Newbie question about green algae

wrote:
Ditch the Red Sea kits and pick up some salifert kits. Are you using
RO/DI water or out of the tap? Do you have a refugium?


I'm using RO water which I get at the LFS. It is a small 15gall Nano
reef tank - I do not have a refugium. My nitrates are now down to 0
again but I have added two clowns a week ago (nitrites were 0 yesterday
but haven't given a reading at all since the fish went in so the tank
could still be cycling - I don't have an ammonia test kit but am testing
for nitrites daily) - don't know what my phosphates are as it is my
"water test day" today and water change day tomorrow.

I've been cleaning the algae off with a turkey baster a couple of times
a day. The green star polyps are slowly starting to come out again but
not to their full potential. The pink looks as if it might at lights on
but then retracts again after around 30 mins. So it looks as if there is
still life there.

I'm adding iodine, strontium, molybdenum and something described as
trace elements as a slow drip (manual) once a week. I've not had to
adjust the calcium as yet but make sure that my salt water mix matches
in terms of salinity, calcium, pH and buffering before doing the change
(10%). This is mixed and heated in a small 5 gall tank until it matches
the main tank.

On the advice of my LFS I now also have a Manthrax crab - he does appear
to be cleaning up some of the algae but typically not from the places
that I want him to - I guess he'll get around to it eventually.

Thanks
Gill

Gil,

Keep in mind that GHA comes from excess nutrients in the tank. If you
don't have some means of exporting nurtients you will get nuciance
(sp?) algae. A refugium is GREAT for this. If you can grow some
chaeto, it will use up all the excess nutrients that the GHA needs and
inhibit its growth.

Are you overfeeding? The best solution to GHA is to find the source of
the excess nutrients.


Gill Passman wrote:
wrote:
Ditch the Red Sea kits and pick up some salifert kits. Are you using
RO/DI water or out of the tap? Do you have a refugium?


I'm using RO water which I get at the LFS. It is a small 15gall Nano
reef tank - I do not have a refugium. My nitrates are now down to 0
again but I have added two clowns a week ago (nitrites were 0 yesterday
but haven't given a reading at all since the fish went in so the tank
could still be cycling - I don't have an ammonia test kit but am testing
for nitrites daily) - don't know what my phosphates are as it is my
"water test day" today and water change day tomorrow.

I've been cleaning the algae off with a turkey baster a couple of times
a day. The green star polyps are slowly starting to come out again but
not to their full potential. The pink looks as if it might at lights on
but then retracts again after around 30 mins. So it looks as if there is
still life there.

I'm adding iodine, strontium, molybdenum and something described as
trace elements as a slow drip (manual) once a week. I've not had to
adjust the calcium as yet but make sure that my salt water mix matches
in terms of salinity, calcium, pH and buffering before doing the change
(10%). This is mixed and heated in a small 5 gall tank until it matches
the main tank.

On the advice of my LFS I now also have a Manthrax crab - he does appear
to be cleaning up some of the algae but typically not from the places
that I want him to - I guess he'll get around to it eventually.

Thanks
Gill

wrote:
Gil,

Keep in mind that GHA comes from excess nutrients in the tank. If you
don't have some means of exporting nurtients you will get nuciance
(sp?) algae. A refugium is GREAT for this. If you can grow some
chaeto, it will use up all the excess nutrients that the GHA needs and
inhibit its growth.

Are you overfeeding? The best solution to GHA is to find the source of
the excess nutrients.



Hi,
Don't think that I am overfeeding being quite senstive to this from my
freshwater fish. I'm not overly sure about if I am feeding the right
amounts to the corals - I'm feeding around 2ml of Phytoplankton every
2-3 days - don't know if tis is over feeding or under. As for the fish,
there are just two Clowns who rapidly hoover up their food within around
30 secs - they are fed twice a day. If it was overfeeding I would expect
to be seeing nitrate and higher phosphates....

