Green Algae on substrate

Hello all,

Just want to ask what does it mean when green algae is starting to build up on a 3" substrate?

Also what kind or how many detrivors are need to maintain detrius at a low level on a sand bed with a 75 gal and 90 gal reef tank?

Any help is appreciated thanks.

 

Is it slimy or like a film or is it hairy like grass?

 

Hi Tyslin, green algae growing in your tank means a couple things...problems with your light intensity -which will be corrected by replacing the bulbs! The other has to do with over feeding, and excess nutrients/phosphates in your water! Are you using RO/DI water? protein skimmer working effectively? Water changes should be done weekly! Do you have a fuge with macroalgae to feed on the same nutrients as microalgae?
Sea Cucumbers, Conch, Brittle and Serpent Stars and hermits and Nassarius snails will help.
Also try placing some water flow towards the bottom of your tank to help suspend the detritus in the water column for the skimmer to remove it better!

 

It's not slimy, sort of like a film build up on the sides of the substrate where it touches the glass, also on top of the substrate in a few areas in the front of the tank.

 

Do you get sunlight entering your tank? That will also help to bring on algae!

 

Hey Coral,

I am using RO\DI, I don't overfeed just twice a week, check my phosphates and it's good. Protein skimmer working fine, I do water changes every week, I have a small 9 inch by 9 inch fuge in main tank with some caluerpa. My crew consists of 11 nassarius, 1 brittle star fish and 10 algae eating smails. What do you think, Coral.

I notice when I do place my powerheads towards the algae areas that they are gone the next day. And when I redirect it back to normal position I get them again, any ideas?

 

Nope no sunlight. Question why would new bulbs help?

 

I have been having a similar problem
i had purchaced a metal halide light with 20000k halide and 2 T5 s which i got off the net ebay. My lfs tells me that for green algae to grow due to light, it would mean that to much light in the RED spectrum is present, So i have cleaned the algae out and am going to leave off thr T5s to see if this is the problem or the source of the red spectrum light.
May not help you but just thought id let you know what i was told.
Good luck.

 

I had alot of greenish/brown algae show up after leaving my flourscent light on all weekend (fri morning still sunday night) while I was out of town. I bought something called phos-zorb and put it in line with filter, and cut down on lights alot. It was a bag of stuff that absorbs phosphates, which after having water tested showed up to be high.
just cut back on so much light and do the phos-zorb thing. That is what everyone else here recommended to me

 

Thanks for the info guys really appreciate it.

Anyone else have some thoughts or opinions?