algea issue

[ngarcia11892]

ok idk if this was the right place to post. but iv had problem with algea for a bit now. i know part of the reason is i used to use tap water until i wised up now im using the ro water from publix machine til i can get a ro/di of my own. iv been using the other water for about 4 weeks now and i used phosban for a bit too. but still a ton of algea mostly diatoms. any other reasons? there isnt any fish so i feed the coral and anemone maybe once a week maybe alittle more so no over feeding. any idea? i do my water change every week about 20 percent.

 

[Stinger]

Well im a newbie and went thru the diatoms myself. its just part of new tanks. what size tank do you have and you need to go get RO/DI water, not just RO . Get the RO/DI from your local fish store. DON'T BUY from the grocery store. btw how old is the tank, and give specifics. I started my 110 tank with tap water and just added de chlorinater . If i had done my research and started with RO/DI to begin with I would have had less diatoms. The experts on this site are very helpful nice people. After 1 week i purchased a 4 stage RO/DI unit and it has paid off. But because my tank is still considered new bout 11 weeks old i still get some diatoms but not as bad. From what the gurus tell me is that the DI filters out the silica that causes diatoms.

 

[ngarcia11892]

its 3 months old coming on 4, and its a 54 gallon

 

[Steven R]

if you have to use water from the store buy distilled water not just RO water I have had barely any algae growth with that type of water.. what type of skimmer are you running. a lot of algae does depend on water quality that you use in the water change along with good skimming to catch solids and waste before they break down and create ammonia which then is converted to nitrite and finally nitrate which is fuel for all types of nuisance algae. I would also test phosphate which is the fuel of choice for a lot of algae if you nitrates are low. Your tank is steal really young and the bacteria that processes nitrate will not be high enough in your tank till abut 6 to 7 months after healthy operations and diligent routine maintenance. You could also back off your lights for a weeks or so gradually till you get the parameters back in line.. If you are running carbon it could be a couple of things with that also if the carbon is spent it will leach chemicals back into the system also a lot of carbon its self will put phosphate in to the system. when i do use carbon( very rarely) I use it just to polish the water for a day or to then i remove it. i mostly rely on good top off and change water, and really good skimming. Well I hope this help's out a little. good luck

 

[aquabull]

Also, what color of lights are you running? Too much red spectrum encourages diatoms. Another source of incorrect spectrum can be from windows, ceiling fans, reading lamps, i even had a customer with a cyanobacteria bloom brought on by his excessively large television being in too close of a proximity to the tank!

 

[Steven R]

from a tv thats crazy you would not expect that. i could see it happening now that i think about it..