Red algae

[wheel6251]

Hi everyone,

We have a new growth in our FOWLR tank. The specs are below and I attached a picture. It was all over the back wall and our fake coral. I cleaned up as much as I could. Same thing happened a month or so ago and it disappeared for a while.

90 gallon fish FOWLR
Canister Filter 400 GPH
Started in 1/2024
2 flame angel

1 blue face
3 clowns
1 jaw fish
1 clown trigger
1 humu humu trigger
A damsel
Another purple fish, can’t think of his name
One mandarin goby

.

Water temp 75
ph 8.4
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.0
Nitrate 5.0 ppm

Change about 5-7 gallons a week
We feed frozen brine and mysis on alternate days. Nori 2x a week

 

[reefsaver]

It's pretty normal to see these surface algaes. Especially in your first year or two.
Personally my favorite way to deal with unwanted algae is to add a refugium to the tank and some lighting to it to grow algae there instead of my aquarium growing it.

 

[wheel6251]

It's pretty normal to see these surface algaes. Especially in your first year or two.
Personally my favorite way to deal with unwanted algae is to add a refugium to the tank and some lighting to it to grow algae there instead of my aquarium growing it.

Ty

 

[reefsaver]

Just to add, when you scrape it out, try to remove as much of it from the tank as possible to prevent it from breaking down into nutrients and reforming on the glass. I sometimes use a net, wick the slime up to the rim of the glass and out of the tank, or siphon and simultaneously scrape during your water change.

If you have high enough flow and the algae stays suspended and eventually goes through your filtration, be sure to switch out your filter sock or filter floss. If it's left to break down again, it will likely compound the problem.