# Green algea attack



## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

When i first started my tank, after a few weeks i got a diatom algea attack and it was brown everywhere, I stopped using tap water, and now use R/O Water. WEll the past few weeks, i've been getting green algea attacks and it gets on the glass, and its almost impossible to get off. The guy at the lfs said only way is to use a rasor and scrape it off, but i didn't want to scratch my glass, so i used an old credit card, and i have to press as hard as i can to get it off and im sick of this crap comming back.

I've tried reducing my lights, and im using R/O water (which i thought was going to cut down on algea)

Any idea's please help cause im getting frustrated









Thanks Mauls~


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

What is your phosphates levels?
Can you describe the tank and the lighting system?


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Get yourself some snails and plecos.


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## king red belly (Apr 13, 2005)

ya and clean the glass.....that stinks


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

never heard of saltwater plecos :laugh: . this is what i did. i had the same exact problem u did. if u don't doa weekly water change do that. before u do the water change scrub your glass witha un-used toothbrush. after u have got pretty much all of it off, do your water change. then add your more water with salt and add some stress zyme or cycle. make sure u aren't over feeding your fish and stay with the light cut down. this should help. my aquarium is so much clearer now since i have been doin this. good luck man, that stuff sure is a pain.

J-Rod

oh yeah and the phosphate leave what husky_jim was saying. that is a big also. that is one of the algeas main food source, make sure you test for that also. and if u have a problem with that get some phosban i think its called, im not sure but i heard that is one of the best phosphate treaters.


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

smokinbubbles said:


> never heard of saltwater plecos :laugh: . this is what i did. i had the same exact problem u did. if u don't doa weekly water change do that. before u do the water change scrub your glass witha un-used toothbrush. after u have got pretty much all of it off, do your water change. then add your more water with salt and add some stress zyme or cycle. make sure u aren't over feeding your fish and stay with the light cut down. this should help. my aquarium is so much clearer now since i have been doin this. good luck man, that stuff sure is a pain.
> 
> J-Rod
> 
> ...


OK, i will try that, i dont think im over feeding them, but i will even cut that down a little bit. I will start doing a weekly water change, and ya scrub the crap out of that glass. I can't cut down too much on the light can i? because some corals need strong lighting. Also do you think it could be from me adding my kent marina chemicals?


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

husky_jim said:


> What is your phosphates levels?
> Can you describe the tank and the lighting system?
> 
> 
> ...


I am not sure how to measure phosphate levels, but after this link i found, im pretty sure that i have a phosphate problem. is there a kit?
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm

Its a 40 gal reef tank that i've been working on for a while. live rock, live sand. 1 piece of coral so far cause im poooooor, and my lighting system is a corallife (most expensive one i could afford) nothing like a T5 haha.

thanks for your help.

FYI:
PH - 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - .25
Nitrate - 20


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

mauls said:


> smokinbubbles said:
> 
> 
> > never heard of saltwater plecos :laugh: . this is what i did. i had the same exact problem u did. if u don't doa weekly water change do that. before u do the water change scrub your glass witha un-used toothbrush. after u have got pretty much all of it off, do your water change. then add your more water with salt and add some stress zyme or cycle. make sure u aren't over feeding your fish and stay with the light cut down. this should help. my aquarium is so much clearer now since i have been doin this. good luck man, that stuff sure is a pain.
> ...


i didn't know it was a reef aquarium, must of missed that. i don't knwo about what i said then about scrubing the glass of all the algea. i have never had a reef aquarium but i know they are really delicate. i do all that to my "minature pred tank" and my fish do just fine, like i didn't even bother em. but i don't know how coral will respond. the nitrite level though i know easily goes down if u keep up with water changes and don't feed as much. as far as the phosphate goes diffently do that, like i said that is the algeas main food source and u want to knock that out so they want have that to feed off of.

J-Rod


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## Jebus (Feb 29, 2004)

A razor won't scratch your glass unless its acrylic.


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

Jebus said:


> A razor won't scratch your glass unless its acrylic.
> [snapback]996386[/snapback]​


ooh ok sweet, my old credit card method works pretty good for now haha


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## illnino (Mar 6, 2004)

i doubt it is because of phosphates. i get a green film on my glass, but it is easily taken away by my magnetic scraper... but it grows back daily... but anyways if it was phospahates, cyano would probabally take advantage of it before the green algae...


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

hrm, well these large mexican snails i got are bulldozing the algea right away!

They rock


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

i have tried snails before and they didn't work for me







. i guess it was casue i only had 3 in a 20.

J-Rod


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

we'll i only have 4 big ones in a 40 gal and they've almost got all the thick algea off the back wall of the tank, it was really bad there because i never scrubbed it off the back wall.

they doing pretty good so far.


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

here is what worked wonders for me. I use phosban in my filter and RO water. I also have 6 turbo snails and 4 blue legged hermits. i use a mag-float when absolutely necessary but this combo has left me pretty damn good.


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

Genin said:


> here is what worked wonders for me. I use phosban in my filter and RO water. I also have 6 turbo snails and 4 blue legged hermits. i use a mag-float when absolutely necessary but this combo has left me pretty damn good.
> [snapback]1007086[/snapback]​


Phosban? i dont know what that is, but im guessing its some chemical to lower phosphates?


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## smokinbubbles (Mar 25, 2005)

mauls said:


> Genin said:
> 
> 
> > here is what worked wonders for me. I use phosban in my filter and RO water. I also have 6 turbo snails and 4 blue legged hermits. i use a mag-float when absolutely necessary but this combo has left me pretty damn good.
> ...


yes it is. it is supposed to work wonders









J-Rod


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

thanks, i will get some today!


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## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

Something in there is releasing phosphates, phosban is a band aid, and wont fix the problem long term.
Is your skimmer working correctly?Are you feeding fish too much? are you overstocked? Are you religiously changing water? Id lower the feeding to at least once a day, and cut the food down in half, and if your overstocked get rid of a few fish, and keep up on the waterchanges. Phosban is releasing iron for exchange for phosphate, and it is being reported deadly in elevated amounts for corals. Fix the problem, and the rest will follow.
Phosban is great in fish only and fowler tanks.


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

Ahh i see, thanks.
I believe my skimmer is working correctly, its scooping up crap in the collection cup, and i clean it every 3-4 days. I will cut down on my feeding though, cause i do 2-3 times a day, i will start doing it once a day, and smaller amounts. And just recently im going to do small water changes every 3 or so days to help.

Thanks raptor, i will start from here and see where it leads


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## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

Thats the safest way, and the cheapest.
Oh i overfed too at first, I learned, and i am just trying to pass it along.
Good luck!


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## mauls (Mar 25, 2004)

Thanks!


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