Need advice: Algae taking over my tank.

[rgordon1979]

I need some help. I have a 30 gallon tank that has been set up for just over three years. Substrate is crushed coral, a have a cheap protein skimmer that I am nursing for a few more months, but it works. Filter consists of a whisper power filter, I know it is not the best but it has worked great so far as long as I keep up with it! Lighting is two power compacts, one 10k and one actinic.
Up until I decided to vacuum the substrate out a few months ago I had not had a problem. My 3 red bta's were the first to go, I have a pulsing xenia that is just barely holding on and a yellow tang that seems fine. I think what caused the bta's to die was a spike in ammonia or nitrite/nitrates when I cleaned the tank. What I can't figure out is the algae that is beginning to cover everything, live rock, the substrate, everthing. It is brown for the most part, but red in some areas. I have attached pics. Let me know what you think. Oh, and the water tests out fine now.

[jojo22]

You have cyanobacteria. up your water changes and try to remove the crushed coral. I feel that it may be where the phosphates that are feeding the cyano are comeing from. Increase your water flow and try to suck as much out with a turky baster or your gravel cyphon. Good luck as a last ditch effert you could run some phosban by seachem through your filter but that is just a bandaid and will not fix the problem.

[rgordon1979]

Thanks for the response. What do you think I should use to replace the crushed coral? Is sand generally considered the best choice?

[CaitxSith]

i use gravel :cool:

but i guess it depends on what you have in the tank

[rgordon1979]

i use gravel :cool:

but i guess it depends on what you have in the tank

I wish salt were as simple as using gravel......then again it would not be quite as rewarding.

[Max]

Hi, Cait
Gravel is fine in fresh water as far as I know but, in fresh water it traps all sorts of detritus. It will cause long term nitrate,phosphate and other issues I would recommend replaicing it with sand. If you can find it use arogonite if not you use plain sand. You should also have from 1 to 1.5 lbs or curred live rock in a non-pred tank and 2 or even 2.5 lbs in a pred tank. You might also consider running you filter empty and consider adding more to your clean up crew.
hope this helps
Max

[BadRoma1]

that algae is easy to remove. when you do your water change, while you are seafoning water out, suck the algae off the rocks with the hose. it will get those havy areas. after that use chemi-clean. that's what i did long time ago and it worked well

[rgordon1979]

that algae is easy to remove. when you do your water change, while you are seafoning water out, suck the algae off the rocks with the hose. it will get those havy areas. after that use chemi-clean. that's what i did long time ago and it worked well


Yeah, I did a 5 gallon water change earlier tonight and was able to remove most of it from the live rock, was not so easy on the crushed coral though. I will be ordering a new filter and the erythromycin to take care of the rest of it.

[Lorna]

Don't use ethroymycin it will kill all the good bacteria that you have cultured on your rock.....follow Max's instructions.....do major water changes....get the crushed coral out and the filter contents out. These are major nitrate sinks and add to the problems. Then run phosban or another phosphate remover in your filter along with carbon. Keep siphoning the algae as it grows back. You will also need to increase your water flow as this will all help rid the even cyano......good luck!

[BadRoma1]

no to erytromicin. chemi-clean, in any LFS. safer for aquaquatic life and made for this kind of problem. don't overdose, make sure the spoon is leveled. yes to getting rid of crushed coral. yes to sand. also, you are getting help from the best at the moment, and it's not me. good luck!

[cab]

no to erytromicin. chemi-clean, in any LFS. safer for aquaquatic life and made for this kind of problem. don't overdose, make sure the spoon is leveled. yes to getting rid of crushed coral. yes to sand. also, you are getting help from the best at the moment, and it's not me. good luck!
I used chemi clean and I lost a few corals because of it. I would not recommend it. Test your phosphates

[Lorna]

I would try everything I suggested and only look to chemi-clean as a last resort. It is a patch not a cure. If you figure out what is causing it you should be able to get it under control and you won't need chemical additives. So, increase flow, lose the cc and canister filter contents, add more live rock....run phosban or rowaphos in your canister, and monitor both phosphates and nitrates.....also, make sure you are using R/O water for all water changes and top ups.

