Tips for Algae Reduction

[Kenya]

Does any one have any general tips for reducing algae?

I have read that chaeto works really well for reducing most types of algae. Has anyone had any experience with a bad algae problem and had chaeto reduce the algae growth?

[FireWater]

Not 100% sure what you are refering to. Algae in your display? Sump? Never heard of Chaeto reducing other algae. Can you point me to where you read that at?

If you are talking reducing algae in your display - nuisance algae or ornamental algae?

[rickrutland]

Do you mean chaeto to remove excess nutrients to "starve" nuisance algae in the display?

[Europhyllia]

Yes chaeto and other algae will take up the same nutrients so having a macro algae compete with the nuissance stuff is a good thing. If that is enough will really depend on your input though.
Since my inputs are quite high I use several approaches to limit nuisance algae:
- no old light bulbs
- skimmer
- biological filtration (biopellets in addition to LR)
- media reactor for phosphate reduction
- herbivores
- refugium with macro algae
- water changes
- keep calc levels adequate (to favor coraline algae)
- keeping alk levels adequate (phosphates tend to precipitate at levels over 8dkh)
- limiting unnecessary inputs (watch for supplements containing phosphates, etc.)

[Kenya]

i have some nuisance algae in my 30 gallon display. Its an green algae (almost looks like the algae that grows in freshwater tanks) that grows excessively on my glass and my sand bottom. Not a hair or slime algae. This has started about a month ago but has been getting progressively worse (maybe just another part of the cycle???)

Some information on my tank is:
I use a cannister filter that is up to a 55 gallon with uv sterlizer
I have a 20" nova extreme pro 6x18watt bulbs 3 Actinic and 3 other stock bulbs that came with it
2 power heads
heater set to 78.0(+-2)
Im also using tap water with reef crystal salt but lets not go into the dispute between tap and RO water

My params are normal meaning 0 ammonia 0 nitrate 8.2ph gravity 1.0025

It grows so rapidly that within one day of doing a 25% water change and scrapping it off the glass and removing it from sand bed. It is back and very noticeable. I can post some pictures tonight.

I have been reading from couple websites that having chaeto in a refugium, that it will eat up the nutrients that other algae use to thrive on. So this will make chaeto grow not the nusiance algae grow. Its sounds more like a theory not a fact.

So my question is will chaeto help this and are there any other steps to combat this?

[FireWater]

Ok, I am a little clearer now.

Yes, chaeto as well as other algae in a fuge will uptake excess nutrients. Like Karin said above.
Also, what is the age on the bulbs? You might want to look into other higher quality bulbs when you can. Stock bulbs are notorious for low quality.
Water change frequency and have you checked the water that you use for quality?
Phoshphates?

[CoryDude]

They key your looking for is nutrient export and limiting it's import.

To limit the import:

Add a protein skimmer. That's the best tool to help limit fish food and crap from being converted into nitrogen.

Try and reduce feedings, if your fish can handle it.

Use RO water

To export nutrients:

Regular water changes w/RO water.

Refugium with macro algae. Removing the cheato and other stuff removes the nutrients inside the algae.

Removing as much of the nuissance algae as possible from your display tank.

But, a good protein skimmer and RO water are 2 important keys to a tank w/less nuisance algae. I can tell you this from experience. Good luck!

[tebstan]

How long has it been since you changed the water, and how often?

The other posts have better info on deterents than I can offer... but if you are using tap water, the tap in SA lately is causing algae blooms for FW and SW tanks. If nothing else in your routine has changed, that's the most likely source.

[reddrum]

It sounds like from your post that that algae is growing rapidly after water changes. Since you are using tap water you are most likely supplying the nutrients that the algae needs with that water change. I know it is a pain to use RO/DI water, but it will save you the hassle of cleaning in the long run. Also, I strongly recommend a refugium with chaeto or whatever algae you decide to put in. After putting one on my tank the difference in algae growth in the main tank was night and day. The idea is simple and works. The biomass of algae in the fuge is large enough that it sucks up any nutrients when they are produced and thus algae in the main tank is starved of nitrates etc. On a side note having scavengers in my fuge really helps clean up excess food/wastes etc. that come down the overflow too.