Green Algae

[AC_Rhino]

I have a question about green algae forming on the tank walls, sand, and loose shells.

Now I know a **** ton of folks here are ragingly ****ed at me because I took a 40 gallon fresh water tank and filled it with sand from my beach, sea water, and tidal pool hermit crabs, crabs, shrimps, sand snails and didn't go out and buy thousands of dollars worth of stuff. I have no sumps, no skimmers, no nuclear fusion devices ... nothing but a huge fluval and aqua clear filter. If you're just going to keep attacking me move on. If you can give me some algae advice please read on.

So all of the water chemicals seem fine to me. For lighting I have 2 home depot shop lights with standard no brainer white LED light bulbs. I don't have grow lights, reef lights, direct sunlight, slaves holding candles ... nothing 2 LED bulbs. The lights are on timers ... 13 hours on, 11 hours off.

I can clean the algae off the sides of the tank with the side cleaner magnet scraper thing and I can disturb the sand that has the algae on it ... but the rocks and shells ... i assume I can pull them out ... bleach, rinse, etc ... but how do it reduce algae growth in general?

Thanks in advance if anyone here helps.

[JimON]

You bleach it, you kill it, and bye bye bio filter. Over time, the tank will stabilize and the algae issue will wane. As I was reminded earlier today, patience is a virtue, and nothing good happens fast. Hang tight, keep up on water changes, and all will be well.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Over time, the tank will stabilize and the algae issue will wane

...assuming nutrients are in balance and levels aren't too high. If you have a source of nutrients (feeding, dirty rock, dirty sand) that's outpacing your nutrient export (filters, water changes, etc) then you're pretty much doomed to an algae-covered tank forever.

[AC_Rhino]

My biggest pain points at the moment are the algae as I mentioned, the water is a bit cloudy, and the seaweed I put in there doesn't last as long as I'd like. The tank is under a month old so I understand the water will clear up over time. I have a **** ton of bio-ball things in the fluval for bacteria to build up on and a foam thinger in the aquaclear that I don't intend to change. I replace 4-5 gallons of water a week and will change the media and rinse out the fluval foam things monthly.

Is there a better bulb to use for better light for the plants in the tank?

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Your approach is so far outside the norm that it's going to be hard to get specific advice. I don't mean that as a negative criticism, just a comment.

What sort of plants are you trying to grow? Do you care what color the light is, or are you just trying to maximize growth?

[AC_Rhino]

i do not know what kind of plants that they are. They are just white and green various kinds of seaweed I picked up at the beach. Everything is attached to some kind of rock or shell.

I'd like a nice healthy light for the tank. Its the one thing that I won't mind spending money on. If they are some weird color that is fine, I can put on the white LED ones when I took at it.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Maybe you can post some photos of the algae/plant/seaweed you're trying to grow? Getting an ID will help people provide accurate advice.

Regarding your original question of controlling the nuisance algae growth - it really comes down to nutrient control. You have to get nutrients out of the system and keep levels low enough that the pest algae can't thrive. Your filtration choices are going to be helpful in terms of processing waste, but they won't actually export it - all your ammonia will end up as nitrate, which pest algae loves. That is why skimmers are popular these days, they actually remove the waste instead of just reducing it.

The other option besides export is competition. If you can get the desirable algae/plant/whatever it is growing fast enough, it can remove the nutrients to the point that the pest algae disappears. This is why refugiums are popular - they provide a place to grow beneficial algae fast enough to out-compete pest algae in the display tank. If you can get an ID on the stuff you have in the tank and figure out the conditions it needs, you may be able to win that way.

[skimjim]

Overfeeding + white light - skimmer - weekly 50% water changes = green hair algae.

Work on using
less food or
less white 4k-14k lighting or
a skimmer rated 2x your water volume or
more water changes

Best to work on all 4.

Rock on. Tell the local to jump off a Pier. Lol

[AC_Rhino]

Ok, I have some pics ... perhaps these will help.

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/3228/OSraYS.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/7061/ELhlpv.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img924/1816/0uzjT7.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img924/7733/ThadA7.jpg

[AC_Rhino]

These pics might be better

http://imageshack.com/a/img924/1044/ggasic.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/1446/hjp2wQ.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/3105/OunSmM.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/7607/z7H2XW.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img924/7199/Ks6CBI.jpg

[mcgyvr]

um.. where is your green algae problem?
Tank looks totally fine to me for being 1 month old..
Give it time man.. Nothing good happens fast in this hobby..

Its totally normal to have green film algae,etc.. forming on the glass.. Most all have it and clean it weekly or more with a mag float..
Your tank is also very new and its absolutely normal to have some minor algae issues at the start.. We call them the "ugly stages" and it will just pass with time..

There is nothing wrong with your tank..

as stated keep your nitrates and phosphates low and you should have no real algae issues.. don't and you will.. plain and simple..

Now go wash your potty mouth out with soap :p

[skimjim]

Yes. I have to clean my glass of "film-algae" once maybe twice a week. That's been a normal process since i started this hobby in 2005.

[JimON]

...assuming nutrients are in balance and levels aren't too high. If you have a source of nutrients (feeding, dirty rock, dirty sand) that's outpacing your nutrient export (filters, water changes, etc) then you're pretty much doomed to an algae-covered tank forever.

agreed, which is why I said to keep up on water changes.

[AC_Rhino]

um.. where is your green algae problem?
Tank looks totally fine to me for being 1 month old..
Give it time man.. Nothing good happens fast in this hobby..


I didn't take any pics of the algae. I did remove it from the glass with the magonetty thingy ... there are a few smallish quarter sized patches on the sand and such.

[AC_Rhino]

How often do you change your sponge filter medium?

My fluval 204 has bio balls in the bottom area, activated carbon in the middle, and an ammonia remover in the top. It has 4 sponge filters after the water intake. I replace the carbon and ammonia remover monthly and rinse out the foam sponge things. I never touch the bio ball container.

My aquaclear (which I mainly used to aerate the water and keep the surface tension broken) has a foam filter at the bottom, activated carbon in the middle, and ammonia remover at the top. I change the carbon and ammonia remover monthly but rarely will mess with the foam thingy.

I replace 4-5 gallons a week.

What kind of light or bulb should I switch to for the plants? Any luck ID'ing them?

[mcgyvr]

I didn't take any pics of the algae. I did remove it from the glass with the magonetty thingy ... there are a few smallish quarter sized patches on the sand and such.

You don't have a problem..
What you have in your tank IS algae and sponges..
Not sure why you think you can prevent algae (green hair/film) while trying to grow algae (ulva, etc...)

I'd be concerned for any tank that didn't grow some film algae on the glass of some level or another..

As you continue to grow those "display algaes" they may out compete other algaes for nutrients..

[AC_Rhino]

You don't have a problem..
What you have in your tank IS algae and sponges..
Not sure why you think you can prevent algae (green hair/film) while trying to grow algae (ulva, etc...)


Can you elaborate on this? Do you know what those plant/sponge/kelp/seaweed things are?

Do I need anything other than water changes and white LED bulbs to keep things happy?

[Kevin Guthrie]

Algae ID requires an expert with a sample and a microscope. What you have instead is amateurs with a cell phone pic. If you want amateur guesses, mine are ulva for the green leafy stuff and sargassum for the brown.

[LuizW13]

How often do you change your sponge filter medium?


I change my mechanical filtration every 3 days