Why won't ANY algae grow in my tank?

[SeanT]

I have a 4 month old reef tank set up.
It is 75 gallons with about 60 lbs of live rock and a 3 inch DSB.

I have had problems from the beginning. My LFS sold me a ton of fish and they died.
They sold me more, and more died. (They saw me coming).

I realze NOW that the bio load was too much at once.

I bought the reef starter kit from Indo Pacific and now have that in (for two days).

But other than a diatom (yes, not an algae ) bloom early on (I used conditioned tap water at the start and now use RO) I have had no algae in my tank at all. Not on glass, rocks, nowhere.

My parameters:
Temp 80
SG 1.0227
Copper 0
Phosphorus 0.2
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
pH 8.2
Alkalinity High (Red Sea Test)
Ammonia 0.0008

The supplements I use are:
C Balance and
Seachem's Reef Plus, both per instructions.
I change about 15 gallons of water a week.

Quick note: Every, EVERY fish I have ever put in my tank has died except for One teeny, yellow-tailed damsel (the other Damsel's I gave back to the LFS along with the TWO white sand starfish they sold me).

My Hermits (about 15-20) and snails (20-25) are fine and have been.

Is there anything that could possibly be in my tank that would stop algae from growing?
Or conversely, what could I do to get it to start growing?
Any algae, red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo, or violet. I care not.

When people cry about their algae blooms I am jealous.

Also I bought a piece of coraline rock from one of my LFS's show tanks last week...took it straight home. The pretty red/purple has started to turn black.

Any reason for this?

My lights are the cruddy
30 w flourescents that came with the tank...2, 250 w MH 12000 k bulbs go on Monday.

I thank you in advance

 

[Anonymous]

I'm pretty sure you're lack of sufficient light is the reason you're not seeing much algae growth. Slap some powerful lighting on there, and you'll have algae.

 

[danmhippo]

There are 2 distinct group of algae. Micro algae (hair algae included) and macro algae (higher class plant such as Caulerpa, halimeda, or eel grass). Even if you don't care, but if hair algae took off in your tank, you will be sorry that you ever wanted them.

BTW, Moe is right, your light is too dim. Turn them up full (MH included) 10hr/day and you shall start seeing algae.

 

[danmhippo]

Also, macro algae don't normally grow out of LR from nowhere, you have to buy them and plant them in your tank.

 

[Len]

There are 2 distinct group of algae. Micro algae (hair algae included) and macro algae (higher class plant such as Caulerpa, halimeda, or eel grass).

It's a little nitpicky on my part, but macroalgae are not plants. Algae, weather it be unicellular (aka micro) or multicellular (aka macro) are in the Kingdom Protista. Plants are in their own kingdom, Plantae. Much like corals aren't plants (Animalia), algaes aren't either. Just FYI

SeanT,

I have no idea why your fish all died. Next time you plan on adding fish, drop on by and ask for advice on what species to attempt, and how you should introduce and care for them. We'll be more then happy to help.

 

[reefland]

Also, macro algae don't normally grow out of LR from nowhere, you have to buy them and plant them in your tank.

Around here it's hard not to get rock loaded with sargassum and caulerpa -- stuff I happen not to like as any coral you place on the rock gets overgrown. (I like plain old coralline rock with nothing else on it)

 

[danmhippo]

(I like plain old coralline rock with nothing else on it)

LOL, on the other hand, I liked plain old base rock with no coralline on it. I am getting too old doing scrubbing coralline off the glass things..... 8)

 

[SPC]

Posted by Rich:

(I like plain old coralline rock with nothing else on it)

- , and he likes his coffee black! :wink:
Steve

 

[Luis]

About your fish; I've heard a similar story. a friend of mine got a tank from somebody else and every single fish that he placed in that tank it died.... later he discovered that the last owner of that tank had some kind of nudibranch in and that nudibranch died, the nudibranch released some "poison" in the tank and it "stick" in the tank no matter how many times he washed it, he could not keep any fish alive in there... the question is: is your gravel, tank and everything that you have inside the tank new? there can be some chemical that is poisoning you fish.

This is only a clue... could be something else .

 

[reefsRcool]

it's been said but lights lights lights 8O