big skimmer yet lots of algae

[segraves1]

Ok, so here is the deal:

- 100gal show with ~40gal sump/fuge
- ASM G4 with a Sedra 9000 running recirculation and fed by a pair of MaxiJet 1200s
- 2 400w 6500Ks MH and 4 Blue 7100K PCs
- 1.026SG
- 8.10 PH
- 82degrees
- unreadable Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite

this setup has been running since about mid June


The PROBLEM is that dispite the skimmer running like crazy and pulling nasty black/brown stuff out at an incredible rate (I have to empty the cup every 2-3 days), I STILL have brown hair algae and diatoms all over the tank (I clean the glass and within 3-4 days it is almost unviewable again). It is literally getting to the point that it is overgrowing the zooanthids and I'm convinced the only reason the bubble and hammer coral are ok is that they can produce enough "slime" to "wash" themselves off.

I don't feed the fish more than once a day (usually every other day) and feed only what they will eat.

Ideas? I'm at a total loss.....

I have a yellow eye tang and a lawnmower bleeny and both are FAT from eating constantly yet they seem to make no impact on the algae. Other than them, it is:

2 false percs, 4 blue damsles, and 2 yellow watchmans

[lReef lKeeper]

what about you lighting (photo) period ?? how lang are the lights on ?? what about phosphate readings ?? i added a seio 1500 to my tank for more turnover/flow and reduced my light cycle and my hair algea and diatoms are quickly disappearing.

[segraves1]

right now it fades in one at a time.....

PC1 on @ 6:00AM
PC2 on @ 6:30AM
MH1 on @ 7:00AM
MH2 on @ 7:30AM

MH1 off @ 8:30PM
MH2 off @ 9:00PM
PC1 off @ 9:30PM
PC2 off @ 10:00PM

never checked phosphate since I'm using 100% RO

[lReef lKeeper]

how long are the Halides on ?? pc's shouldnt make much of a difference in a 100 gallon tank. halides should be on no more than 6-8 hours per day, IMO.
you may want to check the phosphate levels in there. phosphates are a mojor building block for algea.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php

[segraves1]

how long are the Halides on ?? .... halides should be on no more than 6-8 hours per day, IMO.

hmm....well I'm sitting at about 13-14 hours on the Halides........ lol

[lReef lKeeper]

that could be the MAJOR contributing factor to your algae outbreak. limiting the lighting and phosphates in the tank REALLY limits the amount of problem algaes in the tank.
phosphates are produced from way more than just water !! check out this article from Dr. Foster and Smiths website ...
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/g...ral_pagesid=65

[segraves1]

ok, so I set it to fade in one at a time.....

PC1 on @ 6:00AM
PC2 on @ 6:30AM
MH1 on @ 9:00AM
MH2 on @ 1:00PM

MH1 off @ 3:00PM
MH2 off @ 7:00PM
PC1 off @ 9:30PM
PC2 off @ 10:00PM

so that works out to 10 hours total with only 2 hours of both on....

[segraves1]

what I don't get is "how can I have too much light?"

SHOULDN"T the skimmer be keeping the tank clean enough that nothing could grow?

[lReef lKeeper]

i would back off the lights by 1 hour per week. if you are at 14 hours now ... back it down to 13 next week, 12 the next week and so on until you get it down to about 8 hours a day. you should then see the algea die off with a week or so after you get the lighting cut back to that level.
even my VHO's are not on that long. they stay on from 12pm through 8pm daily, with the PC's on from 10am through 10pm. they where on for 10 hours a day, but when i changed it, the algea started to disappear quickly !!

[lReef lKeeper]

its not "to much" light, they are just on for to long. think of it as natural sunlight. the sun isn't out for 14 hours a day, it is only out for a maximum of 12 hours. the suns peak time (10am-6pm) should be the time that your halides are on. the PC's should make up for the rest (dawn and dusk).
we are trying to make these tanks as natural as possible. to do this we need to try to recreate a nutural lighting/photosythetic period for out corals and the tanks in general. so you don't have to much light, its just on for to long.
light and phosphates are 2 key ingrediants for algea.