Battling Some Algae (Need Suggestions)

Hi Guys,

It has been quite a while since I have posted here. Things have been kind of busy and haven't had much free time. I have been battling various types of algae for about 7 months now (it seems like a long time when I say it like that). My tank is about 2 years old at this point. I had to go out of town for a month last October, and my wife was in charge of keeping the tank running in my absence. I had made her enough water to do a 10 gallon water change after about 2 weeks. Before I left, my tank had been running really well with no algae issues at all. When I came back, I had what I would call a pretty big GHA outbreak. I cleaned off all of the GHA and did a 15 gallon water change. Since then, I have been religious with weekly water changes of 10-12 gallons per week. I have been using seachem's salinity salt mix. I am also religious about changing out the GFO and carbon (from BRS) at the first of the month.

I just tested my water and the nitrates and phosphates read 0 (which they obviously aren't) and my pH is at 8.4. My salinty is at 1.025. I use RO/DI water and my TDS is about .1ppm (best I can get out of it) and I change the DI resin when it gets to .3ppm. I recently changed out all of the filters but the RO membrane a few months ago.

My blue lights come on at 10 in the morning and go off at 8 at night. My white lights cut on at noon and cut off at 6. The bulbs are about 10 months old and will be replaced in a couple of months.

The types of algae that I have been seeing are occasional spots of GHA, a rare piece of bubble algae, and this blanketing type of algae that grows on the sand but will also blanket the rocks. This particulr one is the most annoying because it makes my tank look ugly.

I have cleaned everything that I can think of to clean. The only thing that I haven't really done at this point is disassemble my plumbing underneath and clean that out. I have even recently started cleaning out the sand bed when I do my water changes. I don't really know if that is a good idea, but I have been getting out a ton of detritus when I do.

My CUC is what I would consider a little slim. I replenished it a few months ago adding a lot of hermits and nerites. The hermits are all but gone which says to me that I don't have enough to sustain them.

I added a few Koralia power heads that I had left over to see if it was a flow problem in the back and that didn't take care of anything. My Vortech seems to do a pretty good job of creating flow.

Does anyone have any recommendations as to what I can do at this point. I don't want to throw in the towel but enough is enough Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Regards,
Ivy

P.S. I should also add that nothing has changed in my tank for about a year (except adding more to my CUC).

A couple of pics of the "blanket algae"

 

The blanket algae is Cyano bacteria. You will need to change out the GFO and GAC weekly for several weeks, cut back on feeding and aggressively clean all components of the system including the sand in the tank and rocks and your sump and pipes.

 

your nitrates will read 0 because the algae is consuming it all to grow. cutting back more on lights & feeding will help starve it out. 2in10 pretty much nailed the best course of action.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. I will have to place an order to have enough GFO and carbon to change it out weekly. One thing that I didn't mention was that I alternate feeding about a half a cube of marine cuisine and a cube of mysis shrimp. I add a small piece of nori a few times a week as well. Thanks again!!!!

 

I you do not rinse the cubes out thoroughly before feeding start immediately that will help because they are full of phosphates and possibly nitrates.

 

I do rinse them in ro water before feeding. Thanks!!!

 

Doing that much of a scrubbing at once, you run the risk of your tank starting an unwanted cycle. What is visible can be scooped out with a turkey baster and a fish net.

I do agree on cutting back on feeding and I would cut back on lighting as well. Speaking on lighting, how old are your bulbs? That will cause unwanted algae as well.

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I was afraid that disturbing the sand bed would disturb the good bacteria and start an algae bloom. I was under the impression when I started the tank that the sand bed shouldn't really be disturbed. I was amazed, however, at how much detritus I was getting when I did. The only thing that I haven't cleaned at this point is the plumbing.

I will try to cut back on the feeding as well. I am leery to do that since I have done that before and almost starved some of my fish.

I put in my original post that the bulbs are about 10 month old and will be replaced this summer. Thanks!!!!!

 

That would depend on food mfg or DIY cubes correct? The food I use states "do not rinse. Doing so will remove needed nutrition". What's your take on it.

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Ah sorry I missed that. You are correct I wouldn't start stirring up your sand bed. Also trying to get a year out of your T5s is pushing it IMO. Mine are about 7 months old and I have to replace the bulbs already and they are not cheap bulbs.

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