What attributes to excessive algae on glass?

[Gooli]

Hi Randy, hope you're doing well

I noticed lately that it takes as little as 24 hours for a green film of algae to develop on the glass. It is hard to tell when looking straight on, but when viewed at an angle (from the side) it is noticeable.

I was wondering what may attribute to this rather fast growth of algae on my glass.

Some info that may help with the answer:
1. 10% water change every 2 weeks
2. 90g+30g sump with Urchin Pro skimmer
3. 2x250mh 110x2 vho actinics on a 12hr total cycle
4. undetectable nitrates and phosphates
5. no Direct sunlight, but some indirect - not much
6. RO/DI Water from Glacier water machines


Thanks
Golan

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Most reef aquaria grow some algae on the glass in 1-4 days. High light and high nutrients encourage it to grow faster.

Undetectable phosphate means less than what with the kit you are using?

 

[Horace]

From my experience it comes down to nutrients. If you have nutrients in the water, algae will grow. Super low nutrient tanks can go up to 2 weeks or longer w/out cleaning the glass. Is my tank one of them? No I clean mine about every 3-4 days typically.

 

[Habib]

Nutrients and some of them undetectable by test kits such as organic phosphates and not enough competition for ammonia uptake by bacteria.

Macroalgae will compete for nutrients like ammonia and (organic) phosphate with the other algae (but also bacteria).

 

[psimitry]

another interesting questions is: Where does hard green algae come from? It's not coralaline(sp?) algae but it's almost as hard to remove from the glass.

The stuff really resists all forms of scraper that I've encountered. I'd like to be able to find a preventative measure towards it.

 

[spidey07]

Dumb tag along question...

Is this algae considered phytoplankton? Will SPS or other animals feed on it when it is scraped off into the water column?

As an aside if I overfeed it is most definately more prominant. If I skip feeding or feed very lightly I can go a week with cleaning the tank. So I very much agree it has a lot to do with nutrients.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Where does hard green algae come from?

Spores or whatever the smallest mobile bits are called for these organisms are in the water, released by algae in other parts of the tank.


Is this algae considered phytoplankton? Will SPS or other animals feed on it when it is scraped off into the water column?

They may feed on it. Many people assume they do, but I've not seen any actual measurement to show that scraped algae does serve that function.

 

[Habib]

They may feed on it. Many people assume they do, but I've not seen any actual measurement to show that scraped algae does serve that function.

Some fish and snails, to name a few, will eat it even scrape it from the window.

I think that it is unlikely that corals will benefit much from it since when it is scraped off most of it is released as large size flakes. Corals' capturing mechanism is adjusted to smaller sizes (pods, phytoplankton,...).

 

[Gooli]

Hi there...sorry it took me so long to reply...i'm glad others are participating.

To answer your question Randy, i am using Salifert Phosphate test kit.
Let me be clear, this is not hard to remove algae..it comes off like a dust-cloud with a magnet cleaner.

So....how does one achieve low nutrients and how can it be tested?

 

[psimitry]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6963038#post6963038 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gooliver
I am using Salifert Phosphate test kit.[/B]

I salute you sir! I have this kit and found it INSANELY hard to read the results (worse than their Nitrite kit and I didn't think that was possible).

But if you're able to interpret the results with any kind of accuracy, you've got better eyes than me. I currently use the Seachem test and find it easiER, but still not that easily readable (oh to have the $$$ for a labratory grade digital meter.....).

 

[moumda]

I have 2 skimmers going, do biweekly water changes of 15%, and have a refugium with macro growing in it and I still have to clean my glass every 3-4 days. If I don't get any hair algea growth I don't worry about it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I prefer skimming and growing macroalgae to reduce nutrients, but there are many ways. These articles discuss many of them:

Phosphorus: Algaeââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s Best Friend
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm

Iron Oxide Hydroxide (GFO) Phosphate Binders
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.htm

 

[Gooli]

thanks Randy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Good luck.