Algae Bloom

[deaclauderdale]

I think my algae is getting out of hand. Maybe I'm running the light s to long without a clean up crew (12hrs). My test kits should be arriving by mail soon. Anyway herer are a few pics help my wife is killing me.

 

[STAR RIDGE]

i would say that 12 hours for a daily light cycle is a bit too long.with algae being a simple plant, it requires two things for survival and growth. those things are nutrients and sunlight. nutrients are from detritus which is from fish waste, excess fish food and dieing algae cells. i would guess this is a new set-up (less than six months) and has not completed the cycle and had time for maturity. cut back lights to 7-8 hours, cut back on feeding( of feed less more often) and be patient and it should clear. joe.

 

[sasquatch]

for a quick removal you can use the aquaclear powerhead filter, I use a piece of fine reticulated foam instead of the filter pad, get it running clean the tank and pull it out after 2 hours, this will polish the water and remove the excess,you will have to find the source problem however. Steve

 

[deaclauderdale]

Thanx guys and yes the setup is only 12 days old.

 

[deaclauderdale]

Sasquatch where can I get the foam?

 

[sasquatch]

I got mine at a foam shop, its black and called reticulated, you can also get the white filter pad sheet from lfs and wash it out, the centre piece from the aquaclear is great for wrapping around,Steve

 

[deaclauderdale]

Which Aquaclear do you reccomend? Or could I use any powerhead with the foam covering it?

 

[theskunk]

remember your tank is still cycling and you will get a fiew algae blooms....patients

 

[deaclauderdale]

remember your tank is still cycling and you will get a fiew algae blooms....patients

Ok but I will cut down on the lighting time. is it ok to siphon a bit of the algae off the sand bed or just leave it?

 

[theskunk]

its kinda hard to tell from the pics but is it kinda a brown dusting or a thick slimy algae?

 

[deaclauderdale]

It's brown dusting

 

[Craig Lambert]

That is pretty normal for a new tank. As new as it is, I would cut the photo period to maybe 5 hours or so. You might also want to increase your flow to just below sandstorm level. I would also check my Alk level, and keep it to the high end of the acceptable range of 7-11 dKH.

 

[deaclauderdale]

How do raise alk, and my test kit hasn't arrived yet.

 

[cheeks69]

I would use a turkey baster or powerheard and try to loosen the algae and syphon it out of the tank. Also get some herbivores in that tank ASAP.

How do raise alk, and my test kit hasn't arrived yet.

What you can do is drip kalk...algae don't like a high ph.

 

[deaclauderdale]

I'll try and locate some and I haven't tested so I can't add anythign yet. And could you explain the siphoning process in a bit more detail.

 

[cheeks69]

Oh my bad didn't read the setup is only 12 days old ! I would either reduce drastically the photoperiod to like 2 hours a day or keep them closed altogether until the cycle is complete. AFA the siphoning look here

 

[deaclauderdale]

Thanx Cheeks I appreciate all the help I'm getting. this is a much more invloved endeavour than I dreamed but I am determined to do it right for myself and the live stock. The algae dosen't concern me as much as the cloudiness of the tank (been up for 12 days should be settling by now right?) does though any thoughts on that?

 

[cheeks69]

What do you mean cloudiness ? Is it from the sand, bacterial or algal ?
what are you using for filtration ?

 

[deaclauderdale]

When I cut the light s off and I 'm looking at the tank with the light in the living room on I noticed what appears to be smoke/cloud rolling and tumbling with the flow through out the tank, is this from the brand salt that I use, or is the rock cooking, or is the substrate being blow around?

 

[deaclauderdale]

What do you mean cloudiness ? Is it from the sand, bacterial or algal ?
what are you using for filtration ?

I'm using live rock as flitration and I added a filter sock this evening to see if I could clear it up.