Algae Problems

[Jagatorjake]

hello everyone,

Wanted to know if anyone had any algae problems in their brackish tanks? i have a terrible brown algae and black beard hair algae problem. i'm finally getting green algae after upgrading the lighting to 4 watts per gallon, but there is still plenty of brown algae. the hair algae chokes my java fern and grows all over my rock. didn't know if anyone had any natural remedies to either slow or stop the production of algae. the tank has been set up for 7 months now and the perimeters are 0,0,10-20. i have no way of testing silicates or phosphates but that could be the problem, nor have i tried RO water. any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

[SammyDee]

Usually algae can grow excessive with high nitrates. I'd do anoter wc and keep it below 5 for now. And maybe do that wc with ro/di water from the store. Remove as much algae by hand and use a less powerfullight or get more plants to outcompete the algaes. Try not overfeeding either that can cause algae problems. I did get some brown algae when I was bw. But I just kept cleaning it. I thought they were diatoms. Are you leaving the light on alot? More than 10-12 hours is excessive IMO. Maybe ya need a timer. Did you see where the hair algAe problem began?????

[Jagatorjake]

So sorry about the late reply. we're ramping up for exam week and i haven't had the time to get on and do a formal post. I just did a water change so i'll check my levels in a few hours. i actually do have a timer for my light and it stays on for a little under 8 hours a day. I think a problem may be the way i feed frozen blood worms to him. i usually hand feed and whatever he doesn't get, he hunts down at the bottom of the tank for an hour or so. maybe he doesn't get all of it? is distilled water the same thing as RO water? i don't have an RO unit, so i assume distilled would work. i haven't had time to get that kind of water so i just used tap water for now. And i'm pretty sure the hair algae came from a java fern i introduced to my tank a few months ago. i should probably take it out, but i've been pulling the hair algae off of it hoping it will grow. I have other plants that include Marimo balls, anubias nana, and java moss.

[SammyDee]

I think ro/di water is even more cleaner. Distiller will work somewhat but ro/di water is so clean you can't even drink it. I kno it solved my buddys algaes problems afters month of using an RO/DI unit. (reverse osmosis/deionized). It's what I'd be trying to use. And yea keep them nitrates low. And maybe do 3 days no light at all and pull out what you can.

[Flutter]

Of course you can drink RO water That's why they sell RO units at normal stores. My dad has one at home and that's what they drink.

[bigfatfish]

I had a moss ball that went a bit crazy & left long hair algae type fronds everywhere - on anything it touched.
Also the different stages of going FW to BW to SW seem to have their own types of algae.

[SammyDee]

Of course you can drink RO water That's why they sell RO units at normal stores. My dad has one at home and that's what they drink.

The one I have says in the booklet/instructions in big letters "do not drink". Cuz it's like too clean

[Pufferpunk]

It seems the only algae problems I have are in my BW tank. I had some mollies that cleared it right up. Last molly died the other week & the algae's back.

[SammyDee]

That sux sorry to hear that. YeA I had a big brown algae problem in BW once the SG got higher it seemed to subside. Must be a algae typical in BW... Hair algae on the other hand I've never had and I hope I never get it.

[Pufferpunk]

I could remove huge clumps of the hair algae i had in that tank, by the handful. It would be back in a few days.

[Jagatorjake]

Would you recommend taking the plants out and raise the sg accordingly until the algae clears away? It just looks plain ugly, even after scrubbing it all down during water changes. a friend of mine with gsp recommended phos-zorb by seachem, and said that it solved his green algae problem. In a ten gallon tank, i have no room for a molly, so it'll have to wait till i get my bigger tank in august.

Thanks for the replies!!