Algea bloom (help)

[beerfish]

Looks like diatoms and hair algae. You probably kicked off a mini cycle by adding rock.

 

[NanoPerson67]

Looks like diatoms and hair algae. You probably kicked off a mini cycle by adding rock.

o ok =).. so the mini cycle might also be why my chromis are stressed and not eating. so i should do a water change correct? and should i physically remove the hair algae with my hands? it's not a huge amount, and it's on the rock my zoos are on which is making it hard for them to open up. what do you suggest i do for now? besides get those items you listed and the clean up crew.

 

[NanoPerson67]

Looks like diatoms and hair algae. You probably kicked off a mini cycle by adding rock.

and i probably should know this ( but im a nooby) lol.. what exactly is a mini cycle. what i think it is might not be what is actually is. is a mini cycle like new ammonia added because of the new live rock and it basically cycles again but in a short amount of time?

 

[NYreefNoob]

what are u using inside the filter ?

 

[NanoPerson67]

what are u using inside the filter ?

i am using the filter pad made for the filter. i think it has carbon inside.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Hey Nano- as stated the brown are diatoms- they are not an algae actually- google them. Youre gonna get outbreaks int he beginning I did almost if not everyone did, just do your maintenance and youll get through it. Theyre actually an organism. The green hair you can pull out when you do your water changes. I would buy a used TwoLittleFishies phosban reactor and a small mini jet 404 pump. I may even have a pump laying around here for you- Ill look, but I do have a bulk container of phosban Ill give you 2 150 gram bags of it to get you goin.(the amount the reactor is meant for)


8 hours isnt too long to have your lights on. I have my actinics on for 10 hrs a day and my halides for 8. My moonglows are on for 12.

Try not to stir up your sand bed its not like freshwater where you vacuum your gravel. It needs to form layers of bacterias that become part of your bio filtration. Stop adding rock you have more than enough in there. Dont rescape even if youre not crazy about how the rocks look, just let everything settle down ad start to fall into place.

You definately have phosphates so the phosban will help take care of that. I also have a package of frozen mysis if you want - its good stuff San Fransisco Bay Brand. Just also with frozen thaw it in a little tank water then strain it in a net and rinse with RO water, The gel its frozen in has phosphates as well as other junk in it.

If it is in fact bubble algae you can syphon it out with a water change hose, just suck em out as you drain the water for your water change- it usually doesnt but can grow on the sandbed- was at Aquarium Adventure today to show my girlfriend a fine exacmple of a BAD LFS and they had a tank with bubble algae on the sandbed

Again- some on here may not be the most friendly seeming but they are giving good advice, listen and relax. Once you get your s%$^ together theyre actually an ok guy uhemm uhemm Beer lol.

Its all good bro there is no deadline to get the tank to its endpoint quick let it get to its end point by the end, not prematurely. Nothing premature is good, usually leads to unexpected children and issues with your reef tank:tongue1:

Best wishes as always...Jimmy

 

[NanoPerson67]

Hey Nano- as stated the brown are diatoms- they are not an algae actually- google them. Youre gonna get outbreaks int he beginning I did almost if not everyone did, just do your maintenance and youll get through it. Theyre actually an organism. The green hair you can pull out when you do your water changes. I would buy a used TwoLittleFishies phosban reactor and a small mini jet 404 pump. I may even have a pump laying around here for you- Ill look, but I do have a bulk container of phosban Ill give you 2 150 gram bags of it to get you goin.(the amount the reactor is meant for)


8 hours isnt too long to have your lights on. I have my actinics on for 10 hrs a day and my halides for 8. My moonglows are on for 12.

Try not to stir up your sand bed its not like freshwater where you vacuum your gravel. It needs to form layers of bacterias that become part of your bio filtration. Stop adding rock you have more than enough in there. Dont rescape even if youre not crazy about how the rocks look, just let everything settle down ad start to fall into place.

You definately have phosphates so the phosban will help take care of that. I also have a package of frozen mysis if you want - its good stuff San Fransisco Bay Brand. Just also with frozen thaw it in a little tank water then strain it in a net and rinse with RO water, The gel its frozen in has phosphates as well as other junk in it.

