Algae Problem?

[newbie for life]

Just had a question about Algae. I have a new tank.. started in January. 55 gallon w/ 3 damsel fish, LR, 1 LTA, a couple choc. chip stars. I heard tanks under a year old have algae blooms from time to time... but i am getting massive amouts growing everywhere.. walls, rock, filter ect... Not sure if this is good algae or bad stuff... that is harmful to my stock. I checked my nitrites ok, nitrates around 15-20, Ph good, water hardness good, phosphates good, calcium good... I did use tap water origionally with the buffer. I am going to get some distilled water and start doing some water changes but I dont want to add anything to the tank if this algae is bad. I also have a 48" flourescent hood light that i have been keeping on for like 12 hours and off for 12 hours.. i am going to cut way back on that light being on. But just wanted to see if anyone has had this same problem. Thanks for any input in advance.
Sorry about the bad spelling.

[7faces]

looks like ya need a lawnmower blenny!

[newbie for life]

seriously? A lawn mower?

[horner420]

kinda funny. just got a lawnmower blenny today. he's taken good care of my hair algae. really cool too.

[7faces]

lol yeah, i dont know its technical name, but just go to any local fish store and tell em ya want a lawnmower blenny..they will have em..
the blenny will just sit on your rock and stuff himself full of algae..you will both be happy!

[kcress]

You have to be careful using fish for those purposes. They can often eat it all and then starve.

Alternatively they don't like that specific algae but some other type.

I have about an acre of that same exact stuff growing in my middle tank. I have a fat permanently gorged Yellow Tang. He spends his entire day eating the really beautiful bright green algae I would love having, while meticulously avoiding this stuff.

[Amphiprion]

You have to be careful using fish for those purposes. They can often eat it all and then starve.

Alternatively they don't like that specific algae but some other type.

I have about an acre of that same exact stuff growing in my middle tank. I have a fat permanently gorged Yellow Tang. He spends his entire day eating the really beautiful bright green algae I would love having, while meticulously avoiding this stuff.

That's usually how it works (at least with my luck). It is for reasons like this I prefer other methods to take care of algae (manual removal and nutrient export/adsorption/absorption) before I rely on biological means, which are much more unreliable and unpredictable--albeit more interesting, however.

[Catpicklesdog]

I'd cut down your lighting to 24hrs off and then 5hrs per day. I'd also cut down your feeding if possible. Any chance you can use RO or RO/DI water? I had a similar breakout on my tank and then that's when I realised my RO/DI filters needed changing!!! From my experience a yellow tang and Lawnmower blenny (Salarias fasciatus) won't touch the stuff once it gets to that length. Neither will my Urchin or snails.

[Robin Alv]

I've got that in my tank. I just turned my lights off yesterday and will keep them off for a few days. I don't have coral so I can do it. I'll let you know if it works.

[newbie for life]

Ya i dont have a problem turning the lights off for a 24 hour period... not sure how much my long tent. anem. will enjoy that.. Anyone take their Live Rock out of the tank and scrub it with a tooth brush? If i do take the LR out can i just rinse it with tap water and scrub all the algae off? Not sure if there was a special technique to this.

[Robin Alv]

I don't have corals now so I could do it. I wouldn't risk it with your ane. although someone else should know more than I do. I'm jsut hoping it kills the algae off soon. I left the lights off yesterday but the green is still lookin' healthy.

[zhonk]

Though a lawnmower won't be a permannent solution. First you should see if you are overfeeding, overstocking, not changing enough water, or not replacing filter media regularly enough.

[newbie for life]

ya i dont think im overstocking... i have 3 damsels in a 55 gallon tank... 1 LTA , and 2 choc. chip stars... But it could be that im not changing the filters enough... i have a dual biowheel.. i know i haven't changed the filters enough.... I want to put a new filter setup on this tank....overflow with a sump... but just haven't had the time to research and do it right. Its all about the good old american dollar...

[horner420]

intresting? like i said in the previous post, i just got a comb tooth this saturday(first blenny in my 4+ years at this addiction:perv:), and he seems to actually jump for the taller hair algea. along with just mowing down the short stuff. i keep the side and the back "dirty". then again i used to only use to have only coraline. now i just scrap some of the really long hair off ever-so often. and my turbo's also seem to like the long hair too. plowing into the "thicket" and such:). good stuff!

:angryfire:though, my emeralds only eat my coraline and don't touch the hair or bubble.:angryfire: which, as i have read in many articles on emeralds, they are supposed to eat both. guess it's just a crap shoot:silly:!
:wall:

[newbie for life]

wow.. that's pretty cool... I wanted to get a fish the other day so bad when i was at the store.. but i just got some test kits i needed. I want to make sure all my chemistry is perfect. I dont want to lose anything i put in there. I just wasn't sure what was causing the algae out break... So right now i have a bio wheel.. but i am thinking about getting another filter... I want to creat another thread on what the best filter is and the pro's and con's of each.. cleaning and replacing biomedia ect... i think i had an algae outbreak because i didnt change the bio wheel fiilter every two weeks .. thats what it calls for on the package... and its 10 bucks every two weeks.. im thinking id rather get a better filter system for that kind of money .. in the long run it will be cheaper..

[ChangDriX]

when ever i get an algae problem i do a 20% WC and cut the lights out for a day and half and it usually disapears