Am I doing enough to control algae?

[llowwelll]

I have a 35-gal hex set up since early May. I have a DIY 4-ft tall, 4 in diameter skimmer mounted in the sump and power compact lighting. I have 3 powerheads in the tank for circulation. I've got something like 18 blue/scarlet hermits and approx 20 snails (combination of cerith, turbo, and margarita). Finally, I put a lawnmower blenny and a blue tang in the tank in hopes that they'll eat algae (they do). Right now, I have a fairly minor breakout of green hair algae, I've got a moderate amount of green diatom algae that appears on the glass, and a very thin coating of green algae on a lot of my live rock where the coralline algae has not yet appeared. I do have coralline algae growing and spreading pretty well and use B-Ionic. So, having said all of this...is the algae that I'm seeing now simply a result of the natural progression of the tank and it's relative newness or do I need to do more to keep the algae in check? I do not use RO water. I'd like to but don't have the money right now to buy a RO unit. Any and all advice would be appreciated. I'm fairly new at this and would appreciate everyone's inputs. Thanks!

 

[davelin315]

I don't use B-Ionic, don't really know what it is (calcium supplement, right?) but if you want to control your hair algae, you should elevate your calcium (the phosphates will precipitate out of the water at higher levels, especially where you drip kalk) and maybe throw in a phosphate sponge if there are high phosphates as well. As far as doing enough, with a 4 foot skimmer on a 35 gallon tank, you should be removing tons and tons of organics from your water, as well as any algae you scrape off the walls. Lighting may also be a factor, although if you have coralline algae growing, your light should be enough to discourage some algaes.

 

[llowwelll]

Thanks for the reply! Yes, B-Ionic is a 2-step calcium and alkilinity buffer solution. I had not heard of it either until I went down to MACNA XIII last weekend. While there, I talked very briefly with Dr Mac of Dr Mac and Sons (a coral farm on the web) and he told me that it was the only supplement he used. So, I bought a package of it. Later, as I was leaving the hotel I had the package in my hands and a guy told me it was "the best" and that he'd never had any success with reefs until he used it. Since starting to use it last weekend, my coralline algae growth has definitely picked up. Most noticeably, it has begun covering my powerheads and uptake tubes where it did not exist last weekend. I also did a search on the internet for it when i got back and the stuff I read was very positive with the only drawback being that it can get expensive for larger tanks.

 

[Jenemone]

My expensive "deco rock" from Gulf-view has become a hair algae garden. I have not yet purchased a water purifier (shopping for one now), and I believe that this is the root of the problem.

As you probably know, tap water is full of nutrients that the nuisance algaes thrive on. I have been using phosphate removers for four weeks and haven't noticed a major improvement.

In my opinion, it would have been easier to purchase the purifier early on, rather than battling to remove the hair algae after it has already taken hold.

Just my $.02.

Jen