Location
Howell, NJ
Rating - 100%
64   0   0
hey guys pretty hard to explain. i have reddish/browins hair algae growing in my tank. i understand i shouldnt be using tap water with a conditioner which is def. the problem.
i cant afford a rodi unit as of yet but i soon will purchase one.

my ammonia - 0
nitrites - 0
nitrates - 0
Ph- 8.3
Temp - 80-83 (should i lower this)
salinity - 1.023-1.024
alk - dont no. but if ph is steady at 8.3 shouldnt alk be fine. doesnt
the alk affect the ph if the alk is high.

k i guess my question is leaning towards could i use a water filtration i have in use downstairs in my kitchen its some really expensive water filtration. it is called royal prestige. i figure if i use this it will be better then using regular tap water.

what other things can i do to get rid of the algae without taking out the rock and scaring the crap out of my guys. i dont really want to use chemicals but if i have to i will. and as long as it is reef safe. k so please any information will be gladly appreciated. thanks in advance.
 

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bad coffee

Inept at life.
Rating - 100%
27   0   0
Tony, You've got an algea problem. You understand that. But as everything in this hobby, PATIENCE is the answer. You NEED to get an RODI unit, or start using RODI from the store for your top off.

With the blurry pix, it's hard to see whether it's diatoms or cyano. Both can be cured in the tank.

Your first step is to figure out where the algea is coming from.
Not only are you using tap water for top off, but what is your feeding schedule? What kind of skimmer? What kind of animals are currently in your tank? All these things could affect the algea in your tank.

So how about some specs?
Tank size, age, lights, filter system, inhabatants?

Let us know some more info and we'll be able to help you a bit more.

BC
 
Location
Howell, NJ
Rating - 100%
64   0   0
-29 gallon
-40-50lbs live rock
-20 lbs live sand/20lbs lfs sand
-prizm hob skimmer. pulls out alot of crap. i no alot of people dont like them but it
works.
-baby blue hippo tang
-baby yellow tang
-clownfish
-goby (sandsifting)
-10 osc. snails
-2 big turbo snails
-3 small turbo snails
-3 reef hermits (red legged)
-pink tip anemone
-pink zoanthids
-hob filter with only carbon in it (chemi pure)
-2 powerheads one pointing up and one pointing Down towards the middle back of the tank.

please note that all this is going into my 75 gallon tank in the end of december, very early january.

i no the bioload is alot but there are no nitrates or anything.
doesnt algae feed off of nitrates.

any other information that is needed just let me no. thanks in advance

the algae is more leafy or stringy. not hard or anything like that.

i also feed twice a day of flakes in small amounts. each time.
2 x a week i feed frozen brine shrimp for the anemone and fishies.
3 x a week i give em nori for a snack

tank is 5 months old
 
Last edited:

House of Laughter

Super Moderator
Staff member
Vendor
Location
Ossining, NY
Rating - 100%
310   0   0
Algae feeds off phosphates that of which you are not testing for and is likely sky high with silicates in your tap water. I would stop what you are doing and immediately get an RO/DI unit, or get at least 2 water changes from a fellow reefers water supply (few 5g salt buckets should do ya).

I would also put in a Polyfilter - this is a square filter pad that pulls phosphates out of the tank at record speed. Another solution and very well liked on this board is phosban.

Clean up crew is needed - you don't have enough - you need at least 20 atreae turbos for that tank, they'll clean all your surfaces for ya.

Good luck

House
 

cali_reef

Fish and Coral Killer
Rating - 97.3%
36   1   0
Location
Howell, NJ
Rating - 100%
64   0   0
hey guys just like to update you guys on my situation.
last night i did a 5 gallon water change with that filter water that i have. its made by royal prestige. i left the tank alone today when i took a ride to the city to drop off my sis and mom at the jingle ball concert. came home and the algae is dieing off and got really dark brown. there algae pieces floating on the top of the water so i guess thats a good thing im going to manually remove it now. yay. i also added a pouch called phos-zorb see how it works.

so far its looking good its dieing off. my hopes are up.
 
Location
Howell, NJ
Rating - 100%
64   0   0
here are the pics

i think its dieing. i also had this same problem when the rock was going through its cycle its started off brown got darker and died off. so lets see what happens

again a great amount of thanks to everyone helping me out.
 

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nanoreefer22

Live Sale Pioneer
Staff member
Location
11756
Rating - 100%
345   0   0
No clue from the pics. It is darker, I'd go with saying it's getting worse. Can't really be sure without seeing it in person or with a really good pic. The bubbles on the algae for me tend not to be a good sign. Usually it's getting worse when that happens for me, atleast IME. Good luck with it. Just work on getting a RO/DI. You could have probably did a larger water change. BTW do you have a TDS meter to test the water coming out of that filter? and your tap?
-Kris
 

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