Green algae bloom

[gmerek2]

Compliant: green algae bloom

History: 1year long. Goes away with a lot of water Changes or lights out but comes right back. I only keep one damsel and feed VERY lightly. The tank does not get direct sunlight but some will reflect off the flooring.

 

Is a UV sterilizer the only way to fix this? They are expensive and that’s one extra ugly thing to dangle. Would feather dusters filter it out? Clam? Activated carbon?

 

 

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[telegraham]

Not hair? Just film?

 

 

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[mogurnda]

Looks like you have hit the magic ratio of N, P and trace elements.  My guess is that they are coming from food, even though there's not a lot going in. When I was optimizing conditions for growing macroalgae (I dose N, P, C, and traces), I would end up with phyto blooms when things started to go out of balance and macro growth slowed. 

 

A few things help:

-The simplest is to use a skimmer.  IME, a decent skimmer will pull enough out to keep the water clear.

-Mechanical filtration (HOB or canister), with fine enough media to remove the algae, will do the trick as well.  Occasional use of a diatom filter is also an option.

Exporting the phyto with skimming or mechanical filtration also helps to remove the nutrients causing the problem.

 

If you have the time and energy, you can use macroalgae growth to compete with the microalgae.  I would use vinegar or vodka as a carbon source in order to shift the advantage to the macroalgae.  Macros need more C and a lot less P than phyto.  

 

Stripping the water of a necessary nutrient should also take care of the problem.  For example, phosphate is limiting, so using a phosban reactor to get P down to zero will starve the phyto.

 

UV will clarify the water, but will not export nutrients, so the problem will still sit in the background. 

 

Filter feeders would be tricky.  If the population gets high enough to clarify the water, they will probably crash due to starvation.  

 

There may be even better options, but the above is all based on the literature on algae culture and years of hard experience intentionally farming nuisance algae.

[madweazl]

The tank has been up for a year? Rock looks new (what is visible in this picture); what kind of rock is it? 

[gmerek2]

The light doesnt get good penetration because of the cloudy phyto algae im complaining about. Plus I have tried lights out and completely blue spectrum with low intensity. So thats why it may look like new rock. Some of the rock is pukani from the sump of my other tank. 

[gmerek2]

Looks like you have hit the magic ratio of N, P and trace elements.  My guess is that they are coming from food, even though there's not a lot going in. When I was optimizing conditions for growing macroalgae (I dose N, P, C, and traces), I would end up with phyto blooms when things started to go out of balance and macro growth slowed. 

 

A few things help:

-The simplest is to use a skimmer.  IME, a decent skimmer will pull enough out to keep the water clear.

-Mechanical filtration (HOB or canister), with fine enough media to remove the algae, will do the trick as well.  Occasional use of a diatom filter is also an option.

Exporting the phyto with skimming or mechanical filtration also helps to remove the nutrients causing the problem.

 

If you have the time and energy, you can use macroalgae growth to compete with the microalgae.  I would use vinegar or vodka as a carbon source in order to shift the advantage to the macroalgae.  Macros need more C and a lot less P than phyto.  

 

Stripping the water of a necessary nutrient should also take care of the problem.  For example, phosphate is limiting, so using a phosban reactor to get P down to zero will starve the phyto.

 

UV will clarify the water, but will not export nutrients, so the problem will still sit in the background. 

 

Filter feeders would be tricky.  If the population gets high enough to clarify the water, they will probably crash due to starvation.  

 

There may be even better options, but the above is all based on the literature on algae culture and years of hard experience intentionally farming nuisance algae.

 

​I have an oversized HOB skimmer rated for 100g. It is a 65g tank and pulls great skim. I have tried running a TON of GFO with no changes at all. The Vodka Carbon dosing along with macro suggestion really interests me though. That may be the ticket to throw off these favorable phyto conditions. I also have a large photosynthetic blue sponge I can throw in the mix to help uptake nutrients and filter feed. If nutrients get too low for it I can just put it back in my good tank. Ill also look for good media to put in my HOB suggestions welcome. My current filter media I put in there doesn't filter out any phyto at all.

[Origami]

Algaefix Marine will take care of this in a few days. You can also use a diatom filter.

 

I've seen this before in a preschool tank....

 

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[gmerek2]

Just following up. I know I said I wouldn’t do a UV but Found a green eating machine or something corny like that at petco. It was only $45 I couldn’t pass it up. Here are before and after shots. It gets clearer every day.

Edited December 1, 2017 by gmerek2

[mari.harutunian]

Wow! Glad it worked out

 

 

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[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Interesting. I assume you used this?

 

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/green-killing-machine-internal-uv-sterilizer-with-power-head

Edited December 2, 2017 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[treesprite]

This makes me want to start using my 9 watt UV sterilzer which has been sitting amongst junk for about a decade.

[Origami]

WOW! Great before and after shots, Brian!

[gmerek2]

Yea that’s it king. Just re emphasizing this is for green or cloudy water. Won’t do anything for algae on rock. Well worth the money. Should have done this a long time ago but kept thinking it was just new tank syndrome until It hit a year old lol