The GHA itself is pretty much contained and seems on the decline since I
started moving it with a turkey baster but I'm still getting some "red
dust" - I'm removing as much of this as I can twice a day.....

I will research into refugiums - sounds like a very good idea if/when I
set up a larger tank....not sure how it would fit into my current Nano
setup.

Thanks
Gill

"Gill Passman" wrote in message
...
wrote:
Gil,

Keep in mind that GHA comes from excess nutrients in the tank. If you
don't have some means of exporting nurtients you will get nuciance
(sp?) algae. A refugium is GREAT for this. If you can grow some
chaeto, it will use up all the excess nutrients that the GHA needs and
inhibit its growth.

Are you overfeeding? The best solution to GHA is to find the source of
the excess nutrients.



Hi,
Don't think that I am overfeeding being quite senstive to this from my
freshwater fish. I'm not overly sure about if I am feeding the right
amounts to the corals - I'm feeding around 2ml of Phytoplankton every 2-3
days - don't know if tis is over feeding or under. As for the fish, there
are just two Clowns who rapidly hoover up their food within around 30
secs - they are fed twice a day. If it was overfeeding I would expect to
be seeing nitrate and higher phosphates....

The GHA itself is pretty much contained and seems on the decline since I
started moving it with a turkey baster but I'm still getting some "red
dust" - I'm removing as much of this as I can twice a day.....

I will research into refugiums - sounds like a very good idea if/when I
set up a larger tank....not sure how it would fit into my current Nano
setup.

Thanks
Gill

You won't see the phosphate and nitrate if it is being converting into algae
bloom.
What sort of water flow do you have on the area? dead spots will have high
co2 and can help algae establish better in some spots than others.

You won't see the phosphate and nitrate if it is being converting into algae
bloom.
What sort of water flow do you have on the area? dead spots will have high
co2 and can help algae establish better in some spots than others.


Ironically, it is growing in the area with the most flow....it is
decreasing so perhaps part of the whole cycling thing....or maybe it is
the programme of light deprivation I've had to put in place that is
killing it off.....My problem wasn't the green algae but a
dinoflagellate bloom which I am now slowly getting under control (by a
combination of light deprivation, skimming, blasting (turkey baster),
manual removal, carbon, water changes, willpower, determination plus
whatever else you want to add....but it is a long haul....of course the
reduction in these will almost certainly impact my phosphates and
nitrates so a close monitoring regime is in place....but at least my
corals are perking up....shame it killed all the snails :-( Once under
control (I understand it never goes) I will restock with some algae
eating clean up crew....to be quite honest I can cope with the green
stuff all the while I get rid of the toxic dinoflagellate bloom....

After 5 days I am now seeing good progress....fingers crossed....

Gill

"Gill Passman" wrote in message
...

You won't see the phosphate and nitrate if it is being converting into
algae bloom.
What sort of water flow do you have on the area? dead spots will have
high co2 and can help algae establish better in some spots than others.


Ironically, it is growing in the area with the most flow....it is
decreasing so perhaps part of the whole cycling thing....or maybe it is
the programme of light deprivation I've had to put in place that is
killing it off.....My problem wasn't the green algae but a dinoflagellate
bloom which I am now slowly getting under control (by a combination of
light deprivation, skimming, blasting (turkey baster), manual removal,
carbon, water changes, willpower, determination plus whatever else you
want to add....but it is a long haul....of course the reduction in these
will almost certainly impact my phosphates and nitrates so a close
monitoring regime is in place....but at least my corals are perking
up....shame it killed all the snails :-( Once under control (I understand
it never goes) I will restock with some algae eating clean up crew....to
be quite honest I can cope with the green stuff all the while I get rid of
the toxic dinoflagellate bloom....

After 5 days I am now seeing good progress....fingers crossed....

Gill

good stuff,
I have been blessed with no algae problems for a while
summers coming tho so that could soon change!