If it is in fact bubble algae you can syphon it out with a water change hose, just suck em out as you drain the water for your water change- it usually doesnt but can grow on the sandbed- was at Aquarium Adventure today to show my girlfriend a fine exacmple of a BAD LFS and they had a tank with bubble algae on the sandbed

Again- some on here may not be the most friendly seeming but they are giving good advice, listen and relax. Once you get your s%$^ together theyre actually an ok guy uhemm uhemm Beer lol.

Its all good bro there is no deadline to get the tank to its endpoint quick let it get to its end point by the end, not prematurely. Nothing premature is good, usually leads to unexpected children and issues with your reef tank:tongue1:

Best wishes as always...Jimmy

lol what is a poshban reactor? im such a noob...are u talking about the whole reactor thingy or just the bags for it? a little confused lol. i dont have a sump or anything.. i was actually thinking of just getting a bigger tank because this nano tank thing is really hard..if i had a big 50 gallon or something it would make life much more easier. u live in ny so i cannot come pick anything up as i cannot drive. i will probably trade my nano for someone's reef ready 50g..and maybe add some money because it wouldnt be fair if i got a big tank and let them take my small tank. for now though i will keep the tank stable and get a good clean up crew..

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Heres a pic. You hook this up to a small pump with the media(phosban phosphate remover) in it. You set the flow so the surface looks like its boiling but without the individual grains goin up out of the main body of media.

The water flows through it and it removes phosphates and help get rid of your algaes.

Remember though when you get this goin- THROUGHLY RINSE THE MEDIA- THERES A LOT OF DUST THAT HAS TO COME OFF IT OR ELSE YOULL WIND UP ITH BROWN WATER IN YOUR TANK<-- not yellin just making it well known for you. lol


http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...1a0X&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:27,s:0

 

[NYreefNoob]

dont need the reactor really use phosban and carbon in the hang on back filter or get a jar or chempure elite has both of them in it

 

[noobzy]

Nanoperson,

I Googled "how to reduce algae in reef tank", and here is the first result:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/algaecontrol/a/aa111797algae.htm

Here are some select quotes regarding elements that promote algae growth:

• The amount of nutrients (DOC's - Dissolved Organic Compounds) they have to feed on.
• The amount of nitrates and phosphates, and for diatoms, the silicates they have to feed on.
• No natural algae eating predators.

If you added rocks with some die-off, you created a cycle. Google "reef tank cycle". If you overfeed, you provide nutrients. You also do not have enough animals in the tank that eat algae. So... you have algae growth You can change that by modulating the factors that promote algae growth. Unfortunately, you don't have any way of measuring nitrates or phosphates, so it's gonna be hard for you to know if you're succeeding.

I'm not going to be even half as confrontational as Beerfish, but I understand his frustration. You talk about not having $ or a job, but you go out and buy fish, more rock, more corals... but no snails or timers? You come here and ask for advice, but openly flaunt a total disregard for what people tell you? We're trying to help you...

I don't think that you want to hear it, but I'll provide you with my advice one last time. You need to slow down... even if you had a well paying job and all the $ in the world - slow down! You need to exercise some self control, dude, and read!

If you want to start a saltwater tank...
Google: "Starting a saltwater aquarium"
First result: http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/startinganaquarium/How_to_Start_a_Saltwater_Aquarium.htm

If you want to add fish to your new tank...
Google: "When can i add fish to my saltwater tank?"
First result: http://ezinearticles.com/?When-Can-...g-the-New-Saltwater-Aquarium-Cycle&id=1848215

If you want to add more rock to your tank...
Google: "Should I add more rock to my tank?"
First result: http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f6/should-i-add-more-live-rock-to-my-tank-50040.html

Good luck.

 

[DA fisherman]

+1 shoot if he don't take that advice I sure will I started my 55g "FOWLR" and started skipping steps..... And just like that....over night lost 3 fish --anemone ---shoot even my turbo snails died :-( .
Just because I felt everybody was over board when it came to equipments ...boy has my perception of this changed ....so no matter what size your tank is there are certain steps you must take to have a successful reef.

