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View Full Version : Phosphates and Algae Growth


Br0k3nMachin3
07/10/2013, 09:35 AM
I have a 92 gallon bow front tank with 5 corals and 6 fish (2 clowns, 1 chromis, 1 file fish, 1 watchman goby, and 1 pearl-scaled butterfly) and I also have a 40 gallon tank with nothing in it except rock and sand. Both tanks are topped off with the same water.

My question is, why is my 92 gallon tank getting overrun with algae and the 40 gallon isn't?

t00lfan
07/10/2013, 10:49 AM
Unfortunately a little more information would be needed to answer....lighting...feeding...water parameters..etc.

dunc101
07/10/2013, 11:17 AM
1.) How old is the 92 gallon and how old is the 40 gallon? It is very common to have algae issues the first year of a tank.
2.) You have fish in the 92 gallon and not in the 40. Fish produce waste which leads to nitrates and phosphates which you then must export somehow as these are the main parameters that leads to algae issues (water changes, gfo, carbon dosing, etc). It does seem you have a "light" bioload in the 92 gallon, however.
3.) Sometimes rock leaches PO4. What type of rock do you have and was it live or dry when you added it?

As t00lfan mentioned, getting some NO3 and PO4 readings would help.

Dmorty217
07/10/2013, 11:30 AM
People will want to know much more information about your tank to be able to answer this correctly. My tank has very high phosphates (.7) and I know another reefer with phosphates higher then mine without a skimmer and he has little to no algae growth an I clean my glass once a week maybe and that is just to remove a slight film on my glass. Long story short IMO phosphates have nothing to do with algae, more to the point another reefer has .02 phosphates and algae growing everywhere

Br0k3nMachin3
07/14/2013, 06:11 AM
What are some of the major causes of algae growth?

MJNTWise
07/14/2013, 08:37 AM
Phosphates!!!!!!! have you checked them?????

Br0k3nMachin3
07/14/2013, 08:49 AM
I took a sample to my lfs and all they told me is they were high. They didn't tell me a specific number. The color was dark though, like blue or purple. They used a Salifert test kit.

MJNTWise
07/14/2013, 09:00 AM
Well is it was blue then it was 3.0....Way to high...needs to be less then .05...Are you running GFO???

Br0k3nMachin3
07/14/2013, 09:02 AM
No. Trying to save money to get a Phos-ban reactor. I do have some unused Chemi-Pure bags

MJNTWise
07/14/2013, 09:06 AM
You can start with that....Try BRS and there gfo reactors...Get the single ones....I have both style and I like the BRS ones better....Easier to change the gfo...I have the mr1 and BRS single reactors....

MJNTWise
07/14/2013, 09:08 AM
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-gfo-carbon-reactor-single.html

best deal for you...

Br0k3nMachin3
07/14/2013, 09:09 AM
Thanks. I will look into that