getting rid of algae

[razorfingerz]

hey guys.. ive been fighting some algae in my 75g/20g sump tank for awhile and was looking for some advice. it looks to my like hair algae. so far ive been trying to feed my fish less, sucking it out during water changes, and scrubbing it off the live rock and using the old water (from water changes) to rinse (the rock)..

i dont think these are the problem:

light bulbs- i have 2x 250 MH, the bulbs are pretty new tho
RO/DI - i recently bought new filters and membrane from Aquatic obsessions, although my DI chamber looks like it could be changed

also. in my fuge.. the chaeto has been growing algae on it too.. but getting it out is harder.. any tips, tricks, or advice would help.

 

[rafal07013]

phosban and carbon reactor. chemi pure elite. less feeding. water changes.

 

[razorfingerz]

im running a canister filter.. and i test 0 for nitrates.. it has fresh carbon in it... you think the phosban will make a noticeable difference?

 

[Hawkeye]

Any idea what your TDS is coming out of the RODI? Might help to know.

Not to get into an argument over tap water users - but this may be a source of some of the nutrients in the tank.

What kind of fish do you have in your 75?

 

[mnat]

im running a canister filter.. and i test 0 for nitrates.. it has fresh carbon in it... you think the phosban will make a noticeable difference?

Phosban or chemipure works. The hair algae in your tank sucks up all the nitrates and phophate in your tank so your tests will come back 0 even thought there is plenty in your water. How long do you run your light during the day? Also, what seems to help is making sure you blow all the old food and junk off your live rock on a daily basis. Do you have a skimmer?

 

[Henrye718]

kinda unavoidable I believe if your feeding fish all the time, all the food is fertilizer. Rinse if its frozen, if its dry make sure its nothing that breaks up before or while the fish are eating causing little particles that are to small for the fish to eat to dilute into the water.

 

[Mbodell]

what got rid of my hair algae was a blue spotted sea hare. The tank went from chewbacca to clean in five days. Then return the sea hare so it doesn't starve like mine did.

 

[reef93]

I just tried 3 days light off method and it was like a charm. all algae gone.

 

[mnat]

I just tried 3 days light off method and it was like a charm. all algae gone.

Do you have corals in your tank?

 

[razorfingerz]

wow these are all good suggestions.. let me answer some of those questions.. my tds is reading about 002.. i have a protein skimmer its a turboflotor multi 1000.. its way over rated for my tank..

 

[Mbodell]

I am telling you the sea hare was awesome. He ate a path of destruction and never knocked anything over. Plus they look really cool. In two weeks my tank has gone from hairy to starting to get coraline. I didn't change any water parameters. It made a huge difference.

 

[mnat]

I am telling you the sea hare was awesome. He ate a path of destruction and never knocked anything over. Plus they look really cool. In two weeks my tank has gone from hairy to starting to get coraline. I didn't change any water parameters. It made a huge difference.

Do you rent him out on an daily or weekly rate?

 

[reef93]

I just tried 3 days light off method and it was like a charm. all algae gone.

Do you have corals in your tank?

Yes, I have mixes of sps/lps/softies. they all doing well after 3 days light off. I did water change and only turn on actinic light at 4th day to prevent coral got shock. SPS looks little paled after 3 day but color up in 2 days.

 

[jgana]

I just bought two sea hares at Ocean Gallery in North Plainfield. Twenty bucks each. They have more. Mine have a lot of work in front of them, but they seem to be going at it pretty good. I got two small ones, though the store had a huge one that someone had recently returned after it cleaned them out of hair algae. Pretty neat to watch as part of the mini ecosystem too. Ugly little guys, but I guess its in the eye of the beholder!

 

[NJ_ychung1]

wut about vodka. would dosing be another approach? anyone have an opinion on this?

 

[concept3]

I just tried 3 days light off method and it was like a charm. all algae gone.

Do you have corals in your tank?

Yes, I have mixes of sps/lps/softies. they all doing well after 3 days light off. I did water change and only turn on actinic light at 4th day to prevent coral got shock. SPS looks little paled after 3 day but color up in 2 days.

. . . algae dissappearing in 3 days with no light, and coral colors including SPS to come back in 3 days seems a little far fetched even to me. . .


good water movement, correct light spectrums and acceptable photoperiod, regular water changes, wet skimming and less feeding will help in the long run with algae issues.



for the braver ones, Carbon dosing is an option, but try it at your own risk (and read carefully). It worked for me and it took about a month and a half.
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