Algea bloom (help)

Hey guys. So this past week i noticed my tank is developing alot of algea. it is green algea. i also think it might be green bubble cause i see little bubble like sprouts on some rocks and sand but not many. it is mainly on my sand bad. i am going to do a water change on saturday. could it be because i leave the lights on too long? i usually turn my lights on at 3.30 pm and turn off and 10.00 pm. to 7 hrs and 30 mins? sometimes i turn off at 9.30. it is not always at the EXACT time everyday. can it also be because of the powerhead not circulating enough in the tank? my tank seems to have alot of low in the middle but not in the front. maybe changing my powerhead position will help? i also got 4 pnds of new fiji liverock a week ago. maybe introducing them had introduced algea also from the rocks? my chromis r still stressed due to the new rocks. they wont eat the pellets, BUT i think also the reason they wont eat is because they might have been wild caught. And i read wild caught chromis fish only eat phytoplankton in the water. when i bought them at petco they were adult size. the kind og lights i have are a current usa nova extreme 2 18w. one actinic and the other isnt. it's 50/50 and 10000k for the bulbs. i just started my tank on september and the lights were brand new in packaging.maybe also i did feed the pellets and since they dint eat them it just landed on the sand bed. i also dont have a clean up crew. just on snail. maybe i should think about getting a good clean up crew.


also: i noticed this bloom drastically after i did my water change last week and i shifted the lights a little back. i also skipped a day of topping off. my chromis fish r hiding in the rocks. i also moved the powerhead and noticed it was alot after that.

i did stir up the sand a bit during the water change to get the nutrients out, but i think i made them waterborn and released alot of algea during the change. i syphoned some sand out also.

i am not adding any extrea addtives to the tank, just doing water changes

ill post pics whe i turn my lights on around 3.30

Ok... you keep telling me that you're listening to the advice you receive here.

NanoPerson67 said:

Hey guys. So this past week i noticed my tank is developing alot of algea. it is green algea. i also think it might be green bubble cause i see little bubble like sprouts on some rocks and sand but not many. it is mainly on my sand bad.

Click to expand...

Did you google bubble algae? Find pictures in a book? I'm willing to bet that this is NOT what you have since it almost never grows on a sandbed.

NanoPerson67 said:

could it be because i leave the lights on too long? i usually turn my lights on at 3.30 pm and turn off and 10.00 pm. to 7 hrs and 30 mins? sometimes i turn off at 9.30. it is not always at the EXACT time everyday.

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You've been told to get a $10 timer for your lights.

NanoPerson67 said:

i also got 4 pnds of new fiji liverock a week ago. maybe introducing them had introduced algea also from the rocks? my chromis r still stressed due to the new rocks.

Click to expand...

You were also told to stop adding things to the tank and let it stabilize.

NanoPerson67 said:

they wont eat the pellets, BUT i think also the reason they wont eat is because they might have been wild caught. And i read wild caught chromis fish only eat phytoplankton in the water.

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I'd LOVE to know where you read that... I'm pretty positive it wasn't in a book.

NanoPerson67 said:

maybe also i did feed the pellets and since they dint eat them it just landed on the sand bed.

Click to expand...

I've read that uneaten food can cause algae problems... Have you?

NanoPerson67 said:

i also dont have a clean up crew. just on snail. maybe i should think about getting a good clean up crew.

Click to expand...

This is usually the FIRST thing you add to a reef tank.

NanoPerson67 said:

also: i noticed this bloom drastically after i did my water change last week and i shifted the lights a little back. i also skipped a day of topping off. my chromis fish r hiding in the rocks. i also moved the powerhead and noticed it was alot after that.

Click to expand...

I can't count how many times you've been told to LEAVE THINGS ALONE!

So exactly how can you claim that you're listening to the advice people are giving you, when in ONE POST, I've proven that you don't listen to a word people say?

Go get a goldfish.

I'm hoping you use Rodi water if you don't that could be a reason
how long have you been running your Rodi unit if you have one, you need to replace the membranes every 6 to 12 months it depends on how much you use it.
most people give their tank 7 1/2 to 8 hours light that's OK.
overfeeding and poor to no circulation in certain areas of the tank will cause it when you overfeed and there's no circulation in certain areas the food just stays there and in return causes you nitrates and other stuff to raise, how often do you do your water changes i used to do a 10 gallon change every two weeks 5 gallons from the tank and 5 gallons from the sump .i hope this helps..............................
the most important thing that you can do for your tank is to read read read and then read some more..............................

beerfish said:

Ok... you keep telling me that you're listening to the advice you receive here.



