I'll start from the beginning (pics)

[Mappelbaum37]

Hi guys... I have a diatom/cyano/detritus/ hair algae problem. I'll start from the very beginning.

I started up a 75 gallon tank about a year ago. After a while i decided to get into corals and needed stronger lighting then my 56 watt lighting fixture so I bought a T5 Nova extreme fixture 216 watts. After I did this it seemed I was getting a brown slime substance on the surface of my tank water, And i didnt and still dont know why.

The pic is bad but note that if you look closely the surface is brown:

Well, about 3 months ago I decided I was going to switch from crushed coral to sand. When I did this change I emptied the tank of all livestock and rocks, and added about 20 lbs of live rock in the process. I added 20 lbs of live sand and 40lbs of non live sand.

before:

after:

After doing this change the surface slime seemed to disappear. Well, long story short I started getting red cyano slime. So I added a slime remover and it got rid of the red slime but a brown slime immediately took its place. I was told by someone at my LFS that I dont have diatoms because all of my parameters are good. He said it is detritus algae and it should go away in a few weeks with good flow. After a while it hadnt gone away and he told me its all about the dirt. He said he's been through it a thousand times and I had to eliminate all the dirt from the rocks and the water. Well I bought an H.O.T magnum canister filter and every night I use a turkey baster and a tooth brush and scrub and squeeze at all the rocks and get as much off as I can, yet the next day its all back where it started. I increased from doing 5 gallon water changes to 10 gallon water changes.

red slime:

brown slime:

I am now thinking my lights are getting old and are at least contributing to the problem. In the back of the tank where there is no light, there is no algae so I ordered new light bulbs that should be in on Tuesday.

Maybe the surface slime is indirectly related to the slime I have now, Its just not on the surface of the water, its on the rocks?

Why would replacing old bulbs with new stronger and efficient bulbs help an algae problem?

*All fish and corals are doing fine.

 

[Mappelbaum37]

More brown slime:

After being scrubbed:

Back of tank:

Note that it is algae free

More pics following:

 

[swilcoxen]

Have you tested for phosphates and nitrates? Algae won't grow without nutrients (i.e., phosphates/nitrates)? I had these problems too for some time as my tap water is rather rich in phosphates. I started using Phosban in an aquaclear power filter and that reduced the problem substantially. I later installed a Phosban Reactor and things are even better.

I'm not an expert, but I don't think replacing your bulbs is going to solve your problem. If anything, you'll be dumping more light in the tank thereby accelerating algae growth (I think).

You don't see algae in the dark spots because algae requires nutrients + light to grow. No light = no algae.

The red slime, by the way, is not algae at all, but cyano-bacteria. This usually settles out after a while. I'm assuming that replacing your sandbed, adding new liverock, and dumping in a tank full of freshwater created the same conditions often seen in a new tank. Either way, it is my understanding (and experience) that when nitrates and phosphates are kept in check the slime goes away.

Hope someone else can chime in and confirm. Remember, this is only one guy's opinion.

 

[Mappelbaum37]

Now:

*Lots o green hair algae around the mushrooms

*This is after being scrubbed at with a tooth brush every night and aqueezed at with a turkey baster daily* Just comes back with in hours.

 

[Mappelbaum37]

Well- I loaded you guys up with pics and my tanks history- Time for you guys to load me up with info...


Thanks

 

[sanababit]

matt, please dont take this advice and throw it away, i will give you the secret on how to kill the algea a more natural way, without chemicals, ok here it is:

turn off lights for 3 days
on 4th day actinics only
on 5th day regular schedule

for the film on top, you will need a powerhead directed to the surface for agitation, do you have a sump????, if not get a surface skimmer for that fluval canister filter you have going (IME you dont need it, a fuge is better), its about 12 dlls, you put it on suction side and it will clean the surface crystal clear.

all this info will help you, WHY because i have been there and done that and won, good luck

sana

 

[Mappelbaum37]

I tested my tank water, spring water and tap water and all test 0 for phosphates. Yes, hard to believe but i tested all of them 3 times to make sure.

 

[sk8rreefgeek]

hey, where do buy the suface skimmer for the fluval?

Also, like stated above, more light = more algae. try reducing the light cycle

try not to overfeed (I'm guilty sometimes, I like to keep my fish fat lol)

 

[sanababit]

the skimmer can be bought at an LFS, or look online on EBAY, there are a lot of places where they sell dose, i used to have one but removed the canister filter and installed a sump with fuge, when i sold the canister filter i gave the skimmer to the buyer

 

[Mappelbaum37]

I have the fluval surface skimmer and the surface film is a thing of the past It is completely off the surface ever since I did the tank change. I dont have a sump so I dont have any room for a fuge and the feedback I got about getting a Hang on the back fuge was that If im going to buy a refugium I should do the right way, by building one under the tank. HOB only cause problems I was told. Anyways, questions:

- Having the lights off for 3 days wont hurt the corals? I mean I've been battling this algae for a while and after a few water changes I would keep the lights off for a day but 3 is a lot! are you sure to do that for that long? My light cycle is only at 6 and a half hours right now and I was told that was the minimal amount of light for a day, but if your positive then ok.