[rgordon1979]

Thanks for all of the replies! I have started doing a 5 gallon water change every couple of days. I also added more circulation near the bottom of the tank. I will continue to syphon out anything else that grows on the bottom. Has anyone heard on Ultralife Red Slime Remover? Is that essentially erythromycin? I have read a lot of good things about it, but am leary of such a easy fix.

Also, what makes the cc such a hotspot for nitrite? Some have told me to go with sand, others have said aragonite. What makes them so much better, or like so many things, does it just depend on who you are talking to?!

Thanks again for all of the help.

[Marinemom]

Yes to getting the crushed coral out of there. The crushed coral has a tendancy to trap uneaten foon and cause spikes in all of your levels especially the nitrates. It is referred to as a nitrate factory. The same goes for any media in the filter because everything becomes trapped there too causing the same problem. You can however, run the filter empty and use it just for flow. Keep doing the water changes. That is always a good thing for your tank enviroment.

Please do not use any chemical in your reef even those that make claims to be reef safe. I used chemi clean in my reef following the direction on the package to the letter and the results were disaterious killing just about everything in its path ending in a tank crash. This does not always happen. However, if there is the slightest risk that the residents in your reef, including the fish, corals, and the inverts could be harmed or killed I would advise against using it. The red slime remover is probably right along those same lines, and I would caution you not to use it. Getting rid of this cyano problem by all natural means is in the best interest of all of the residents in your reef and the reef itself. It will take longer this way and it is more work too but your reef will be safe.

Marinemom

[rgordon1979]

Here is my preliminary plan, let me know what you all think.

I spoke to a LFS today and he showed me that he was running nothing but high quality protein skimmers on all of his tanks. He said assuming you have enough live rock I should be fine with just a p.s. Does anyone here do that? If I do go that route, what type would you suggest? I have looked at Deltec and Berlin Classic or Turbo, any experience with either of those? Also, I have a problem with protein building up on the surface so I would like to impliment skimming of the surface. I was thinking of setting up a overflow box to feed the skimmer and a tube to return the water to the tank (I will set the return higher than the water level so I don't have to use an additional pump). Does this sound like a viable option? Also, if I want to add a canister filter later could I hook that up to the overflow box as well assuming the box could flow enough gpm?

Thanks again for any direction.

BTW, attached is a updated picture of the tank, progress, slowly but surely!!

[Ghost_knife]

yousa is gonna have a problem with 2 tangs.... they fight. I just sold mine.

[jasno999]

I would liek to add my 2 cents since I went thru even worse and was able to correct everyhting.

Skimmer may help but your main problem is probably phosphates in the water. Where does your new water and top of water come from?? Do you have a RO/DI?

First I would get yoru test kits out and do tests and let us know where yoru water stands in terms of all the parameters. I would purcahse a phosphate test kit if you do nto have one. Test the tank first and see whatthe PO4 level is. Then test the water yoru are adding to the tank to see what the PO4 level is.

I had crazy algae in my tank for a long tiem until I realized the problem was PO4. After I knew that I got a RO system which hellped but did not totally remove the PO$ from my tap water. So I added PO4 remover to my filter and I added a clean up crew to the tank and after a month I was algae free (Well free from the ugly algae that was over takign the tank). Besides bettering my water quality the next best think in helping me to get rid of the algae was the mexican turbo snails that I got. They went to town on the algae and cleaned the tank in a months time. They are still in the tank and still doing their job. It is amazing.

Oh and by the way I have crushed coral in my tank as well however I mixed the crushed coral with sand. YOu can use soem crushed croal in yoru substrate but jsut don't use it as the only substrate.

[rgordon1979]

yousa is gonna have a problem with 2 tangs.... they fight. I just sold mine.

The back of the tank is mirrored, it was a reflection.