Did you google bubble algae? Find pictures in a book? I'm willing to bet that this is NOT what you have since it almost never grows on a sandbed.



You've been told to get a $10 timer for your lights.



You were also told to stop adding things to the tank and let it stabilize.



I'd LOVE to know where you read that... I'm pretty positive it wasn't in a book.



I've read that uneaten food can cause algae problems... Have you?



This is usually the FIRST thing you add to a reef tank.



I can't count how many times you've been told to LEAVE THINGS ALONE!

So exactly how can you claim that you're listening to the advice people are giving you, when in ONE POST, I've proven that you don't listen to a word people say?

Go get a goldfish.

Click to expand...

i really hate u...... dont post on my threads if u dont think i listen.. u just want to put people down... im not rich like u and i cant go spend all my money like u.. i dont even have a job.. i have to save up to buy stuff...

wayne said:

I'm hoping you use Rodi water if you don't that could be a reason
how long have you been running your Rodi unit if you have one, you need to replace the membranes every 6 to 12 months it depends on how much you use it.
most people give their tank 7 1/2 to 8 hours light that's OK.
overfeeding and poor to no circulation in certain areas of the tank will cause it when you overfeed and there's no circulation in certain areas the food just stays there and in return causes you nitrates and other stuff to raise, how often do you do your water changes i used to do a 10 gallon change every two weeks 5 gallons from the tank and 5 gallons from the sump .i hope this helps..............................

Click to expand...

thanks alot.. i use plain r/o that i buy from my lfs. i do not buffer my r/o water. i keep my lights on usually 7 hrs a day. i feed every 2 days and the fish usually never even eat the pellets. i change 2 gallons every week. i do not have a sump. i am pretty sure my lfs keeps up with their r/o unit. should i start vuying ro/di? i will try moving my powerhead. i did fill my water all the way to the top so maybe i will lower my water level so the filter can gush down the water, instead of just letting it go gently.. i have an aqueon filter.

beerfish said:

Ok... you keep telling me that you're listening to the advice you receive here.



Did you google bubble algae? Find pictures in a book? I'm willing to bet that this is NOT what you have since it almost never grows on a sandbed.



You've been told to get a $10 timer for your lights.



You were also told to stop adding things to the tank and let it stabilize.



I'd LOVE to know where you read that... I'm pretty positive it wasn't in a book.



I've read that uneaten food can cause algae problems... Have you?



This is usually the FIRST thing you add to a reef tank.



I can't count how many times you've been told to LEAVE THINGS ALONE!

So exactly how can you claim that you're listening to the advice people are giving you, when in ONE POST, I've proven that you don't listen to a word people say?

Go get a goldfish.

Click to expand...

i am not getting a goldfish.. idc what u say... i READ THAT CHROMIS THING FROM GOOGLE.. LIKE HOW U GO TELL MY SEARCH IT UP. THEIR IS BUBBLE ALGEA ON THE SAND BED.. I WILL TAKE A PIC FOR U... ALL U DO IS ATTACK ME AND IM SICK OF IT.... IF U REALLY DONT CARE OF WHAT I DO OR DONT U WOULDNT POST ON THE THREADS I POST.... U OBVIOUSLY LIKE TO THREATEN ME AND HOW I DONT DO THINGS RITE.. IM JUST A BEGINNER... IM SORRY U HAD NO PROBLEMS WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED.. I DO TAKE IN WHAT U SAY..( ALSO THE NEGATIVE STUFF) I DO TAKE IT INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT I DONT HAVE ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD.. I NEED TO COMPROMISE.. A TIMER COULD BE WITHOUT IF I TURN IT ON AND OFF MYSELF.. LIKE I SAID I DONT HAVE A JOB..GET OFF MY CASE IF U REALLY DONT CARE...

beerfish do u even know how many gallons a goldfish needs??

it's 20 gallons for the first fancy goldfish and 10 for the rest... i have kept freshwater b4...

it will help if you do a 5 or 6 gallon change to get most of that water out maybe they don't like the pellets try some mysis or brine shrimp you have to keep mixing up their food until you find the right one that they like cause eventually they will die from not eating ........................

wayne said:

it will help if you do a 5 or 6 gallon change to get most of that water out maybe they don't like the pellets try some mysis or brine shrimp you have to keep mixing up their food until you find the right one that they like cause eventually they will die from not eating ........................

