lights out

[Debbie64]

So, I'm battling some cyano and hair algae. My photo period is cut way down (about 4 hours day, 8 actinic). I have a fuge, chaeto, phosban, skimmer, do water changes, etc. low nitrate and no phosphates registering in the water column. I've heard of some people having success just turning off the lights completely for 48 - 72 hours or so. I know the fish won't mind. The only corals I have at the moment are kenya tree weeds, glove, Platygyra brain - also some zoos and shrooms.

I also have a small crocea and that's the only thing I'd truly worry about in the dark. Would it be all right for that period of time with the lights off?

[jmaneyapanda]

that wont solve the algae problem. continue good husbandry and nutrient limitation and give it time. I dont think the clam would be bothered, but i also think youd still have hair algae and cyano.

[Lake75]

It shouldn't be a big problem, esp. if you feed your clam with phyto (which many people do with clams less than 3"). But "lights out" won't be a permenant solution and your algae will come back again if you didn't make other adjustment.

[parothead22]

That would only be a short term fix. What you need to do is find the solution and maintain low microalgae levels. How are you lights? Do you need to replace the bulbs?
Your microalgae problem may be fueled by excess food, your salt, trace supplements or liquid food.
Also, most phosphate kits test for inorganic phosphate(orthophosphate) only, ignoring organic phosphate which can be converted to inorganic forms by microalgae and then utilized as food!!!!Thus the growth of your algae with so called low to zero phosphate levels based on your test kit. Inorganic phosphate is fairly easy to get rid of as it is rapidly consumed by plants and blown off into the atmosphere as aerosol by the microbubbles of your protein skimmer. The organic phosphate level is probably giving you the false 0 reading.
Again try cutting down on feeding and liquid trace element and food additions.
Good luck...hope this helps!

[Debbie64]

OK, bear with me, this will be a bit long winded.

I do know that the root of the problem needs to be dealt with. I'm doing everything I know how to do.

In addition to the things I said I was doing in my first post, I also use only RO/DI water, the bulbs are fine, only a few months old. I use Instant Ocean. I've got plenty of flow.

I've also cut down on feeding. Every few days I put a teaspoon or so of phyto in when I feed. Everyday, I clip on a 2" x 3" sheet of nori soaked in garlic and everyday, once a day, I feed one cube of Hikari mysis and 1/2 cube of spirulina soaked brine. I first thaw it in RO/DI water, swirl, drain and then add it. My fish eat it as fast as it comes out of the turkey baster. Food is gone in under a minute and a half. Once a week or so, I drop in maybe an 1/8 of a teaspoon of formula one pellets for my serpent star and shrimp to grab. I know the fish wouldn't starve to death if I cut feeding back to every other day.

If that is, in fact, enough food to qualify as part of the problem, I'll cut it back.

I don't add anything to my tank other than the two part (Randy's) that I drip.

I use Salifert tests.

I think my chaeto is finally starting to grow - it's about the size of a volleyball - and I replaced the light I was using over the fuge with 2 of the lights Melev recs. So this chaeto has been under these new lights for about two months.

The hair algae has, in fact, diminished. :D I got in there with a toothbrush and did a lot of scrubbing. It's still growing, but it's thinner and less aggressive and my beautiful purple rocks have plenty of bald spots.

My algae problem started when I got my clam in April, though the clam's not the reason. The day before the clam arrived, I found pyramidalid snails all over my turbos. I took out every single one of my turbos (about 30) and put them in QT, so my tank was without astrea turbos. The parasite snails never touched the clam and I haven't seen them anymore. Cutting to the chase, though, all my turbos eventually died and the tank started to get fuzzy. Since then, I've had a very hard time keeping snails alive in my tank. I've got a few jumbo ceriths, nassarius, and they're fine. Don't have any astreas and all the mexican turbos I got died. (Before you ask, yes I acclimated properly - I always drip acclimate.) I've got scarlet and blue leg hermits as well that are fine.

I did weekly water changes for 2 months or so while I was scrubbing the hair algae off the rocks - actually, it was more like every 3 days. I've cut back to wc once every 3 weeks or so.

Right now, I've got cyano growing on my chaeto. There's something wrong with that picture. :rolleyes: So, does this just require more patience? Is there anything I'm not doing that I should be doing?

I know this really isn't the forum for spouting all this; thanks for getting down this far. I'll stop talking now.

[jmaneyapanda]

my experienece witn cyano has been just that- Patience. keep the nutrients low. keep your skimmer cranked. dont overfeed. one day, it'll be gone. just like that.

[cristhiam]

Short term fix, chemi-clean. I just used it couple weeks ago.