Some very resilient algae, ID anyone?

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ArcherintheBimmer

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 6, 2008
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So my 55 has been setup for about 5 months now. I had an initial spike of red algae which I got rid of with "red algae remover" powder and the tank stayed pretty clean for about a month after that. Then I have this green algae growing. I am not super conserned about the stuff that forms together in patches because it wipes off easy with the magnafloat. However, this is a lighter green algae that seems to form little spots here in some areas and I have to really thrash on to get it to go away. It almost looks like green water spots in the tank. However, this is not bubble algae I have discovered after reading the sticky.

Anyone know what it is? How to get rid of it if possible? :confused:

I change my water about 15-20% every 4 days or so. The tank has 2 filters rated at 55 gal as well as a bubble wand. It has about 15ish pounds of liverock and livesand covers the bottom. I also treat the water with semi regulary with Melafix (fish get kinda rough on each others fins once in a while), is this known to cause algae growth?

I don't have a skimmer YET, but I did just order a CPR bakpak 2 recently, so that should be showing up this week or next.

Thanks in advance for the help! :D
 
Stop adding melafix to your tank...if you have agression issues in there, then you need to deal with this by changing your stock around.

It sounds like normal algae spots to me, used to have them on my reefs, they do fade away in time, as the tank matures. Adding a skimmer is going to help by providing an extra way to remove nutrients from the tank.
 
start using RO water, and doing regular water changes once weekly, and you should notice a decrease in algae. Nitrate is the end result of the nitrogen cycle, so the only way to keep it low is by water changes. Nitrate with phosphate and you have an algae buffet. Also helps to watch how much you feed and how long your lights are on per day.

I also agree with Reefscape, if you dont have a skimmer, then a good one will be something to look at.
 
Thanks for the info guys! My skimmer will be here soon hopefully.

I don't have an RO unit, I only chemically treat my water with alpha and eight-four by aquavitro.

I wont use melafix for a while. The agression is pretty minor, only some fin nipping here and there. I would move the fish, but I have no place to put them.

In other good news, I just picked up a 100 gallon tank for a steal :D. I am gonna spend my time setting that one up right!
 
keep in mind however that even though its just fin nipping, that could lead to an infection and cause worse illness' in the tank.

call your local water company, and ask them for a chemical readout, they will tell you the EXACT levels of verything in your water and this will help you guage what you should watch out for. I think you will be surprised at whats actually in city or well water.....I know I was, and that would be the reason to my RO unit, for all water consumed and used for fish.
 
are you saying this new green alge come back really fast or is hard to remove in the first place?

is it's hard to remove it may be a type of coralline (not the purple kind of course) algea..
a metal scraper or razor blade would work nice, a plastic one if it's an acrylic tank
 
sweeTang21;2675599; said:
keep in mind however that even though its just fin nipping, that could lead to an infection and cause worse illness' in the tank.

call your local water company, and ask them for a chemical readout, they will tell you the EXACT levels of verything in your water and this will help you guage what you should watch out for. I think you will be surprised at whats actually in city or well water.....I know I was, and that would be the reason to my RO unit, for all water consumed and used for fish.
Click to expand...

Interesting, I didn't know the water company would do that for you. I'll have to look into that. With the fin nipping, my tank has puffers, archers, a trigger, and a mono, so they kinda chase more than anything, but I do notice some nip marks once in a while. I am currently trying to find someone to take the mono and one of the archers to help clear it out a bit and take the agression levels down.

BIGgourami;2677251; said:
are you saying this new green alge come back really fast or is hard to remove in the first place?

is it's hard to remove it may be a type of coralline (not the purple kind of course) algea..
a metal scraper or razor blade would work nice, a plastic one if it's an acrylic tank
Click to expand...

It is very hard to remove. I wouldn't say it comes back really fast per say, but it does seem to be spreading semi fast. I have a scrub brush I borrowed from a friend (looks like a loofa *sp* on the end). Even with some pretty harsh scrubbing, they still stick around. I will have to look into if it is coralline or not.
 
my 120 is going through a stage of algae, and it grows extrememly fast. this is usually considered a diatom stage, but my filters in my RO system are getting old im sure, and my guess would be my nitrates are getting up there. Im not gong to lie, ive been a bit lazy and have not tested the water either lol..

Some local water companies will tell you whats in it without a pinch in the arm. Others may need some enticing first because they dont want you to know, just how much junk is in city water. Most will not cause any side affects, but my mind set is what it is lol.
 
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