Diatom and Algae problem

[CMY]

hi friends

I noticed that diatom/algaen started to appear on the front edges of my DSB surface and started spreading inwards last few days. I also notice patches of cyno started to appear below the surface of the sandbed ( can be seen though the glass looking at the side of DSB).

I have changed 20 pct water last week and this week . Does too much light cause algae growth? I am using 4 tubes T5 on 12 hours a day. Or cud it be not enough water circulation within the tank.

Those on the glass can be cleaned off easily. What about algae on the sandbed and cyno beneath the sandbed?

Any solutions please?

[planetg]

hi CMY,

is your tank newly setup?

if it is, diatoms and such algae are part of cycling. be patient and keep your parameters good. shd be waving gdbye to you in a couple of weeks.

[terryansimon]

hmm

will water changes do any good?

[Achilles Tang]

Nuisance microalgae will stay in most tanks until the filtration system matures around the 10th month to 1 year mark.

That is because most of the nitrates, phosphates etc will not be processed quickly enough by natural biological filtration and will be fuel for cyano, dinoflagellates and diatoms unless your equipment & usage of chemical filtration can process/export them fast enough.

That is why a very very good skimmer is recommended as an investment because it is able to export out dissolved organics before they have a chance to break down.

Usage of high quality absorbents like Rowaphos, polyfilters and GAC will also help.

If not, water changes may help to export out the bad stuff.

The key to understanding how to control nuisance algae lies in dealing with their 'fuel' first before they have a chance to take hold and overwhelm the tank.

Reduce reduce reduce.... export export export!

=

Do not overfeed, do not overstock.... skim, waterchange, use absorbents.

[CMY]

thanks AT, I have been reading this forum for the last few months before I set up tank in sept, and is familiar with your "reduce and export" ways of dealing with phosphate/algae control.

I have a 2.5x1.5 feet tank with 3 inch sandbed 18 kg LR and a 2ft sump; with weipro 2011 skimmer. 6 fishes and some LPS, 2 cleaner shrimps and 2 turbo snails.

Use of contraphos and seachem matrix.

I am quite careful with my feeding and does water change regularly.

Is there anything I can do or add any invert to get rid of the algae on the sandbed as its is looking quite brown or is it normal and will the browness go away after few more months.

[flipper]

Hi AT,

I'm also having this problem, especially with cyno. Spent lots of $$$ changing water, but this shouldn't be the most efficient. About the "reduce" bit, that I have done, but the "export" part, may be can improve on it. What is your definition of a very very good skimmer? Could you please mention a few brands / models as examples? Better still, estimates on how much they cost?

Many thanks...flipper

[Cookiemunster]

Hi,

you might want to read this. AT can you pin this topic below? Unless its not useful? hehehe

Preventing nuisance algae

[hijackng]

Hi,

share with u my experience.

I am using a refugium and I trim the algea once a week.

Use recommend amount of Rowaphos in my sump tank.

Clear away any cyno in the refugium and on the sand bed frequently.

Slowly (very slowly) the cyno will be gone.

[ah^siao]

wad are Rowaphos?

[terryansimon]

rowaphos = expensive phosphate removal media.

[ah^siao]

oh ok..thanks

[Achilles Tang]

CMY,

I went through the tank immaturity phase... through diatoms, to cyano, to dinoflagellates to hair algae and am confident to say that its all over now.... having upgraded my skimmer helped a fair bit.

I can overfeed my tank the same way I overfed my tank a year ago and not experience any outbreak of cyano like before.... which is extremely pleasing the least to say!

Nuisance algae is more of an aesthetic problem rather than something that will hurt your tank... so be patient and let your biological filtration mature (if you set it up right in the first place or it'll never happen!) and invest in a good skimmer and one day, your tank will not go through a nuisance microalgae phase again once it matures unless you allow dissolved organics or phosphates to build up to a very high level.

Flipper, good skimmers are usually relative to the size of the price tag.

Take a look at those which are $500 and above.... like H&S, Deltec and Schuran, all German. Or beckett skimmers which produce awesome foam but are expensive to run.

The cheaper Taiwanese or Chinese brands are not as well-designed or efficient... and the saying: "You get what you pay for" is especially through for skimmers.

[ben]

how bout DIY ? U have any good designs?