Jump to content

How do you cope with algae?


Recommended Posts

Hi all,

Kinda new to this forum. Recently ventured into SW after swimming in FW for awhile.

Got poisoned by my experienced uncle to start my own SW tank!

Quick question: How do you guys cope with algae? For now I am doing weekly-biweekly water change plus glass cleaning.

What other ways to reduce their growth rate? Any algae eating SW fishes / shrimps?

My livestocks for now are 1x blue tang, 1x yellow tang, 2x peculia clown, 2x black damsel and 2x cleaner shrimp in a 3ft tank.

Cheers! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • SRC Member

I shall assume your tank's rather new thus brown algae or diatoms would be normal as the tank slowly settles in and it should be gone soon. U can get clean up crews like turbo snails for algaes on the rocks and nassarius snails for the sand bed to consume any uneaten food. Sometimes ur live rock may have beneficial hitchhikers like brittle starfishes also. Algae consumes phosphate to grow. U cut their supply of phosphate and their growth will be retarded. This can be done by using GFOs like rowaphos. On ur part,feed sparingly and continue the good work of weekly water changes. Have a good time in this addictive, money sucking hobby :)

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes

Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want to impress people they don't like.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes its a relatively new tank, about a month.

Thanks! I will try to get those snails. Any recommendation on where to get there? I usually get my livestock from Iwarna but not sure whether they have snails for sale

Link to comment
Share on other sites

try CF, they have a wide variety of snails.

feed lesser, control ur nitrates and phosphates, have algae clean-up crew, a magnet cleaner for the tank walls, i find these work for me

Cichlid Forever at Kovan? I did a quick google search and it seemed that they closed down..

Anyone can confirm?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Algae benny, star fishes, sea urchin lah all eat algae..if not use algae turf scrubber, a "algae garden" 2 eat up all de nutrients b4 de algae can get them thus stopping algae growth. Right now my sump is full of fine grass algae n display tank is quite clean!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • SRC Member

i also did have the problem. now i think its more controlled but not ideal. I use UVC plus shorten the number of hours for the lights. Snails to clear the brownish stuff sa well but i think i need more. just a pic to show if you have the same thing we are toking abt below:

post-18437-0-72857000-1371097500_thumb.j

Will construct algea scrubber next week to also help the situation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i also did have the problem. now i think its more controlled but not ideal. I use UVC plus shorten the number of hours for the lights. Snails to clear the brownish stuff sa well but i think i need more. just a pic to show if you have the same thing we are toking abt below:

attachicon.gif580236_10151537476862928_711487332_n.jpg

Will construct algea scrubber next week to also help the situation

Yyup this is the same situation.. But my tank stabilizing already I think.. Algae blooming rate is slowing.

Just a check - Ah Beng is which one? is it AquaEmpire (opposite C2)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Algae benny, star fishes, sea urchin lah all eat algae..if not use algae turf scrubber, a "algae garden" 2 eat up all de nutrients b4 de algae can get them thus stopping algae growth. Right now my sump is full of fine grass algae n display tank is quite clean!

My sump full of grass algae, red bamboo, chaeto and using algone from madpetz, but my main tank bottom still have patches of green algae but my sand n LR dun have diatom or algae...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My sump full of grass algae, red bamboo, chaeto and using algone from madpetz, but my main tank bottom still have patches of green algae but my sand n LR dun have diatom or algae...

Attached picture of tank bottom infested with green algae...

post-22563-0-62419200-1371389066_thumb.j

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Sponsor

Algae Scrubber is the a good natural way to deal with nuisance algae or phosphate. (For scrubbers built in the sump itself) Just be sure to construct one that is only able to grow algae on the scrubber itself, not on the sump tank glass and floor. Coz if that happens.... then weekly cleaning will be a chore when you scrub them off... they will float in your water and you will have another problem. Another way would be Rowaphos. Nice tank btw!

58a02f8d-dbb1-4838-9742-880f7da0a4f5_zps

 

One-Stop Reef - Bringing Reefing to You

 

Online Shop retailing high quality marine aquarium products and equipments and competitive prices with Free Delivery* 7 days a week including public holidays at no extra cost!

 

Online Shop: www.OneStopReef.com

email:onestopreef@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/OneStopReef

Contact for sales enquiries: +65 92338034

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am having the same problem on my nano. Does algone work?
Algone does not work instantly my nitrate even running chaeto was crazy like close to 100ppm unless I really misused the no3 test kit and take the reading wrongly. But after using 6 weeks, my no3 drop to 25 ppm can see that my display tank has lesser brown algae, no more red slime algae on my sand and diatom on my LR. But I still get green algae at the bottom of my tank and magnet cleaner is difficult and useless to scrub off.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • SRC Member

for nano tank, i used to religiously water change and control nitrate and phosphate using media. until i got a sump for it, using a rowaphos reactor helps alot in reducing the phosphate level to impede algae growth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share



×
×
  • Create New...