Algea BAD!

[ryanp15]

I keep getting algea all over my live rock and my glass but I don't know why. I just changed the bulb last week in hopes that it would clear up some but it hasn't. It comes back in like 3-4 days. Does anyone know what's going on?


Ryan *celebrate

 

[aresgod]

is this a new tank, need more info, like test results temp ph nitrite, trate ect...
Brahm

 

[ryanp15]

No I've had the tank running for about a year now with the saltwater setup. The algea started about 3 months ago and just seems to hang around. I havn't had the water tested in a few months cause I can't find time but last time it was checked everything was normal. The temperature is about 75-77 and there are 2 clowns 1 damsel and 1 green serpent star. Thanks.

Ryan

 

[TurbineSurgeon]

Although it's been a while since I have done saltwater, algae is typically a symptom of excess nutrients. The usual culprits are nitrate and/or phosphate. Water changes often help, but at the time I was battling green filamentous algae in saltwater, I was living in a place that had measurable phosphates in the water supply. I used Phosgard and the algae went away.

Another contributing factor can be insufficient calcium. I also found with my reef tank that the dosing of kalkwasser fed the coralines that then could out-compete the bad stuff. HTH

 

[ryanp15]

Thanks I was going to have my water tested again and see if anything is wrong with it. I'll see if I can find anything to lower my phosphate levels after I check it.


Ryan

 

[TurbineSurgeon]

The LFS I used to work at only tested for the usual ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH; not phosphate. If yours will do phosphate, that's great, but I'd be a little surprised if they do.

I have personally used the Seachem phosphate test kit (LINK). I believe that LaMotte also makes a phosphate test kit, but IIRC, it was fairly expensive.