Removal of Algae

[cdckjn]

Dear All,

Can someone advise me what is the name of the chemical that is put tank to control algae??

I have a 2ft tank (no sump) my tank is placed near balcony (in the shade, so hardly switch on my lights) have 5 hermit and 5 snails cleaning and a 5" goby.

Is the chemical method better to maintain the tank or just use the clean-up crew? I just restarted the tank on National Day 2005. (bought tank, LR, sand from 2nd hand yahoo auctions). cycle tank from 2 weeks then introduced fishes.

Please advise, seniors..... Cheers.

[spaceman]

Are you referring to phosphate removal?

Massive Clean Up Crew you have!

[cdckjn]

Are you referring to phosphate removal?

Massive Clean Up Crew you have!

What I meant is that that my Live Rock has a layer of "fur" - which is guess is algae (from reading the various threads about algae bloom when starting or resatrting a new tank) When I spoken to a fellow reefer, he told me to put something (a chemical) into tank and after a while this chemical will clear the algae. (of course must change the chemical routinely to keep algae in control).

My Live rock (if I use a toothbrush to gently brush away the 'fur', it can remove this 'fur' but instead of manually doing this, I thought I can better use a chemical or livestock to do this - that is why I have a lot of clean-up crew.

Please help to clarify, Thanks.

[tineng]

its been only a month.....be a little bit patient and let your system mature. don't add anymore fishes and do regular water changes and do light but frequent feeding.....its usually a bad idea to depend on chemical to remove algae.....

my tank was in direct afternoon sun and i had to endure about 2 months of algae boom....but now the algae is clearing up

[hotlemond]

From your description I am guessing green hair algae.

there's really no use in scrubbing them inside the tank cos you are only pushing it to another rock, even though you may siphon them out. But some of it still remains to multiply. For temporary measure you can remove the affected rock and do the scrubbing in seperate container.

If any given additve can reduce/remove them, they will still comes back, because its wats inside the water that is feeding them to thrive.

wat is the water you use for top up?

Tap water contain phosphate but employing Phospahte remover media will help.

The food we feed also contain phosphate. So a good skimmer is useful to transport the DOC out b4 it gets broken down to feed the algae.

HTH

[ervine]

It's still too early for your tank.. could be just a nitrate spike or something...

for me, algae came only when the tank was mature... everything else failed until I got myself a seahare from ML... but I won't advise you get one until you get your water parameters sorted out...

[cdckjn]

It's still too early for your tank.. could be just a nitrate spike or something...

for me, algae came only when the tank was mature... everything else failed until I got myself a seahare from ML... but I won't advise you get one until you get your water parameters sorted out...

bought a test kit to test for nitrite - parameter is ok. I found the word I was looking for in another thread. The name of teh chemical is biophos. Is this purpose to reduce algae...

[Eric]

Dear All,

Can someone advise me what is the name of the chemical that is put tank to control algae??

I have a 2ft tank (no sump) my tank is placed near balcony (in the shade, so hardly switch on my lights) have 5 hermit and 5 snails cleaning and a 5" goby.

Is the chemical method better to maintain the tank or just use the clean-up crew? I just restarted the tank on National Day 2005. (bought tank, LR, sand from 2nd hand yahoo auctions). cycle tank from 2 weeks then introduced fishes.

Please advise, seniors..... Cheers.

Pull out watever algaes you have access to. Dump 3kg-4kg of phosban/rowaphos or aquaphos into your sump, do weekly 20%water change and top up with DI or RO water only, reduce feeding amount, add in a small yellow tang or fox face and algae benny to feed on the dying algaes. The use of ozone generator and wet skimming will help to speed things up. Be very patience and enjoy the nuisance algaes termination process............the process will take 8 weeks to 16 weeks.

Eric

[nakazoru]

It's still too early for your tank.. could be just a nitrate spike or something...

for me, algae came only when the tank was mature... everything else failed until I got myself a seahare from ML... but I won't advise you get one until you get your water parameters sorted out...

Ya, it still early, I concur.

Anyway, PO4 removal controls algae growth not remove algae.

Also, You are missing a algae blennie. But not all algae bleenie is as hardworking as mind. In one week all algae on the rock gone except sand. Go to LFS, look at all the algae bleenie, watch them for a while, identify one that is always gazing algae. That how I got my super algae bleenie, now he starving... It my 2rd bleenie, the 1st lazy like pig, gaze nothing and dissappear..

Remember chemical control algae not remove.

[cdckjn]

Ya, it still early, I concur.

Anyway, PO4 removal controls algae growth not remove algae.

Also, You are missing a algae blennie. But not all algae bleenie is as hardworking as mind. In one week all algae on the rock gone except sand. Go to LFS, look at all the algae bleenie, watch them for a while, identify one that is always gazing algae. That how I got my super algae bleenie, now he starving... It my 2rd bleenie, the 1st lazy like pig, gaze nothing and dissappear..

Remember chemical control algae not remove.

thanks for all the advise.

regarding the algae blenny - what perhaps when the algae problem is cleared - what do I feef this fish with - does it eats whatever the other fishes eats??

Thanks. (looks like I have to go to Aquamarin for the algae blenny)

[cdckjn]

is all blenny the same, I went to Aqarmarin thread and realise that there are different types of blenny - scooter, spotted, ember etc etc. Any of these type can right???

[cdckjn]

one more question,

cleaner shrimp is it good to have them? or any shrimp that can help to clean up the algae??? pls advise.

[nakazoru]

is all blenny the same, I went to Aqarmarin thread and realise that there are different types of blenny - scooter, spotted, ember etc etc. Any of these type can right???

Not any bleenie lah. Must be algae bleenie. When the real algae stop, Mr. Bleenie starve loh. If you really worries for him, buy Spirulina for him loh. I worry if I feed him something else, he stop gazing algae.

As for shrimp, I never come across any shrimp that eats algae. So dun bet on it.

Algae bleenie, not all LFS has, but aquamarin have it loh.

[cdckjn]

Many Thanks for advice.

[ervine]

my algae blenny eats mainly flake food... sometimes see it peck on the rocks but I suspect it's just working out...