth whatsoever. I have T5 compact fluorescents for lighting and I only grow xenia and green star polyp, which grows like wildfire all throughout the tank. You need to clean the glass about once every other week.
My reef tank parameters stay pretty steady week-to-week. Here's parameters from the 7th of this month.
Cal 415
Alk 8.3 dkh
Mag 1230
Amm 0
No3 .5
Po4 .02
pH 8.23
Sal 1.025
Temp 78.3
All of these parameters stay pretty consistent week-to-week and month-to-month. However in this tank I also have quite a bit of algae most of it grows in a refugium, but it also grows in the main display. I should add this tank has been up for Years also. I have to clean the glass on this tank daily or at least every other day. Both tanks have the same light schedule running the same amount of time each day.
My question is, how is it possible that my extremely dirty eel tank does not grow algae? ( Believe me I'm not complaining ) but my clean reef tank grows a ton of algae? Hopefully someone can enlighten me.
My reef tank parameters stay pretty steady week-to-week. Here's parameters from the 7th of this month.
Cal 415
Alk 8.3 dkh
Mag 1230
Amm 0
No3 .5
Po4 .02
pH 8.23
Sal 1.025
Temp 78.3
All of these parameters stay pretty consistent week-to-week and month-to-month. However in this tank I also have quite a bit of algae most of it grows in a refugium, but it also grows in the main display. I should add this tank has been up for Years also. I have to clean the glass on this tank daily or at least every other day. Both tanks have the same light schedule running the same amount of time each day.
My question is, how is it possible that my extremely dirty eel tank does not grow algae? ( Believe me I'm not complaining ) but my clean reef tank grows a ton of algae? Hopefully someone can enlighten me.
