15g Ghettotastic Algae Garden... please help!!!

Hi everyone,

I've been trying to fix my bf's 15g tank for a while now. He set it up as a 'local tank' back in August. I've been slowly trying to clean it up, and put a few hardy soft corals in there, but the algae is out of control. No, I do not use tap water...

We have many different types of algae in this tank. Right now I'm trying to deal with a very interesting and very dark hunter green hair-like algae. It's almost completely covering a piece of LR:






When I started to notice it, it looked like some kind of gel covering up some bubbles on the LR, now it's real long and hairy. It's also completely covering another piece of LR on the total other side of the tank. And that rock is pretty much out of the light and other other rocks, so I guess it doesn't need too much light to grow.

Now, we also have a very nice brown algae all over the LR and glass. But it's not growing long and hairy by the minute, like the deep green one.

A few weeks ago, we had a red algae bloom that was so bad you couldn't see the back half of the tank. Scrubbed the LR and a bunch of water changes.....

He's using a Fluval canister filter, with Bio rings, phosphate remover media (Phos-X) and I'm cleaning the sponges every week. Last week I put Chemi-pure in there. It made the water a little clearer, so I can see the algae grow better.

Water parimeters:
Temp: 78
Ph: 8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 20
Salinity: 1.023
CUC with lots of hermits and snails (they shold be fired)

HELP!
Thanks!

 

wow! sorry about all the problems with that tank. Is that algae on that rock??? looks like the blob, but green, that's crazy looking. you sure that thing isn't some sort of sponge? anyone?? also how many fish live in that tank?

 

Yup, that's a rock, and the funky green is the algae. AND, just to add insult to injury, I bought a pensil urchin because I was told they were suupposed to graze on algae, and he lives UNDER that rock. (Yes, he's alive, I checked.)

Here's another pic (sorry it's real crappy):



I'm taking that rock out in a minute, but there's another one that's kind of buried that has the same stuff on it. And now a small patch of the sand bed looks like it's begining to get it too.

Now, that I'm looking again, it looks like it's REALLY speading. Some other rocks are starting to show some dark green patches... next to the brown patches......

Any suggestions? I'm desperate...

 

If that is not a sponge of some sorts and is algae on that rock, that could be fueling some of the problem. take that rock out(and the other with it on it) and leave it out. I would replace the ceramic rings, I've read they add to algae and nitrate problems. I'm not 100% on that but I'm sure someone else will know.

1.Have you cleaned them recently?
2.you said you don't use tap water...what kind and
3.how long are the lights on for?
4.how many fish and how often and what do you feed them?

 

Sorry, here's the rest of the info:

-I've been removing the ceramic rings in the filter, little by little, each week when I rinse out the sponges. (I've been adding LR, little by little, hoping to eventually get the bf to ditch the canister filter) You're right canisters are pretty much nitrate factories, but I keep up with the maintenance, and nitrates have been around 20 by the time I do a water change and filter cleaning.

1. Next sponge cleaning is tomorrow. I always do it on sat or sun, every week.

2. I use store bought RO/DI water. No filter of my own yet; but I'm planning on getting one in a month or two, when I'm not broke...
I use the same store bought water in my 12g with no problems, and no alien algae outbreaks.

3. The lights have been reduced from 12 to 8 hrs for daylight, the rest is moonlight

4. There's 6 damsels, 3 killies, 3 local crabs, a bunch of local hermits, some snails, and a pencil urchin. (The killies and the crabs are leaving as soon as I can find a place for them. They were the original crew when the 'local' tank was started, before I got involved.)
They are all fed once a day, a rotating menu of frozen mysis, shrimp pellets, and flakes. (I know that flakes aren't the best thing for phosphates and algae problems, but they're not used every day, and only by the bf when he feeds) The shrimp pellets are used primarily for the hermits and the crabs, since they sink to the bottom, and not too much of them either.

I can't think of anything else to do...

Thanks

 

That's a heck of a bioload for a 15g. I would remove about half from what it sounds like. Even if you keep up with the cleaning, I would still get rid of the canister filter and put a protein skimmer in addition to live rock. How often are you doing water changes?

 

Water changes are done every week.

I'm gradually increasing the LR, so I can eventually lose the canister. A skimmer would come after that.

I agree on the bioload being high.

I just checked, actually there's 5 damsels (no big difference) but I'm getting rid of the killies and the crabs too. I didn't put them in, and they shouldn't be in there anyway.

This isn't my tank, just my problem, now.

My tank (12g AP) that was set up at the same time has never had an algae issue, or any other issues. Just 2 firefish, some LR, and 2 snails, 3 hermits, and coral. No biggie.

 

how much water flow have you got in the tank

 

I have a aquaclear 30 powerhead (170 gph), and the flow from the filter (125 gph).

I think the water movement is pretty good.

Has anyone ever seen this type of algae?
I haven't...

 

I'd say 1 or all 5 things are causing this:

1.lfs's water isn't ro/di or they need to change their filters,ask them to test their water for phosphates,
2.live rock that has it on it is just spreading it,
3.too much bio load
4.ceramic rings are not being cleaned enough or need to be removed and replaced with other media.
5.Lights on for too long(I don't think this is it)

I hope this helps in some way!