Algae ID

JohnnyReeftank · #1 01-07-2011, 04:16 AM

It is used rock....buddy said he had it in his system for 5 years and it was covered with growth...not to mention every bad hitchhiker out there...couple red flags I guess

My N03 and P03 both show zero....but it might be because the algae is sucking it up so fast......should I try phosphate absorbant like Daniella said??

I actually just got my RO/DI on boxing day so I've only made 1 water change with it....I've been using store-bought RO water from a local water store for the last month and a half and before that I was using tap water and prime.

I've got my 2 actinics running 14 hrs and all 4 bulbs running 12 hours a day....is this light period too intense?

......a couple before and after pics of the same rock

reefwars · #2 01-07-2011, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyReeftank

It is used rock....buddy said he had it in his system for 5 years and it was covered with growth...not to mention every bad hitchhiker out there...couple red flags I guess

My N03 and P03 both show zero....but it might be because the algae is sucking it up so fast......should I try phosphate absorbant like Daniella said??

I actually just got my RO/DI on boxing day so I've only made 1 water change with it....I've been using store-bought RO water from a local water store for the last month and a half and before that I was using tap water and prime.

I've got my 2 actinics running 14 hrs and all 4 bulbs running 12 hours a day....is this light period too intense?

......a couple before and after pics of the same rock

so youve only had this algae problem since this rock has been added??

JohnnyReeftank · #3 01-07-2011, 04:26 AM

Nope.....just started the tank (and the hobby) from scratch about 4 months ago. The rocks were all covered in Coraline during the cycle and for about 2 weeks after....then algae mania started on the rocks and back pane of glass....its especially thick in high-flow areas if that helps at all

daniella3d · #4 01-07-2011, 04:31 AM

I am not saying you have everything but you seem to have hair algae mixed with something else, something slimy, just not sure what that something else is without looking at it under a mcroscope.

some like dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria can look very similar, so not sure.

reefwars · #5 01-07-2011, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyReeftank

Nope.....just started the tank (and the hobby) from scratch about 4 months ago. The rocks were all covered in Coraline during the cycle and for about 2 weeks after....then algae mania started on the rocks and back pane of glass....its especially thick in high-flow areas if that helps at all

helps alot actually, algae tends to grow more on things like powerheads,and glass where it gets alot of flow thus passing alot of nutrients, so i say its time to sit back and give your tank what it barely needs .....

a tank at 4 mts of age doesnt need 14 hrs of light so i would cut that back to 10 hrs with only 6-8 of " daylight "

id also cut back on your feeding to a little flake here and there and a frozen dinner every now and then(i feed it every few days) but rinse well for phospahtes. 1 single lonely fish doesnt need to be fed frozen and flake a few times a day

its alesson we all learn eventually lol

continue using ro water it will make a diff in the long run.

consider running carbon and gfo or bio-pellets through a reactor as there def are nitrates and phosphates in your system its just being consumed so your test isnt showing it.

are you running a refuge or a sump??

JohnnyReeftank · #6 01-07-2011, 05:02 AM

No fuge....no sump. I have a large blood shrimp and a cleaner shrimp that seem to grab every morcel of food that the fish don't get so I didn't think I was overfeeding....but it can't hurt to cut down.

Do you think that switching from a 14 hour to a 10 hour total-light period will affect my coral growth or coloration at all?....mostly zoos and a few LPS

reefwars · #7 01-07-2011, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyReeftank

No fuge....no sump. I have a large blood shrimp and a cleaner shrimp that seem to grab every morcel of food that the fish don't get so I didn't think I was overfeeding....but it can't hurt to cut down.

Do you think that switching from a 14 hour to a 10 hour total-light period will affect my coral growth or coloration at all?....mostly zoos and a few LPS

not at all they arent getting 12 hrs of light where they come from the sun rises and sets so there should be only a few hours of peak light around mid day.im not sure on how much light each needs for photosynthesis
asim sure it varys on the coral in question but most people are on a 10-12 schedule with a lower light like actinics for sunset and sunrise.

are you feeding any liquids to your tank or dosing anything??

JohnnyReeftank · #8 01-07-2011, 05:42 AM

Yep....capful of Reef Fuel a week and Acan Plus twice a week for the corals. I've also been using Seachem Stability since the beginning....one capful after each water change.

I'm starting to think that it could be the Calgary tap water I used for the first 2 months.....it seems to be upwards of 150 ppm