green algea problem

[slugstheone]

i am having a bit of an algea problem.it will not go away unless i turn of the light.i was told to get a uv light and do not know which ones to look into.any suggestions??i am looking to spend about $100-$150,and i have a 72 gallon tank.

[mogurnda]

Unless the algae is floating around in the water, a UV unit will not affect it.

In most cases, algae can be reduced by a combination of:
1. Reducing nutrients. This means cutting back on feeding, using live rock and/or live sand to remove nitrate, and adding macroalgae to compete for nutrients. Using a protein skimmer will also help.
2. Adding herbivores, like hermits and snails.

In a new tank, it takes a while for things to settle down.

What's the set up like? How much live rock, what kind of substrate? What kind of filter or skimmer? What are the water parameters (pH, nitrate, alkalinity, calcium)?

[slugstheone]

none of this algea floats but it does stick to everything the glass and the decor i have in the tank.i had some tangs in the tank left the light on and the algea returned.since then i have returned the fish and kept the tank light off...and of course no algea.i have a protein skimmer and a wet dry filter no live rock yet though.all of my nitrates,ph,amonia and all of that are in the corect ranges.i was told using tap water to fill the tank can cause this problem also.is this true??

[slipknottin]

lighting generally has nothing to do with algae. Algae grows because of the nutrients in the water. Lighting just dictates which species of algae will grow to consume them.

Most nutrients in the water come from the food you feed, but tap water can also contribute significantly.

[mogurnda]

The two things that feed algae the most are nitrate and phosphate. It doesn't take much, especially with no competetion from corals or macroalgae, and no grazing by herbivores.

If you have no livestock in the tank right now, it's an excellent time to add a bunch of live rock. If you want a little more info about that, just ask.

[slugstheone]

okay thanx for the info guys.i see that a uv light may not work for me so i am going to look into live rock.can you give me some tips on where to by and what not?

[mogurnda]

The choices come down to various kinds of Pacific live rock, which tend to be more porous, and aquacultured rock from the Gulf of Mexico, which is less porous but has more stuff (sponges, macroalgae, hitchhikers) on it. It comes down to personal choice, really. There have been a couple of useful threads discussing various types of live rock in the past month, so you might want to have a look.

Here's one describing Pacific rock:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28796&highlight=live+rock

Here's a thread about aquacultured rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater (http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com):
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29913

Some good sources, some of which will also give info, are:
Tampa Bay Saltwater (http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com)
Premium Aquatics (http://www.premiumaquatics.com)
Dr Mac (soon to be Pacific East) (http://www.drmaccorals.com/sys-tmpl/door/)

I hope this gives a bit of a start. Please ask more questions.

[slugstheone]

what is a usual price range on live rock??i live in lower westchester n.y.and have a few pet stores in the area .