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ok =)... the reason i actually have some dried small shrimp... i dont know what it's called but i did feed it to my firefish.. the firefish after had cotton mouth and his mouth was all puffy and ripped and i think it was due to the shrimp.. it might have not been clean enough.. i will exchange my pellets for flakes.. o and also.. i did see popp coming out of the chromis fish.. how can poop be coming out if their not eating?? they have to be mysteriously be eating something because i dont ever see them touch the pellets.. maybe i should start crushing the pellets again..

wayne said:

it will help if you do a 5 or 6 gallon change to get most of that water out maybe they don't like the pellets try some mysis or brine shrimp you have to keep mixing up their food until you find the right one that they like cause eventually they will die from not eating ........................

Click to expand...

should i syphon my sand bed or just leave it alone?

yes you should but I'd do 6 gallon change after, and throw away those pellets and flakes man they gonna screw up that tank.....................

In all reality, beerfish's answers were correct, although he was aimed at making a point, but they're still on topic and correct.
The only thing he told you to buy here was a $10 timer.
If you're going to have a reef, a $10 timer is something you should buy at minimum. You want the lighting to be steady or it'll shock/stress corals if you turn lights on/off at different times or even forget other times.
If you're not going for a reef and going for fish only, keep the lights off and your algae issues will disappear. Algae can't grow without light.

ming said:

In all reality, beerfish's answers were correct, although he was aimed at making a point, but they're still on topic and correct.
The only thing he told you to buy here was a $10 timer.
If you're going to have a reef, a $10 timer is something you should buy at minimum. You want the lighting to be steady or it'll shock/stress corals if you turn lights on/off at different times or even forget other times.
If you're not going for a reef and going for fish only, keep the lights off and your algae issues will disappear. Algae can't grow without light.

Click to expand...

he also told me to guy buy a goldfish which was pretty rude.. i need help and all people like him do is frustrate me more. i will buy a timer. i will try to bring the light cycle to 6 hrs. and ill feed something else

i dont understand why beerfish even bothers to comment on my threads.. he really doesnt seem to care at all.. just to make points.. he might be correct sometimes but i dont care if he proves me wrong.. i listen to what everyone says.. sure, i might not do them cause i dont have the money at times but i do rite it down on a pad.. dont think i just throw answers away people. i will get a timer.

it's an expensive hobby/lifestyle. I understand your frustration about no job and $ issues to handle it. How old is the tank? Are all of your parameters stable? How often do you test? I think the best advice I ever got on this forum and from fellow reefers is: Test, test and test again, until it's stable...then test again a week later... also, google is an AMAZING Godsend. Just google questions and 99% of the time...there's a few thousand people that have gone through what you're going through.

DJYoshi said:

it's an expensive hobby/lifestyle. I understand your frustration about no job and $ issues to handle it. How old is the tank? Are all of your parameters stable? How often do you test? I think the best advice I ever got on this forum and from fellow reefers is: Test, test and test again, until it's stable...then test again a week later... also, google is an AMAZING Godsend. Just google questions and 99% of the time...there's a few thousand people that have gone through what you're going through.

Click to expand...

well it's 2 and a half month's old. so far nothing horribly huge as happened yet. i will test my water today. last time i check a week ago everything was normal.
ammonia- 0
nirtite- 0
ph- 8.0
nitrate- i dont have test kit. i test usually every week and a half.

Send me your address in a PM. I can send you a couple of timer laying around .

wayne said:

yes you should but I'd do 6 gallon change after, and throw away those pellets and flakes man they gonna screw up that tank.....................

Click to expand...

can topping off with the r/o water be the cause?? u said i should be using ro/di

Nano Listen to Wayne and Beer

i told you weeks ago to feed Mysis and Cyclo and only feed twice maybe three times a week because I know that you are over feeding. You have to go slow and read. i made many mistakes and received the wrath of the reef gods and rightfully so.

No one said they did not like you but if you truly listen your life will be a hell of a sight easier.

I kept Fresh water for about 25 years and this is NOT fresh water. It is chemistry and ecology and beauty wrapped in diversity. Your tank will tell you what it needs if you pay attention and listen to the reefers on MR.