Surface algae, lots of it.. Need some advice!

[Reef This]

My tank just turned about 3 months old. It has a Yellow Tang, Royal Gramma, 2 Gold Stripe Maroon clowns.

It's a 75, megaflow with a 40g sump, EuroReef RS100.

I've never, ever had algae problems like this, but my tank is literally green on the glass every day. Today, the lights were off and the glass still has managed to turn green.

Any idea what to try?

[lilchris]

What are your tank parameters (sp)? Also are you using RO/DI water or tap water? How old are your lights, type of lights ie. metal halides, t-5s, PCs?

[lilchris]

What are your tank parameters (sp)? Also are you using RO/DI water or tap water? How old are your lights, type of lights ie. metal halides, t-5s, PCs? Also what do you have for a clean up crew?
Sorry for the double post.

[m2434]

Is the green stuff easy to wipe off or do you need to scrape it off. With strong lighting I've found green calcerous micro algae (geen "coraline" algae) can cover my glass within a day or two of scrapping it, but it is unfortunately, is also a sign things are going well.

[zooqi]

Any light from outside coming to the tank ? Is the algae on the glass or your water is kinda green ? R u using RO/DI. You must have phospate (nutrients) in your water. Cut on feeding (not sure how often you feed). Like said that old light bulbs can me some part of the problem too.

[zooqi]

Article by Randy Holmes can help (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php)

[Reef This]

The whole tank is brand new, it's 2x250DE halides, with 2x54 T% supplement. Lights are a month and a half old.

I don't use RO/DI, not many very people in Alaska do, no reason to. Besides the fact it's expensive here, our water is superb. With that said, I've never used RO/DI in any of my other 2 tanks, and have never had surface algae problems like this. Actually, I used to only have to scrap every week, now it's literally every day. An could probably scrape twice a day.

I have chaeto in the refugium, and it's grown from a 6-7 inch ball into filling a 12"x14" portion of my sump. I guess there could be phosphates, I haven't tested. I'll do that tomorrow. Considering we just remodeled our entire house, and added 4 windows to the house on the floor the tank sits on, including a huge bay window set in the addition, and the blinds for all the new windows won't be here till the 16th. I imagine that could be a huge part of it. I'm betting that's a lot of it. The tank does receive outside light most of the day now.

Parameters - 10 nitrates, 0 amm, 0 nit, calcium 410, dKH 7.0.

I'll be ordering a phosphate kit tomorrow.

-- J

[zooqi]

light from outside is big part of it. Two people can stand and hold a blanket in front of it daytime (6 months,,right ? ) untill you get the blinds :D . Protein skimmer ?

[Reef This]

Skimmer is a Euroreef RS100, I wish I could have gotten bigger, but i have to very carefully move it to get the cup out of the stand as it is, I'm glad I didn't go any bigger.

It's very productive, cleaned usually 5-6 days.

[Reef This]

We get about 9 hours of daylight now, it's coming down fast. Another 2 months we'll be in the 6-7 range.

[zooqi]

Cut the light in your aquarium to the time where you are home most of the time. For example I used to have my lights come on at 3-4 pm so when we get home corals are open and we can keep it untill 9-10 pm. Some people turn lights on when they get up and go to work, come from work and want to keep lights so they can enjoy it. Shorter light better and it might help.