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Nuisance Algae
Every reefer
at some point has, or will experience, a nuisance algae
bloom. Seen as long green hair, green bubbles and/or
green, brown or reddish dusting/haze. There is always a cause &
depending on how quickly we identify & correct it will
determine how widespread & destructive the bloom will get. The following is a
checklist I go through when a customer complains of nuisance
algae:
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Do you have an appropriate depth & grain size
sand bed? (not deep enough = high NitrAtes)
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Do you have an appropriate amount of "real"
live rock? (lava & home made cause problems)
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Are you running an overflow system? (provides
best conditions for water conditioning)
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Do you run a skimmer & if so, when was
the cup & neck last
cleaned? (doesn't function well dirty)
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How often do you feed/how much? (once/day &
only what can be consumed in a couple minutes)
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Do you perform weekly 10% water changes? (water
changes physically remove wastes)
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Do you use a
Kent brand RO water filter? (most
water sources introduce types of fertilizers! Other
brand RO filters do not reject enough of the bad stuff from our
water!! Beware!)
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How old are your light bulbs? (bulbs one
year + old are probably illuminating in the "red" spectrum
which promotes algae growth. Change all your bulbs at
least once a year)
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Was your tank allowed to overheat? (85 degrees
F or higher) The higher your tank temperature the less
oxygen is in the water. High temps are lethal
especially to small organisms so even if your fish & corals
survived a temp spike you can bet some of the smaller
organisms didn't. Their breakdown releases excess
nutrients & many times will cause an algae bloom.
How to get rid
of the algae? I recommend the following steps:
1. Shut your system down to calm the water
2. Scrub your rocks & anything you can that has
algae on it with an old toothbrush
3. Siphon up the matter that fell to the floor of
your tank etc. & only 10 - 15% of your system volume.
4. Replace siphoned water with new saltwater -
aged appropriately 48 hours or more
5. Run Reef Carbon & Phosphate Remover in a high
flow area as directed on containers
6. Repeat 1-5 until algae no longer appears.
7. Be sure to stay on your 10% weekly water
changes & not overfeed. :0)
8. Add algae grazing snails like Astreas &
Ceriths
Again, there is
always a cause to nuisance algae. Please do not buy
fish to try & remedy the algae. Find the source of the
problem & just enjoy the fish you buy! Above are the
common problem areas that could start & feed a nuisance algae
bloom. I've been asked many times if direct sunlight
on a tank can cause a bloom. The answer is a
resounding NO. Algae cannot grow if it lacks
nutrients/fertilizers/silicates - basic cell building
blocks. We do want to watch tank temps if direct
sunlight is an issue but otherwise your corals & all your
livestock will love it!
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