How to rid the tank of an algae bloom??

Discussion in 'Algae' started by Karen, Apr 16, 2009.

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  1. Karen

    Karen Flamingo Tongue

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    My tank is a 150 gallon tank and I've never had any problems with algae blooms before I got my halide lights. One morning I woke up and I couldn't even see the back of my tank because it was so bad. I looked it up and I have the hair algae and the red slime algae, also another type I can't remember the name of. The water is a brownish green color. It doesn't have a smell, just cloudy and my live rock is covered in dark brown algae. It looks stringy at some spots. Which I took as the hair algae and another type that I can't remember the name of. I did take some of the rock out and use a toothbrush to clean the algae off. It seemed to work on the rocks I cleaned. I also did a 20% water change and cleaned the filters. The sand and crushed coral also has brown algae on it. I use a vacuum cleaner to try and get it clean, but it comes right back. The day after I did all the cleaning it was not near as bad, but as soon as the lights came back on, the water got cloudy again. I do not have my skimmer on it yet, because I am moving shortly and haven't set my sump/refuge up because of me moving in a month or two. I think the skimmer would help immensly, just don't know that it would be worth the time to set it all up, just to take it all apart again. I only have two fish in it, because of moving and not wanting to loose the stuff. So, I guess my questions are how to keep it under control till I move. If I should do anything else to help get rid of the algae. I'm using two canister filters right now, which I know is part of the problem along with no skimmer. I am not using ro water either which is probably helping the algae problem. Again, I didn't want to set all this up till I moved. I haven't had any problems in over 2 years. Weird.. :-/
     
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  3. Stingray

    Stingray Blue Ringed Angel

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    If you only started using tap water lately or bottled for that matter, i'm presumeing, i would say you answered your own question by it, and feeding the algae, with phosphates and silicates...I would set the skimmer up, should not take long, since as you ai'nt moving for a couple of months yet,are you putting phosphate removeing media in the cannisters?
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2009
  4. GuitarMan89

    GuitarMan89 Giant Squid

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    Not using Ro/Di water is a problem, I also live in Pa and we have public water, and our water tests 20ppm nitrates right out of the tap. Do you have any water tests? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, ph? A skimmer isn't hard to set up at all, I would get one now and set it up. You will need one later anyways. You are doing well with performing water changes, just not too much too quickly. The brown stringy algae is probably cyno bacteria. Just keep on sucking it out. If the water is cloudy, you may also have a bacterial bloom. Did you change the temperature (not heat) of your lights when you switched them out?
     
  5. Karen

    Karen Flamingo Tongue

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    I have the skimmer already. I just don't have the sump set up and am not sure how to set it up with the canister filters. I know the water is horrible, I use prime that removes chlorine, chloramine, and ammonia. It also detoxifies nitrite and nitrates. Like I said I had it set up for about 2 years with no problems till the halide lights. Yes, the temp of the halides is much higher than my old t5's.
     
  6. Karen

    Karen Flamingo Tongue

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    I've used tap water since I put the tank up. That's why I said I never had any problems prior. I need to get some more of the phosphate test kit. What type of media are you talking about? What's the name of some that you use?
     
  7. Stingray

    Stingray Blue Ringed Angel

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  9. Stingray

    Stingray Blue Ringed Angel

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    what kelvin are your halide bulbs the lower the k will produce more algae, so 10 k or 14k will feed algae more as apposed to 20k or 30k which gives off a bluer light the higher you go...
     
  10. Karen

    Karen Flamingo Tongue

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    Maybe that is part of the problem then. I think these bulbs are only 15k bulbs.
     
  11. Tangster

    Tangster 3reef Sponsor

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  12. Karen

    Karen Flamingo Tongue

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