Before Bad algae outbreaks the preventative stuff:
1. RO water used for mixing and top off. Buy it or get a RO unit which can be found at Lowes and Homedepot.
2. Feed with a light hand. You should not see food floating around after 5 min. That means you overfed..if that happens just keep track and lighten the feeding load or days you feed.
3.Photo periods no longer than 8 hours.
4. Getting Phosban reactor which you can put Phosban Rophos and even charcoal mixed in. Great product.
5.Stick to your maintenance schedule..example weekly 10% water change. Bi weekly skimmer cleaning of the cup (not just dumping but cleaning the crud out of the funnel). Cleaning filter socks out in the wash...etc etc.
6. Clean up crew my suggestion is specifically for your tank is lots of blue leg hermits and astrae snails. Turbos are fast and all but they push over things often..reason I can't stand them.
*Above is just general advise*
Now once you have a bad algae problem you are past the point of prevention its now clean up time baby!:mad2:
Next water change save that water in a bucket and take out as many rocks as you can and scrub them down in the water...scrub a dub dub.
Next is do a very large water change with (ro/di water premixed or made yourself) punch those nitrates and phosphates in the mouth...nitrates at this time will not register accurately...thanks to algae eating on it.
Get your hands on a phosphate reactor...its awsome..its cheap.. and buy a Reef Buffer if coral tank or marine buffer if Fish only... dunno why its what a pal told me to do. You will have to monitor PH for a few weeks when introducing fresh Phosban in a reactor.
Lighten up your feeding...the fish wont starve.. if you lightly fed daily with flake formula 2 for instance..do it every 3 days... target feed corals if you have LPS...softies ... vs just squirting coral food into a power head (lazy man way) its better to control how much you feed at this time to help reduce any added nitrates and phosphates...you cant avoid it but you can restrict it between your water changes.
My thinking and why I advise this:
If you dont scrub away that algae...it will die off if you reduce nitrates, phosphates and use proper water...what happens when it dies? It decays..creating another problem. More DOC's (dissolved organic compounds)...
I suggested reducing foods because things wont starve if you do..and it will help you put a slow down on adding more of what you dont want at this time to the system for a faster recovery.
Note: i have not ever seen my turbos , blue legs , or astrea touch hair algae...just my sea hair.... I had to manually do it..and prevent it from ever coming back. Still having those clean up critters will clean the glass for you and rock crevices of other algae.
1. RO water used for mixing and top off. Buy it or get a RO unit which can be found at Lowes and Homedepot.
2. Feed with a light hand. You should not see food floating around after 5 min. That means you overfed..if that happens just keep track and lighten the feeding load or days you feed.
3.Photo periods no longer than 8 hours.
4. Getting Phosban reactor which you can put Phosban Rophos and even charcoal mixed in. Great product.
5.Stick to your maintenance schedule..example weekly 10% water change. Bi weekly skimmer cleaning of the cup (not just dumping but cleaning the crud out of the funnel). Cleaning filter socks out in the wash...etc etc.
6. Clean up crew my suggestion is specifically for your tank is lots of blue leg hermits and astrae snails. Turbos are fast and all but they push over things often..reason I can't stand them.
*Above is just general advise*
Now once you have a bad algae problem you are past the point of prevention its now clean up time baby!:mad2:
Next water change save that water in a bucket and take out as many rocks as you can and scrub them down in the water...scrub a dub dub.
Next is do a very large water change with (ro/di water premixed or made yourself) punch those nitrates and phosphates in the mouth...nitrates at this time will not register accurately...thanks to algae eating on it.
Get your hands on a phosphate reactor...its awsome..its cheap.. and buy a Reef Buffer if coral tank or marine buffer if Fish only... dunno why its what a pal told me to do. You will have to monitor PH for a few weeks when introducing fresh Phosban in a reactor.
Lighten up your feeding...the fish wont starve.. if you lightly fed daily with flake formula 2 for instance..do it every 3 days... target feed corals if you have LPS...softies ... vs just squirting coral food into a power head (lazy man way) its better to control how much you feed at this time to help reduce any added nitrates and phosphates...you cant avoid it but you can restrict it between your water changes.
My thinking and why I advise this:
If you dont scrub away that algae...it will die off if you reduce nitrates, phosphates and use proper water...what happens when it dies? It decays..creating another problem. More DOC's (dissolved organic compounds)...
I suggested reducing foods because things wont starve if you do..and it will help you put a slow down on adding more of what you dont want at this time to the system for a faster recovery.
Note: i have not ever seen my turbos , blue legs , or astrea touch hair algae...just my sea hair.... I had to manually do it..and prevent it from ever coming back. Still having those clean up critters will clean the glass for you and rock crevices of other algae.
