a lot of red fuzz all over

any thoughts on how to keep this kind of algae under control. the red stuff is starting to get out of hand, as well as some green algae on the sandbed.

 

What are your water parameters, particularly phosphates, nitrates and silicates?

 

nitrates = 0
phosphate=.05
silicates=0
ammonia=0
nitrite=0
iodine=.05
calcium=420

those are results from yesterdays test, i do about 10-20% water change every two weeks, about to change it to once a week.

 

dkh?

As you may know, the best defense against any kind of nuisance algae is to keep your "bad" levels down and your "good" levels up. Low silicates, phosphates and nitrates and consistently high calcium and dkh will promote coralline algae growth thus starving out any nuisance algae. How is your skimmer working? What kind of bulbs are you using and how old are they?

 

my skimmer is a seaclone, not the best, sometimes it skims good and sometimes it'll go days while pulling nothing. (thinking about upgrading) the lights are about 6-7 months old, could use a changing. I'll look into getting a dkh test kit. Should I be concerned about the red Fuzz? cause we kind of think that is looks cool, though I don't want it to overtake the tank. thanks for your thoughts

 

oh.. btw the type of lighting I have is current USA pc 65wx2

 

I would be concerned about any type of nuisance algae as it can grow out of control and cause you problems in the long run, especially if it starts to grow on your corals. I would definitely buy a dkh test kit because your calcium level means nothing unless we know what your dkh is. I would also look into upgrading your skimmer. Have you got any fish in the tank?

 

I have two fish, damsels. I would like more but I don't want to overstock the system. is there a specific test kit brand you recommend?

 

okay so now i am getting a little nervous about the algae. I looked at my starburst coral and found a piece of red fuzz algae ontop of it, now it doesn't open up as it did a few days ago. should I get some tweezers and start pulling it off, or what?

 

Sorry for leaving you hanging. I would pick up a dkh test kit, Salifert is the brand I'd recommend. Definitely pull the algae off of the coral with tweezers but be very careful that you don't touch the flesh of the coral or you might damage it.