What should I do??? Major problem with algae!!!
- Thread starter Lynn
- Start date
Did you check your PO4 level? Get some turbosnail to finish off the algae. I'm not sure if that's the name for the snail.
12 days... usually algae will grow cos they grow faster then any other with just a small opportunity for life they'll grow. But after awhile.. they should be gone. Eat by fish or something alse i'm not sure. I have this problem everytime I set up a new tank. But after awhile they got eaten away. They need lights and nutrients to grow. take out thier source and that will slow them down. I found out that cool temp will also slow them down.
12 days... usually algae will grow cos they grow faster then any other with just a small opportunity for life they'll grow. But after awhile.. they should be gone. Eat by fish or something alse i'm not sure. I have this problem everytime I set up a new tank. But after awhile they got eaten away. They need lights and nutrients to grow. take out thier source and that will slow them down. I found out that cool temp will also slow them down.
Sounds like hair algea, normal part of the algea cycle but it can be avoided. If I was you I would wait untill the cycle is done, then hand pick as much of the hair algea as possible. Yes this might take awhile but it will romove nutrients and stop the quick spreading. Then Do a water change using RO/DI water, I would do 75%. JMO
Posted by Ernie:
Wait it out. It will subside. This is normal.
-It might not if it is bryopsis like Em mentioned although I haven't heard of bryopsis taking off this fast in such a new tank. Lynn, you were saying the other day that your tank hadn't started cycling. This large of an algae outbreak would lead me to believe that there are alot of nutrients in the water and that you should have seen a cycle start.
Steve
Wait it out. It will subside. This is normal.
-It might not if it is bryopsis like Em mentioned although I haven't heard of bryopsis taking off this fast in such a new tank. Lynn, you were saying the other day that your tank hadn't started cycling. This large of an algae outbreak would lead me to believe that there are alot of nutrients in the water and that you should have seen a cycle start.
Steve
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Lynn:
<strong>EMILY!!! do you know how many hours it took me to get the rocks like that!!!LOL your raining on my parade!!
Lynn</strong><hr></blockquote>
They were worse before ????
Well, keep up the good work
<strong>EMILY!!! do you know how many hours it took me to get the rocks like that!!!LOL your raining on my parade!!
Lynn</strong><hr></blockquote>
They were worse before ????
Well, keep up the good work
Lynn,
I would pu;; as much as I could by hand and not worry too much. The algae as it grows sucks up the nutrients in the tank and helps get rid of them. I would think the luxurient growth is why you couldn't read the cycle. The amoni and nitrites were getting sucked up by the algae. To give you an idea of how it can get sometimes I will show you a before and after of my tank.
[ April 17, 2002: Message edited by: SteveNichols ]</p>
I would pu;; as much as I could by hand and not worry too much. The algae as it grows sucks up the nutrients in the tank and helps get rid of them. I would think the luxurient growth is why you couldn't read the cycle. The amoni and nitrites were getting sucked up by the algae. To give you an idea of how it can get sometimes I will show you a before and after of my tank.
[ April 17, 2002: Message edited by: SteveNichols ]</p>
Syphon out the algae and remove it by hand. This will remove the nutrients they absorbed from the tank. But like the others said,it is probably just a normal cycling of the tank. I had a similar problem when I started up my new tank with tap water. It took about six to eight months to get it under control. I also noticed that the cycle seems to be worse when starting up a new DSB.
Good Luck
Good Luck
I have to agree that one surefire (albeit QUITE tedious)way to remove hair algae is to remove the rocks and scrub w/a clean toothbrush in a separate bucket of SW. I had to do this to my 50# of LR when I was 8 mos. pregnant. Don't think there's much worse than that!
I know your tank's still cycling and it's really such a pain in the a$$, but sometimes scrubbing them is all that works. I haven't seen ANY hair algae since I did it.
Just my $.02
Good luck.
I know your tank's still cycling and it's really such a pain in the a$$, but sometimes scrubbing them is all that works. I haven't seen ANY hair algae since I did it.
Just my $.02
Good luck.
Lynn,
I would agree with ruling out bryopsis first, but most likely you're just seeing the normal algae cycle of a new tank. As others have said, the algae is thriving on the nutrients, and in the process binding them up. Removal is fine, but you don't need to knock yourself out doing it. Once the benthic populations in your substrate increase, the algae will get starved out. Just wait it out. You'll likely see other blooms as well in the future as different algaes thrive at different stages of cycle and break in. Relax and wait it out. When things are new, every change seems alarming. Not only are the blooms normal, so is your reaction
It shows you're concerned - a Good Thing
Hang in there!
regards,
-rw
I would agree with ruling out bryopsis first, but most likely you're just seeing the normal algae cycle of a new tank. As others have said, the algae is thriving on the nutrients, and in the process binding them up. Removal is fine, but you don't need to knock yourself out doing it. Once the benthic populations in your substrate increase, the algae will get starved out. Just wait it out. You'll likely see other blooms as well in the future as different algaes thrive at different stages of cycle and break in. Relax and wait it out. When things are new, every change seems alarming. Not only are the blooms normal, so is your reaction
regards,
-rw
Hi Lynn ...
Reefworm is right on the mark. Even after the tank cycles organisms on the rock continue to die off and release organics into the water column. The tank maturization process can take awhile until you are left with the critters that are adapted to their new captive enviornment.