 

[E.intheC]

lots of people have given you great advice on how to reduce nutrients and in so doing, reducing algae.

I'm going to point out one thing.. in one of the pictures of your tank it shows your lights resting on (what looks like) an acrylic top.. you need to move that ASAP! Sooner or later that will cause the acrylic to bow and fail... probably resulting in the light fixture falling in your tank.

 

[Donewiththisplace]

Oy Vey.

6 pages and 53 responses later.... for a question that could have been answered with "a water change and cutting the lights back."

Just out of curiosity Nano....have you even tested for PO4??

 

[beerfish]

I'm not going to be even half as confrontational as Beerfish, but I understand his frustration.

Dude that was like a tenth... no where near half! :lol:

I'd really like to help the guy out, but he's got to help himself. Once he does that, I'm happy to answer questions.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Oy Vey.

6 pages and 53 responses later.... for a question that could have been answered with "a water change and cutting the lights back."

Just out of curiosity Nano....have you even tested for PO4??

Ok not for nothin- but here we go- if you want to talk like your a resident know it all and scold this kid- you should be up on YOUR facts and info as well.

1- cutting lights back doesnt solve the problem-it MASKS it- so after the algaes gone because your light cycle is half of what it should be what happens when you bring them back up to what your suppoosed ot have? POOF! algae all over again. OR is he supposed to have a reef tank that he has 4 hours of lighting a day on for the life of the tank? I would think not. I would think he should do what he needs to do to REMOVE the phosphates from his sytem, not let it play hide and go seek with the lights.

2- phosphate test kits are not accurate and reliable enough to be the main source of PO4 testing- the only real way to get the true phosphate reading in a tank is with a hanna or other photometer which he cant afford. A test kit will register heavier amounts of PO4 but not small amounts accurately.

How about you leave the kid alone already. If he takes peoples advice great if not great, its up to him.

This thread has turned into the reason that a lot of other new people on the site wont post- because you get the experts yelling at you- which is fine at least they have the info in detail.

But then they have people that are also relatively new yelling at them, thats all most people need to go away instead of learn.

 

[NanoPerson67]

lots of people have given you great advice on how to reduce nutrients and in so doing, reducing algae.

I'm going to point out one thing.. in one of the pictures of your tank it shows your lights resting on (what looks like) an acrylic top.. you need to move that ASAP! Sooner or later that will cause the acrylic to bow and fail... probably resulting in the light fixture falling in your tank.

ouch i dont wan't that... ill try to see f my friend has a glass top i can have

 

[jadakiss]

this thread is gettin crazy! nano listen the best advice i can give u is read as much as u can and ask ? , when someone is telling u something aint to play u its to make u understand what u doing wrong. if u have a ? feel free to pm me but u need to take it slow .

 

[JimmyR1rider]

this thread is gettin crazy! nano listen the best advice i can give u is read as much as u can and ask ? , when someone is telling u something aint to play u its to make u understand what u doing wrong. if u have a ? feel free to pm me but u need to take it slow .

+1

Theres no reason to treat him harshly. Hell learn. Some get it super quick, some people it takes a bit- Im the same way. I drove Russ and Jim-masterswimmer and house of laughter crazy for a while in the beginning. Because they stayed patient and kept helping me, I learned a lot relatively quick. He should be as lucky as me, you and anyone else that had great teachers. Nobody should be disrespecting him, we should be trying to attract people to the hobby not turn them away.

 

[jadakiss]

nano these are the things u need to do 1.books 2.rodi 3.powerheads 4.need to have a sump 5. protien skimmer 2times ur load 5. dont overload on fish 6.water change every week. 7. phosban reactor 8.feed light 9.new bulbs

 

[nanchil]

+1

theres no reason to treat him harshly. Hell learn. Some get it super quick, some people it takes a bit- im the same way. I drove russ and jim-masterswimmer and house of laughter crazy for a while in the beginning. Because they stayed patient and kept helping me, i learned a lot relatively quick. He should be as lucky as me, you and anyone else that had great teachers. Nobody should be disrespecting him, we should be trying to attract people to the hobby not turn them away.

+1