algie question-Algae-3reef Forums

target001 · 02-11-2008, 03:23 PM

my tank is couple weeks old now and the live rock (cured) has been put in there and im noticing quite a large amout of algie growing on the sand bed
in the main tank

my questin is will that algie die off if i dont change anywater, im under the impression that if i let it go it will exhaust what it feeds on and then die off
i understand that my tank maybe be cycling as its a new setup

also could my lighting be feeding that algie the globes are close to the end of there 6 month life so ill prolly change em anyways
i have T5 HO's a 16k globe and a actinics
is maybe the 16k to intense for the tank? should i maybe consider a 10k replacment?

tank specs 3 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot

mandarin11 · 02-11-2008, 09:41 PM

Theoretically your algae would exhaust its nutrient supply, but that would be a long time in coming and you never want your tank to get that bad. Not to mention as soon as you added fish then it would start all over again but there would be a fish to fuel the cycle so it wouldn't stop. Stay on top of the algae to begin with. Don't feed a lot and do water changes. Try a refugium or if you want to get really fancy a denitrator coil and a phosphate reactor would greatly help but they are not necessary.

16K is not to intense and probably helps deter algae

NU-2reef · 02-11-2008, 10:15 PM

im no professional at this but i did read that doing a water change while cycling can prolong the actual cycling process.

I agree with mandrin about the lights, 16k is fine. But im curious as to how long the lights stay on for? algae will bloom with extended lighting hours.

target001 · 02-12-2008, 08:45 PM

thnx guys

my lights are8 hours a day at max

i went to my LFS and asked about all this and they sugested skimming (which im doing)
and water changes to remove the phosphates

so ill do some water changes 1 a week or so to dilute the water and hopefully will starve the algie

mandarin11 · 02-12-2008, 08:55 PM

NU you are completely right about water changes in the cycling process.

Sorry I should have clarified that a little more. After the cycling process do regular water changes.

Also, a cleaning crew will help you stay on top of it.Also there are fish that will eat the nuisance algae. A foxface is a very good choice. Some people will suggest tangs, but not all of them will eat the crappy algae.

Look into a refugium as well. Oh yeah, since this is eventually going to get thrown out I'll go ahead and say it. Consult with people here before you do something you're not sure about. The general rule of thumb is never trust your LFS. There are some good ones, but unfortunately the bad ones overshadow them a lot and it's better to prevent a tragedy by asking around.

cuttingras · 02-12-2008, 09:27 PM

Mandarin....good choice on the Foxface! Mine picks at algae on the powerheads a lot! Plus, I think they're heartier than Tangs....

Target...post some pics!!!! And Welcome to 3reef!!

target001 · 02-13-2008, 01:04 AM

my new toy<------- my new tank

i have been using my current LFS for about a year now and they have been nothing but helpfull to me so i will stick with them.
Unfortunately im on the wrong side of the world from most 3reefers so getting info is not the easiest but atleast for the most part the info here is of quality

bigrf33 · 02-19-2008, 10:55 AM

will red slime algae harm any of my fish and soft corals? tank 1 month old help. thanks. an how do i get rid of it? got a nano 24g d&d.

reef_guru · 02-19-2008, 10:40 PM

Quote:

will red slime algae harm any of my fish and soft corals?

yup sure will by smothering it

Quote:

how do i get rid of it?

slime away, chemi clean is one way
good flow and proper parameters is the other

target001 · 02-19-2008, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigrf33

will red slime algae harm any of my fish and soft corals? tank 1 month old help. thanks. an how do i get rid of it? got a nano 24g d&d.

i had that stuff when i started my first tank i did some water changes and changed my lighting over as the globes were over the 6 month life it seemed to disapear pertty quick after i did that