algae confusion

Happy New Year to all,
I am stumped. I am fighting the worst algae problem you can imagine. I don't know where my problem is coming from. My tank is a 40gal with about 50# of live rock and 16 inches of fish livestock. I am running the lights 6hrs-down from 8. I am having a constant ammonia problem causing me to do a 10% water change every couple of days. The tank is well established. Here are the results of my water (RO/IO) testing from the tank yesterday:
Ammonia=0.25
Phosphate=0
Nitrite=0
Nitrate=0
Salinity=1.025
Ph= 8.4 - 8.5
Equipment: BacPac skimmer,canister filter w/phos sponge,2 power heads,and 96w compacts - one deep blue 03 and 10K white.
I do have 4 or 5 Trochus snails and 1/2 doz hermit crabs along with a green emerald crab. Every time I change water I pluck at the algae but it comes right back. I feed a half cube of frozen Hakari krill daily.

Any ideas on the ammonia and why the algae is overtaking the aquarium?
Thanks for any input.
liontech

 

Ditto on the happy holidays. You must be either feeding to much or you have something that has died. Or your tank is getting direct/indirect sunlight. Maybe its time to clean out equipment(pumps, skimmer, sponges and filter pads) Hope this helps, Luna

 

try feeding a flake food, as many frozen foods are frozen with preservatives that can cause some pretty nasty algal issues in a tank (ive had it happen to me ), but are good if fed occasionally.
Also, if your tank is cycled properly your ammonia should be getting converted to nitrite and so on. I cant tell why, but the ammonia issue usually occurs in overstocked tanks, but it really depends on the fish not just the length. For example, a 5 inch lionfish will put more bioload on a system than 5 inch long neon gobies would. Could you give us a list of livestock?

 

happy new year!

I find it strange that you have no nitrate, yet you have ammonia. I've always thought nitrate is a common problem that cant be totally irradicated without a nitrate reductor.

Have you tested for phosphates in your tank, this could be causing your algae bloom. And like lunatik said, maybe its time to start changing/cleaning you filter? What chemical filter do you use??

 

aquaboy, Thanks for the reply. I have the following fish in my tank: 3-blue green reef chromis,
1- 3" yellow tang, 1-clown, 1-bi-color pseudochromis,yellowtail damsel.

I don't think anything has died except maybe a trochus snail or two over the last several weeks. In the next couple of days I will do a 50% water change.
liontech

 

Phoenixheights, I don't understand it eather. I cleaned the canister filter about 3 wks ago. Two days ago I checked the phosphorus and it was zero. ?

 

To 3Reef!!! ​

Salutations! Glad to see you found way here!

Sounds like your tank did not fully cycle, or you have too many fish for your bio-filter to handle.

How is your protein skimmer working?

Cut back on frozen food...try just a very small pinch of flake a day or everyother day for a while.

Keep up those water changes. Best thing you can do for now.

Good Luck!



;D ​

The Tao of Marine Aquaria
Tips for Our Hobby and Life

© 1997 Adam H. Whitlock
Edited By Elizabeth M. Lukan 11/25/00 ​

 

a few dead snails could cause an ammonia spike??!!....... You could try adding some bacteria to boost the bioload. Do you use anything other then carbon for chemical filtration - i use poly filters and purigen, both work brill for me!

 

Hey Liontech welcome to the 3reef,
I would not suggest that you do a 50% water change its just too big maybee you should try 20-25%. Maybee one every 2nd week. good luck.

 

the canister filter has sponges, charcoal, biostars and a sack of phosphate absorbing material cleaned and reinstalled within the last 3 -4 weeks.