problem!

[aloysiusblue]

i recently set up a 25 gallon tank. i put about 15 pounds of live rock in the tank. i have a formosa fixture and a bak pak 2 filter and protein skimmer. i set the formosa to come on for 8 hours a day. i didn't want to add anything until the tank had fully cycled. i went on vacation for a week letting the tank cycle with the lights set to come on for 8 hours daily. i retuned home and algea was EVERYWHERE! it could just be a normal thing, but it looks like SO much algea. the rocks are covered in it, and the look so dead and not as colorful as they once were. i scrapped all the algea off the glass and the power head as best i could, but the rocks seem to hard to get. should i scrap the whole tank and start again? or maybe buy some crabs to clean the rocks while performing water changes? any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[Andrew]

What kind of algae? I would start off by doing a 10-15% water change. Are you using ro/di water?

 

[aloysiusblue]

no not yet. i was just going to go to the store and buy distilled water. i dont know the different types of algea. its very dark green. almost brown.

 

[SeanySean]

do you have any pictures

 

[aloysiusblue]

yes. i will try and get some pics. hopefully i'll have them up within the next 15 minutes. thanks.

 

[Andrew]

Sounds like green slim ( cyano ) Post the pictures once you have them.

 

[aloysiusblue]

 

[Zoalander]

You need more flow.

 

[Andrew]

That kind of brown algae can be cause by some of these reason:

-No enough flow
-Bulbs you are using are old
-Tap water
-Not doing enough water changes. 10% each week would be good.

 

[aloysiusblue]

what exactly is flow? sorry i am VERY new

 

[iflyprops]

Water movement.

 

[SeanySean]

and to add to Andrews excelent advice too much feeding, to me looks like cyano.... does it have bubbles trying to escape through it, looks kinda slimy.....

I think when you switch to distilled water this problem should go away.

You also have to remember that this is a new tank so if you stop adding tap water which provides phospahtes (food) for bacteria this will resaolve in time, best sort it now when the tank is empty, so much harder to do when you have to feed the inhabitants...!

What are you using for flow?
What are your lights?
How long do you leave your lights on?
Are you feeding the tank?

 

[egdevilboy]

flow is how much water is being moved in your tank. Usually done with the use of powerheads (Maxijets, Seio, etc...). You want a minimum of 10x your water volume. So in a 40 gallon tank, you want atleast 400 gph (gallons per hour). That is minimum. i have 25x in my 45.

Also, used RO/Di water from your LFS. and check nitrates

 

[aloysiusblue]

i don't know that i am using anything for flow, other than what the bak pak spits back out. i have that pipe turned against the side of the tank. maybe i will turn it toward the center. the light fixture i am using is a formosa the bulbs are 2 65 watt bulbs (one white one blue) i have been leaving my lights on for 8 hours a day lately i have been keeping them off so teh algea wont grow as much. should i do a 50% water change? and how should i go about cleaning the rock?

 

[SeanySean]

I would not rely on Filtration for flow (bak Pak) get some powerheads (they are internal pumps that sit in the water) they range in price and people at reef central will be able to help you with their massive experience, they helped me loads...

How old are your bulbs, if new, don't worry - GOOD

Do not do a water change untill you have good water, you will only make the matter worse, you do not have any corals so you can either give the algae lots of light which will mean they will starve, or turn the lights down - the food will remain untill a "good water" change has been done.

When you have good water you can scrub your rocks etc, but the best solution is resolution of the problem - I Think your water and flow...

 

[Fmellish]

My rocks are browner than that and I flow 2000 GPH using TUNZE powerheads and Eheim 1260 for return.

From my experience more flow doesn't mean less algae. Although my experience isn't worth much since I'm new to this also.

Cheers
Josh

 

[SeanySean]

Fmellish - you are right, the first thing I did when I had this problem last year was improve flow, Cyano is more than that, combination of problems, they all have to be found before it will go

 

[aloysiusblue]

if i buy water from the store, what kind should i look for & how much of a water change should i do right off the bat? 50%?

 

[aloysiusblue]

also, the glass top i have on my tank is constantly getting filmy build up on the underside, could that be affecting the lights the same way old bulbs do?

 

[shelbyville]

This just looks like your typical new tank diatom bloom. Almost every tank gets an algae bloom just like this in the first few weeks. The algae is known as diatoms and it should go away after your water matures. I would say not to waste money on more powerheads, just shorten your lighting cycle and wait it out.