Helping a friend with an Algae Issue

[mrsixstrings12]

Hello everyone, I was contacted by a friend today because he needed help with an algae issue. He explained the situation to me and, once i got home from work, I was off to his house. And boy oh boy did he have a problem. So here's where we need some help:

The algae itself is a green encrusting algae. Its all over the rocks and glass, particularly where the top of the sandbed is (it is basically a solid line there) and then just blotchy spots all over the glass. We had to break out the metal blade algae scrubber to even have a chance of getting it off the glass.

He has a 40g breeder with a 2" sandbed and probably 20 lbs of live rock. He has 2 powerheads (im unsure of the flow rate), a SeaClone Protein Skimmer, a Marineland Penguin HOB filter, and an LED light fixture that he keeps on for about 4 hours a day. Temp is steady at 78F

Fishwise he has 4 clownfish, 3 damsels, and a blenny. He said snails don't even last a week for some odd reason.

His parameters were all at zero and he changes his water weekly (approximately 5 gallons).

Today we cleaned all of his equipment, scraped the glass, and did another water change. We're waiting to see when/if it comes back.

When it does (and im sure it will), what is the next step in getting rid of this situation? From all my research, my ideas that I came up with are phosphate test, trying different CUC members, bigger water change (maybe 20 gallons?), or just tearing down and starting over again.

 

[pyithar]

the next step in getting rid of in this situation would be fish imo. 4 clowns in 40G won't work. then your friend also has 3 damsels which are very aggressive fish.

 

[Mcgeezer]

That's a lot of fish for 40 gallons. Too much nutrients = algae.

Lights off for a few days and running GFO will starve the algae. I assume he isn't running GFO based on your statement.

And tell him to throw that HOB filter in the trash. It's worthless on a salt tank. Filtration def needs to be stepped up.

Remember the phosphate test will read zero. That's because the algae is consuming it. Trust me it's there.

 

[shaginwagon13]

1) How old is the tank?
2) What are the tank parameters
3) Is he running a sump?
4) Is he running a protein skimmer?
5) Hoe often and how much is he feeding?
6) Four Clownfish is too many

Sometimes an algae bloom is part of the tank still cycling. Sometimes its caused by excess light, nutrients, or a combination of both.

Do a water change, cut-back on feedings and try to get the bloom under control. Also, that many Clownfish is bad news.

That's a lot of fish for 40 gallons. Too much nutrients = algae.

Lights off for a few days and running GFO will starve the algae. I assume he isn't running GFO based on your statement.

+1

 

[sk8elenex92]

How long has this tank been running for ?

 

[mrsixstrings12]

1) How old is the tank?
2) What are the tank parameters
3) Is he running a sump?
4) Is he running a protein skimmer?
5) Hoe often and how much is he feeding?
6) Four Clownfish is too many

Sometimes an algae bloom is part of the tank still cycling. Sometimes its caused by excess light, nutrients, or a combination of both.

Do a water change, cut-back on feedings and try to get the bloom under control. Also, that many Clownfish is bad news.




+1

The tank is about a year and a half old. Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all 0. No sump, yes he's using a protein skimmer, didn't ask him about feeding schedule. Why is 4 clowns bad news? He has 2 pairs of different species. Surprisingly the damsels were not showing any aggression while I was there.

 

[pyithar]

because clowns are very territorial especially when they are mature. damsels too.

 

[Shaummy]

so if I read your posting correctly...your friend has hard algae that had to be scraped off. Sounds like coraline algae? It does come in a variety of colors so green isn't unheard of. Actually, some of my purple coraline starts out as green.

If this is the kind of algae you are talking about..I'm not sure what the problem is? If your friend doesn't like the looks of it...they will pretty much have to deal with regular scraping of the glass etc to keep it in check.

Coraline algae is a love it or hate it proposition. Many want it to grow..and they are so happy when it does...then there is the realization that it will grow almost anywhere.

I don't know of any good method that really kills off coraline..I suppose there is something that eats it...not sure what that would be.

If that's not what you are seeing..then I don't really know what kind of algae that you have..got a picture of it?

 

[Shivsreef]

I know it sounds mad and it might call the tang police but try getting a tang or angel to clear up the algae tangs work best I bought a 1 inch regal tang for a 45 gallon tank and he cleared up all the algae then I just fell in love with him and just upgraded to my 800 gallon and now he eats from my hand and he's massive

 

[mrsixstrings12]

Sadly no picture of it. I didn't know that coraline could be green. If that's the case then excellent news. From the marks on the inside of his tank, his blenny definitely eats at it. From all that I have read, the only that it might be if it's not coralife is cyanobacteria. I told him to keep the tank dark until Friday and to get a phosphate test. Hopefully that clears it up.

 

[Shaummy]

Cyano will come up very easily..so it's pretty easy to tell the difference between that and coraline. I suppose it could be
some sort of green hair algae...but I wouldn't really describe it as "encrusting algae".

 

[Aussieiniowa]

It sounds like coralline mate which is good I just scour mine off the front and sides leave it on the back...... What I would be looking into is why the snails are dieing

 

[mrsixstrings12]

Yeah the next step was to see why the snails die and why his 2 pieces of coral died. Snails, not really sure. But the coral im going to assume his light fixture. I have an extra LED fixture (same as I use on my tank) that I'm gonna let him borrow and try out.

 

[acabgd]

Yeah the next step was to see why the snails die and why his 2 pieces of coral died.

Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium? Is he testing for those? He needs to know what his parameters are if he wants to keep coral.
Also, I see you didn't really react to the 4 clowns suggestions from others. It's simply too much for a 40g tank. A pair should go out of that tank now.

 

[mrsixstrings12]

Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium? Is he testing for those? He needs to know what his parameters are if he wants to keep coral.
Also, I see you didn't really react to the 4 clowns suggestions from others. It's simply too much for a 40g tank. A pair should go out of that tank now.

He's not testing for those he said. I need to find out what coral he was trying to keep in the first place. And I'll let him know about the clowns but while I was there I didn't see any aggression at all between his fish. I have room in my tank for one of his pair if he does start seeing aggression.

 

[acabgd]

He's not testing for those he said. I need to find out what coral he was trying to keep in the first place. And I'll let him know about the clowns but while I was there I didn't see any aggression at all between his fish. I have room in my tank for one of his pair if he does start seeing aggression.

I wouldn't really wait for agression. 40g tank is overstocked with 4 clowns and 3 damsels. More food = more nutrients = more waste = more algae.

I'm not saying remove the pair of clowns because I think they will kill each other, but simply because such a small tank cannot successfully support that many fish.

Up to you of course, but you came here looking for advice and this is the advice you've been given. By saying "I don't see any agression" you didn't alleviate the basic problem.

 

[mrsixstrings12]

I wouldn't really wait for agression. 40g tank is overstocked with 4 clowns and 3 damsels. More food = more nutrients = more waste = more algae.

I'm not saying remove the pair of clowns because I think they will kill each other, but simply because such a small tank cannot successfully support that many fish.

Up to you of course, but you came here looking for advice and this is the advice you've been given. By saying "I don't see any agression" you didn't alleviate the basic problem.

Understood. I'll see him tomorow and will relay all the info I have been given but at the end of the day, it's his tank. I hope he'll do what's best for his fish. He was interested in getting another tank so maybe I can talk him into letting me keep a pair of clowns until he sets it up and cycles it and then I can give them back to him. Thank you all for the help!