green algae

[Whoyah]

The base problem with nuisance algae is that your system is out of balance. There is to much input of nuitrients compared to the output. This means that really you can either reduce your inputs or increase your outputs or a combination of both.

Inputs are such things a food, light, and minerals in your top-off water. To reduce your inputs decrease the amount of food, decrease the amount of light or use filtered (Reverse Osmosis) water. All of these things will reduce the amount of inputs.

Outputs are Protein skimming, refugium, more critters (snails or crabs) or water changes with filtered water. All of these thing exports nutrients out of the system or convert them to something else.

Once your tank is balanced, your nuisance algae will become managable if not dissappear.

[Reef_Angel]

You are absolutely on the money with your explanation Whoyah! Our problem with the nuisance algae in the one tank is that there are only 2 Tangs in there and one Engineer Goby. It's not overfeeding in this case either, it's to much light. There are only two corals in the tank at this time (hydronaphora -sp?) I'm waiting for the money fairy to come visit me and stock me up with more coral, and fish. For now, what needs to happen is to shorten the photo period. I'll take the hydronaphora out of there, and really shorten the photo period as they don't really need the fantastic metal halide lighting that's in the tank. ...Angel

[graphixx]

I cannot bieleve nobody asked if straight tap water is being used or if you have a RODI water. That would be a HUGE contributing factor to the nutrient level in the water thus bringing on the added algae blooms. TDS is a pretty big factor IMO and its an easy fix.

[Reef_Angel]

Since no one else has asked what TDS stands for, they either all know it and I just don't. So tell me, what is TDS? I boiled off my empty tank of live rock full of Aiptasia, and now I need to lick the algae problem and move forward with the tank to whatever I decide it should be. Should it be Seahorses, or another reef tank....or seahorses & reef combined? Anyway, fill me in on the TDS Greg. TDS to me, was a place Dave used to be a Network Admin at for awhile, and I know they don't know a thing about algae! lol Thanks! ...Angel

[dakar]

TDS = Total Disolved Solids

Angel, remember testing the water served to us in the resturant a while back because I happened to find our meter in my coat pocket? TDS was over 500ppm