a little algae problem

Right my tank has finished cycling about 3 weeks ago. I have a yellow tailed damsel and two clowns in it. I know that an algae bloom is expected after cycling. My nitrates are around 10-15 ppm (I am currently lowering them because I am now using RO water instead of tap, my tap water has 20ppm nitrates), 0 phosphate. My question is that Im getting a lot of a film like algae that covers the glass and sand bed. It is like a dust almost. I have started to turn my lights off for longer periods of time now they are set to 7 hours daylight with an additional two hours actinic. Is this something that will go away on its own? What type of algae is it? ( I really can't take a picture of it because it is so fine, but as I said, it coats the glass and clouds the water and is a bright green color, it makes the tank look real bad) I do have 6 sails and two hermits, but they don't even seem to be keeping up with it. Any help or suggestions would greatly be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Very normal for new tank....You are going to experience a number of algae blooms of different sorts over time...

Your snails and hermits will eventually catch up with it....

You may be feeding too much...try cutting back a bit...8)

 

go buy about 100 more snails once you get a big algae bloom going!!

 

Get one or two mexican turbo snails they eat a lot of algae

 

thanks for the comments and advice, I just wanted to make sure im not doing something wrong. karma

 

Algae will happen and believe it or not Tangster recommends 4-5 snails per gallon!! I'm fighting a little bit of algae myself but not anything major. Every tank has algae in it it's just a matter of how you manage the algae. I have about 50-60 snails in mine and need to add some more asap(when money allows!). I also just bought a blue hippo and added a 6line from a buddy of mine. For now on no livestock will go into my tank that doesn't earn it's keep (ie eating algae, sifting sand, eating detrius, etc.) Your tank is still really young (as is mine) so just watch how quickly you add things but if you have algae problems snails will have PLENTY to eat. Good luck with everything buddy!

 

how many gallons is your tank

 

In my 125 gallon I have 5 or 6 trochus.

And 4 turbos...couple of them real monsters...

Couple of trochus in Nano.

They and my asterina's keep my glass and rest of tank pretty much algae free.


8)

 

if you dont have any corals or anything light dependant other than the algea in the tank maybe lower the light schedule even more.
maybe 5 hours of light and an additions 1 hour of actinics.
i am no expert but its. JMHO

 

just stock up on the biggest mexican turbo's you can get, it's perfectly normal and in a couple of months you'll be past this phase for the most part, like Omard said, cut back on food a bit and just wipe the glass down when you can, for the sand take this time to play with your water flow from your return pump and PH's