JollyGreen
01/20/2007, 05:43 PM
I need some ideas for fixing my small bubble/hair algae problem.
I have a 26g reef tank, with about 15-20 lbs of live rock
System: Emperor 280 Power Filter running a bio-wheel and carbon, Coralife 65g super skimmer, tunze osmolator top-off, maxijet 1200, maxijet 600, Tunze nano stream 6025, 26gallon tank
Temp: 77-82
Ph: 8.0-8.3
Calcium: 400
Alkalinity: 8dkH
Magnesium: 1275
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
I currently have a torch coral, acropora millepora, galaxia, button polyps, ricordia and lots of xenia.
Cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, started with 24 snails and 6 hermits, Royal Gramma, Two clowns and blenny, fish are currently in QT
I've had a small hair/bubble algae problem for the last year. About 2 months ago a fish got Ich, so I took out all fish and put them in a QT tank, treated with copper for 20 days, then left in QT another 4 weeks. I thought this would correct the algae problem because the fish wouldn't be in the display and I wouldn't be feeding the tank.
Still have algae. Hasn't even declined in the amount, I pick it out about every two weeks to a month so it at least stays in check.
I also bought a coralife 65g super skimmer and have been running that non-stop for a month. Been getting some good skimmate in HOT mode.
I thought it might be my water, found out the water had 15 TDS because I wasn't flushing the RO/DI system and then letting it run a little before filling up containers. I got that under control and now have 0 TDS, I've been using that water for a month now, and have done 2-3 water changes.
I add Kent Marine two part to keep calcium/akalinity in the proper region.
Today I just replaced my 14k 1 year old metal halide bulb, with an XM 10k metal halide bulb.
After all that I still have a small amount of algae that keeps growing.
I've been doing this for a year now and feel pretty confident I'm doing almost everything correct now. The only thing I can think is that I think I've read people believe the bio-wheels to become nitrate factories...you guys think this is the problem? Think I can just take the bio-wheel out and the system will run fine?
The only other way I can think to get rid of the bio-wheel is to get a Wier (Because I don't want to drill my tank) and run a sump. What do you guys think?
Could really use some help here!
JG
I have a 26g reef tank, with about 15-20 lbs of live rock
System: Emperor 280 Power Filter running a bio-wheel and carbon, Coralife 65g super skimmer, tunze osmolator top-off, maxijet 1200, maxijet 600, Tunze nano stream 6025, 26gallon tank
Temp: 77-82
Ph: 8.0-8.3
Calcium: 400
Alkalinity: 8dkH
Magnesium: 1275
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
I currently have a torch coral, acropora millepora, galaxia, button polyps, ricordia and lots of xenia.
Cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, started with 24 snails and 6 hermits, Royal Gramma, Two clowns and blenny, fish are currently in QT
I've had a small hair/bubble algae problem for the last year. About 2 months ago a fish got Ich, so I took out all fish and put them in a QT tank, treated with copper for 20 days, then left in QT another 4 weeks. I thought this would correct the algae problem because the fish wouldn't be in the display and I wouldn't be feeding the tank.
Still have algae. Hasn't even declined in the amount, I pick it out about every two weeks to a month so it at least stays in check.
I also bought a coralife 65g super skimmer and have been running that non-stop for a month. Been getting some good skimmate in HOT mode.
I thought it might be my water, found out the water had 15 TDS because I wasn't flushing the RO/DI system and then letting it run a little before filling up containers. I got that under control and now have 0 TDS, I've been using that water for a month now, and have done 2-3 water changes.
I add Kent Marine two part to keep calcium/akalinity in the proper region.
Today I just replaced my 14k 1 year old metal halide bulb, with an XM 10k metal halide bulb.
After all that I still have a small amount of algae that keeps growing.
I've been doing this for a year now and feel pretty confident I'm doing almost everything correct now. The only thing I can think is that I think I've read people believe the bio-wheels to become nitrate factories...you guys think this is the problem? Think I can just take the bio-wheel out and the system will run fine?
The only other way I can think to get rid of the bio-wheel is to get a Wier (Because I don't want to drill my tank) and run a sump. What do you guys think?
Could really use some help here!
JG