Looks like the room this tank is in is pretty well lit with natural sunlight. Looks like you might have your work cut out for you but it shouldn't be impossible. Hopefully one day you can open the blinds on your beautiful room! J/K
I would close the blinds or cover the tank til the algae was under control. If you cover the tank make sure that it can still breath! A little light is probably necessary but natural sunlight can wreck havok on even the most established tanks. Light control is a temporary fix until the underlying issues can be addressed.
I would remove all the algae possible, without getting too crazy at this point and disturbing the rocks. I didn't notice if you had a DSB but if you stir that up now you are going to have more organics than you know what to do with.
I would also make sure that you have a efficient skimmer for your anticipated bioload. That probably means buying one that is rated for a larger aquarium. Also ensure that you have plenty of flow inside of the tank. If you don't have an efficient system you are going to fight with algae for a long, long, time.
After the cycle is complete I would focus on getting all the excess nutrients out of the tank so the photoperiod can be increased and you can take your sheets off of the tank.
Several large water changes with RO/DI water should be the place to start. Always ... always... use RO/DI and test it to make sure that it is pure before adding it to your tank. The same goes for anything you put into the aquarium. It can be hard enough without fighting ourselves.
Like I said earlier there will more than likley be continued die-off and subsequent organics released even after the cycle. Nomaly things will stabalize themselves over time but it is slow and can take months.
You can counteract this to a degree by continuing with RO/DI water changes and running a canister filter for two days each week with carbon and phosphate absorber. At least for the first month or so while the organic release is at it's greatest. Make sure you dont run it longer that 48 hrs or the compounds will leach back into the aquarium. It will cost money but it will reduce the intensity of your algae blooms and you might even be able to add livestock a little faster. Still go slow though.
Start with snails... Astrea, Turbo's, and Cerith's and a small photoperiod. You should be afraid that your snails are going to starve to death from lack of algae before increasing the amount of light.
As time passes and you can increase the photoperiod I would add a small fish or two that you can be content with for the next few months and keep the feedings light. Week by week you could possibly add a smaller coral. If you planned on some lower light requiring organisms, they could be some of the first things added. Remember the tank is already releasing nutrients itself. If you add hungry fish and other items that require you to add alot food. You will be asking for algae. Get to a point were your can be content with the tank for the most part bare and then slow down even more. Let the tank stablize from your additons of the past few weeks. After your tank shows that it can deal with the current bioload for a couple of weeks with turning into a green mat then continue. But always give it a rest to insure that you have not gone too far too fast.
Remember it is a balancing act with nutrients. Algae is just your barometer.
Looks like it going to be a wonderful tank!
Good Luck
Reefworm is right on the mark. Even after the tank cycles organisms on the rock continue to die off and release organics into the water column. The tank maturization process can take awhile until you are left with the critters that are adapted to their new captive enviornment.
Looks like the room this tank is in is pretty well lit with natural sunlight. Looks like you might have your work cut out for you but it shouldn't be impossible. Hopefully one day you can open the blinds on your beautiful room! J/K
I would close the blinds or cover the tank til the algae was under control. If you cover the tank make sure that it can still breath! A little light is probably necessary but natural sunlight can wreck havok on even the most established tanks. Light control is a temporary fix until the underlying issues can be addressed.
I would remove all the algae possible, without getting too crazy at this point and disturbing the rocks. I didn't notice if you had a DSB but if you stir that up now you are going to have more organics than you know what to do with.
I would also make sure that you have a efficient skimmer for your anticipated bioload. That probably means buying one that is rated for a larger aquarium. Also ensure that you have plenty of flow inside of the tank. If you don't have an efficient system you are going to fight with algae for a long, long, time.
After the cycle is complete I would focus on getting all the excess nutrients out of the tank so the photoperiod can be increased and you can take your sheets off of the tank.
Several large water changes with RO/DI water should be the place to start. Always ... always... use RO/DI and test it to make sure that it is pure before adding it to your tank. The same goes for anything you put into the aquarium. It can be hard enough without fighting ourselves.
Like I said earlier there will more than likley be continued die-off and subsequent organics released even after the cycle. Nomaly things will stabalize themselves over time but it is slow and can take months.
You can counteract this to a degree by continuing with RO/DI water changes and running a canister filter for two days each week with carbon and phosphate absorber. At least for the first month or so while the organic release is at it's greatest. Make sure you dont run it longer that 48 hrs or the compounds will leach back into the aquarium. It will cost money but it will reduce the intensity of your algae blooms and you might even be able to add livestock a little faster. Still go slow though.
Start with snails... Astrea, Turbo's, and Cerith's and a small photoperiod. You should be afraid that your snails are going to starve to death from lack of algae before increasing the amount of light.
As time passes and you can increase the photoperiod I would add a small fish or two that you can be content with for the next few months and keep the feedings light. Week by week you could possibly add a smaller coral. If you planned on some lower light requiring organisms, they could be some of the first things added. Remember the tank is already releasing nutrients itself. If you add hungry fish and other items that require you to add alot food. You will be asking for algae. Get to a point were your can be content with the tank for the most part bare and then slow down even more. Let the tank stablize from your additons of the past few weeks. After your tank shows that it can deal with the current bioload for a couple of weeks with turning into a green mat then continue. But always give it a rest to insure that you have not gone too far too fast.
Remember it is a balancing act with nutrients. Algae is just your barometer.
Looks like it going to be a wonderful tank!
Good Luck
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