 

[Mappelbaum37]

*the surface skimmer I have doesnt like to stay still and is constantly bobbling which causes the fluval to freak out and spit out air bubbles so I have to tape my surface skimmer to the back of the tank so it doesnt bobble around. Pretty annoying but it keeps my surface water clean so I guess I'm happy.

 

[sanababit]

maple, i really dont know whats in your tank and how stable it is, but turning the lights off for 3 will work and if your corals are healty they will survive with no problems, you already dosed chemicals and everything survived, so turning the light off is a walk in the park, good luck

sana

 

[Mappelbaum37]

I understand what you mean. Whats weird though is that I have pretty hardy corals as well as not so hardy. The weird thing is my red zoanthids are half open and half closed 24/7 meanwhile my frogpsawn, yellow leather, bubble, mushrooms and basically every other coral I have in the tank are fully open when the lights go on. I wonder why my zoanthids wont open all the way, but regardless, I will do what you say. My plan is to do a water change on sat or sun (not sure of my schedule) and then leave the lights off the following 3 days. I guess Ill feed cyclopeeze for the corals.

Question... Can i turn my actinics on once a day for about 5 minutes to feed my fish?

 

[wrott]

Fish can go a week or more w/out food--overfeeding is a problem too. Did you say you use ro/di water or well water, that would be another problem w/ diatoms as well, but mainly it's nutrients and a build up of detritus over time.

 

[Mappelbaum37]

Well I know I'm gonna be angered by you guys when I say this but I use spring water. For the past 2 weeks I've been using tap due to money concerns but other then these 2 past weeks Ive used spring since the start. I cant get an ro/di unit because of the way things are right now so I'm thinking about buying ro water from a LFS weekly. I dont know though yet.

For now I'm gonna do a water change on sunday and leave the lights off mon-wed. I'm too nice not to feed my fish and I would be too concerned about them so Im just going to turn the lights on once a day for about 5 minutes to feed them. (only the actinics)

-I'll keep you posted with how everything works out.

 

[wolrey]

You can scrub at the algae or try to kill it, but it won't matter. The nutrients that a allowing it to bloom will still be in the water waiting to be used again.
You need to get your nutrient levels down. Tap water shouldn't be used in a reef tank. Doing weekly water changes with at least RO would be a great start. Add a phos reactor with phos media to help get the phosphates down would also help. You do the waterchanges, add a phos reactor, and watch how much you feed your fish, and I bet your rock/sand will clear up overtime. Nothing happens fast in the hobby and you should expect to battle this for sometime.

Jeff

 

[wolrey]

The brown slime that builds up on the surface of the water happens to ALL tanks. It blocks the air exchange at the surface so we try to get rid of it. If you have a overflow or the overflow unit on the fluval, it will be continually pulled off and never get a chance to "build up". If you don't have one of these, you can aim one of your powerheads at the surface to agitate it and break it up.

 

[Jmikitz]

Also check your local grocery chain store for RO Water.. Alot of them are starting to sell it. Using tap water and even spring water isnt really a hot idea. they have a lot of nutrients in them that build in the tank over time and cause alot of strange blooms . been through it myself.. the 2 best things i bought were a ro\di unit and a Phosban reactor.. the result were well worth the money. and i may love my reef tank i dont miss the extra time i had to take every day dealing with algae. good luck

 

[Mappelbaum37]

I spoke to someone at my LFS and they sell ro water for 50 cents a gallon so what I'm gonna start to do is pick up 10 gallons a week and use that ro seeing as I cant get a unit myself. I just checked and I have close to 0 phosphates and my nitrates are way up there at a whopping 20. So I will change the carbon in my fluval, change and clean the sponges, do a 10 gallon water change (RO water) and leave the lights of mon-wed. turn the actinics on thurs. and get back to a regular schedule friday...

I'll talk to you guys tomorrow and tell you how everything went tomorrow night...


thanks for all the help so far!

 

[Frozn]

Do weekly water changes.

USE ONLY RO WATER.

Reduce lights.

Get a fuge or a place for Chaeto.

Phosphates are close to zero?? which means they are high because the algea is currently consuming them. This is your main problem, phosphates.