Algae problems

[j80]

Fluidized Bed Filter

    Has anyone used a Fluidized Bed Filter on a reef tank? If so does it help with algae problems? I am using a phosban reactor, feed once a day and lights are only on 6 hours a day. My phosphates are 0 or near 0 but i still have red,brown and green algae on my sand and rocks, I have been fighting this since i set the tank up 7 months ago

[Boonjob]

what kind of water are you using, and have your tried a macro algae to combat the other algae for nutrients?

[j80]

I use ro water with a tds of 001 and i do have chaeto but it has stayed golf ball size since i added it 5 months ago

[Boonjob]

what kind of light do you have on the cheato, and lighting schedule?

[micki]

I use ro water with a tds of 001 and i do have chaeto but it has stayed golf ball size since i added it 5 months ago

What lighting do you have on your chaeto and what is the light cycle on it?  What kind of clean up crew do you have?  Imho, 7 months is still a young tank and may be going through "the process". 

[micki]

what kind of light do you have on the cheato, and lighting schedule?

Great minds... 

[Boonjob]

Great minds... 

according to my wife I don't have one of those anymore.

[micki]

according to my wife I don't have one of those anymore.

Well you are a male...      j/k

[j80]

 
Hmmmm, That might be part of your chaeto growth problem.  I use 2 of these on my 10 gal. fuge 24/7.  I have pc lighting on my 40 gal fuge tank.  It runs 10 hours per day I think. 

[Boonjob]

I have an 18" pink t-8 bulb on at night for about 8 hours

do you know what degree k it runs at?.. and I would try upping that to almost a 12-18hr run time.

[Boonjob]

Well you are a male...      j/k

Whose side are you on here...?

[Boonjob]

also if you don't have any some snails will work wonders on that algae, Turbo's are big eaters, and you can get some misc snails to clean up whats left behind them... Some crabs are great about eating it aswell, as they can get down into the pores with their claws and eat the roots of the algae....Just keep in mind adding a clean up crew will only patch your problem, not solve why you have algae in the first place...


That RO reading just seems weird to me... what meter are you using, and do you filter the RO yourself or is it store bought?

[j80]

I do have alot of snails, I buy my water at coral ranch, not sure on the kelvin of the light but what should i run for the chaeto?

[Boonjob]

Mine is doing great on just a CFL in the 2700/6500 spectrum...  I had 6500k on it for 18hrs a day and it easily doubled in size the first two weeks... I switched to 2700k CFL 18hrs a day and it exploded so much it is over growing my refugium.


Between it,and my algae scrubber I have had little problems with algae in my DT even though my numbers are much higher than yours atm.

[micki]

Hmmmm, That might be part of your chaeto growth problem.  I use 2 of these on my 10 gal. fuge 24/7.  I have pc lighting on my 40 gal fuge tank.  It runs 10 hours per day I think. 

Sorry j80, I think I clicked on modify instead of quote.  Didn't mean to erase what you said.  It's getting late for me! 

[Kenn]

Fluidized Bed Filter

    Has anyone used a Fluidized Bed Filter on a reef tank? If so does it help with algae problems? I am using a phosban reactor, feed once a day and lights are only on 6 hours a day. My phosphates are 0 or near 0 but i still have red,brown and green algae on my sand and rocks, I have been fighting this since i set the tank up 7 months ago

A Fluidized Bed Filter is for culturing bacteria. Same as live rock. I PERSONALLY am not impressed with them. IMO your live rock should handle this job in a reef system. and if it cant you need to lower your stocking of the tank (not you personally).

Have you been syphoning out the red\brown algae?? if not I would think it is a must at this point.

Also have you done LARGE weekly water changes? if done over at least a month I am sure it would help.

[DarinSchmidt]

Sorry j80, I think I clicked on modify instead of quote.  Didn't mean to erase what you said.  It's getting late for me! 

See, a male may not have a great mind according to micki, but at least we can do simple tasks correctly  jk


j80, just make sure you use 2700k bulbs on the cheato, the more powerful the better, have the lights on for no longer than 16hrs and your tank on for around 10 +- a couple hrs. What happens is eventually the cheato will out compete the algae in the tank as it is given more growing time every day. Just be sure to clean out any red algae that you can when you see it (within reason of course). After a month or two, maybe even sooner, it will disappear depending on how well you keep it cleaned up and how fast your cheato grows.  You could also look into doing an algae scrubber which will help also. I started this when i had the red algae problem and what ended up happening is that the red algae grew on the screen and i would just clean it off every couple days and it cleared out my Display Tank within a few weeks.

The algae in the DT will be out competed by itself on the screen, which you just wash off down the drain.

[Kenn]

You could also look into doing an algae scrubber which will help also

There you go again 

I have got to make you a t-shirt or something 

[Kenn]

I forgot to ask J80 ... Are you still skimming and if so how is your skimmer doing ?

[Reefpete]

See, a male may not have a great mind according to micki, but at least we can do simple tasks correctly  jk


j80, just make sure you use 2700k bulbs on the cheato, the more powerful the better, have the lights on for no longer than 16hrs and your tank on for around 10 +- a couple hrs. What happens is eventually the cheato will out compete the algae in the tank as it is given more growing time every day. Just be sure to clean out any red algae that you can when you see it (within reason of course). After a month or two, maybe even sooner, it will disappear depending on how well you keep it cleaned up and how fast your cheato grows.  You could also look into doing an algae scrubber which will help also. I started this when i had the red algae problem and what ended up happening is that the red algae grew on the screen and i would just clean it off every couple days and it cleared out my Display Tank within a few weeks.


The algae in the DT will be out competed by itself on the screen, which you just wash off down the drain.
I just wish my temporary set up would allow me to run an ATS ! Oh well soon enough

[j80]

I think i need a better skimmer, mine is the type thats built into the sump.

[Reefpete]

I think i need a better skimmer, mine is the type thats built into the sump.

Is there anyway to adjust the amount of air going into either the skimmer, or the skimmer pump? How "new" is the skimmer?