Cyano batte has begun! HELP! (Aaron!!)

WhoDey · 02-23-2007, 12:19 AM

I'm currently battling BGA and diatoms or brown algae. Came out of no where... I'm wondering if you have any ideas for me. Here are my tank specs.

Salinity: 1.025
PH: 8.4
Cacium: 400
Hardness: 214.8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0-5
Phosphate: 0
Temp: 80

I don't know if I trust those Phosphate or Nitrate reading because I know the algae is probably eating it before I can detect it. I have 2 maxijet 1200s... one pointed at the suface of the water and the other lower pointed across the back of my tank. 90 lbs live rock, 55 gallon tank, 4 inch sand bed. crabs, snails, cleaner shrimp, emrald crab, 4 one and a half inch sized fish, bubble tip anemone, xenia coral, and some button polyps. I run an AquaC remora skimmer with a maxijet 1200. I just purchased some macro algae to compete for the extra nutrients in the water(if they exist). My skimmer produces 1/4 inch every other day. I do water changes with R/O water and IO reef crystals. I try and remove the BGA and brown algae with each water change but they keep coming back... ohh yeah, and I have 4X54 watt T5s 2 blue, 2 full spec 10000K on 12 hours a day( blue on 2 hours before and after). So far 8 day battle (maybe more) with no signs of head way. Funny thing is that I don't remember having an algae bloom when I cycled my tank 5-6 months ago. Can this be possible??? Thoughts?? concerns??

Achilles · 02-23-2007, 12:23 AM

Definately recheck your Phos, and how long have you been running the t-5's i run 400 watts of them on my 70 gal. love them, but if there new and brighter than the last it can cause the problem, or too long of a light cycle. Natural sunlight hitting the tank even indirect if its strong enough can cause it too. Otherwise im not sure? you may need more water movement at the bottom of the tank also.
Todd

Chitown1 · 02-23-2007, 07:08 AM

I would cut back a bit on the lights, I generelly run my actinics for 10 hours and daylights for 8 hours. You may also wany to consider a UV to control the blooms when they occur, I use Aqua units on all my tanks, they are IMO the best units out there, they rate their bulbs at end of life not the begining like almost all others and have the longest bulb life avail (14 months), at least that I know of. I have no heat issues at all from them and only run with the actinics to ensure the zooplankton etc. that primarily comes out in darkness are in no danger of being zapped. Also what is the TDS reading from your RO filter? it may be time to change the media.

WhoDey · 02-23-2007, 10:08 AM

Todd, The T5s in my tank have been running for the life of the tank. No sunlight hits the tank and the second powerhead moves water across the bottom of my tank.

Chitown- I get my R/O from the grocery store. I have yet to invest in my own. Maybe I need to check their water the next time I go. The UV is a good idea, and I have no doubt it would help. But I'm looking for the root cause of the bacteria so I can run a more effiecient tank here. I have been thinking about getting one of those, but I haven't justified spending the $$ yet. Where is a good place to get one? I'll try cutting back the lights for a little while to see if I get a responce. At least I know that it will slow them down a little! I was thinking about a blackout, but I don't want to stave my corals and anemone at the same time.

Achilles · 02-23-2007, 05:04 PM

You can get a brand new RO unit on e-bay for like a 100 bucks delivered, even with a 3 gallon holding tank, thats wheere i got mine 3 yrs ago and it works greta, i service about 12 tanks here in my hometown area and i use it for all my water. let me know if you want and ill get you the exact site. Also get yurself a bunch of snails. There are those little nasarious snails that are cheap and they live in sand basically. they will keep it stirred up and they eat the algea, also there Very cheap. once again on e-bay. Hope all this helps. Do like Chitown says on the lights and let us know if it helps any too. good luck
Todd

WhoDey · 02-24-2007, 12:25 PM

Todd,

Give me a link to the site, I want to check it out. As far as the snails go, I have like 10 of those in my sand right now. I suspect I probably need more. I never thought of Ebay for snails lol. I'll take a look at that also. Thanks guys.

Achilles · 02-24-2007, 05:14 PM

Here ya go, take a look and see what ya think. I havnt had any trouble out of my unit at al. Good luck
Todd. If the link above doesnt work go to e-bay and look up listing # 150093748779
http://stores.ebay.com/The-Aqua-Safe...kQ3amefsQ3ames

Quote:

Todd, I edited the link in, all you have to do is copy the link into the post and it will automatically redirect it to the link. GM

gm333 · 02-24-2007, 05:26 PM

This is the same unit I use and it works great for me as well. Plus I buy the prefilters from homedepot when I am in a pich and need them fast.

Chitown1 · 02-24-2007, 05:47 PM

These guys are IMO, the best place to get a RO/DO unit, I had one off ebay and threw it away 7 months after I bought it, others may have had luck, but mine was junk.

www.thefilterguys.biz