[emccullough1]

I'm not getting any algae growing in my tank the only algae that I have is a chunk of cheato I through in there. I run my lights 12 hr a day and use tap water the only thing I don't do is over feed. The cheato grows like crazy in my tank and refugium but nothing else I have to feed algae sheets to keep my crabs and shrimp alive. maybe I should add some phosphate just a little to get some growth. Mind you I don't want the problems some people have but I would like enough to grow to feed the critters.
I have 30gal total water volume. 10 gal tank 20 gal sump/ refugium I change 5 gal weekly without fail.
I have t5s lighting 4w per gal
Nitrates fluctuate between 5 to 15
Nitrites never had a reading sense cycle 0 all the time
Ammonia the same 0
PH 8.3
Salinity 1.026
Calcium 420 + or - 10 Test kit variable
Tenp fluctuates between 78 to 83

[rlcline76]

I am sure you are not talking about coralline algae...

How is your pod population?

[reefcouple]

I would reccomend you stop using tap water immediately and start using RO.. Tap water has chlorine and other elemts thats very bad for your tank.. Cheato is also something that is probably absorbing the nutrients required to grow your algae...

But the tap water is a no no.. You can get your ro water from most grocery stores for under .40/gallon and most fish stores will sell you saltwater for under 1.oo/gallon...

Good luck.. Hop this helps..

[rlcline76]

I believe that he is concerned about a lack of algae not that he has a nasty bloom.

[pogodzib]

IMO, if you see the algae growth, you have too much algae growth. Your clean up crew should eat the algae as soon as it starts to form, so you will ideally never see it appear.

[emccullough1]

There are 100s of them on the glass at night. And your right the coralline algae is going gang busters. I just want a little green algae. Do you think if I took a little out of my fresh water tank it would take off. Like I said I don't want a major out brake just some for the snails and crabs. Maybe I'm over skimming. I guess I should not complain feeding the algae sheets is not hard and my corals are going gang busters. I'm going to have to start taking some out soon. But I doubt Mom will complain to much if I start adding corals to her fish only tank. That is if I take care of them. It just seems like I should be able to get a little alga without it getting out of hand.

[rlcline76]

Originally Posted by emccullough1

There are 100s of them on the glass at night. And your right the coralline algae is going gang busters. I just want a little green algae. Do you think if I took a little out of my fresh water tank it would take off. Like I said I don't want a major out brake just some for the snails and crabs. Maybe I'm over skimming. I guess I should not complain feeding the algae sheets is not hard and my corals are going gang busters. I'm going to have to start taking some out soon. But I doubt Mom will complain to much if I start adding corals to her fish only tank. That is if I take care of them. It just seems like I should be able to get a little alga without it getting out of hand.

Honestly, Ed...I think you are doing fine. One way or another, you will always have algae in your tank, even if you do not see it. It is a part of so many diets, especially pods. I wouldn't even want to mess with the water chemistry to give a small bloom because a small bloom can be work and can hurt your corals. Enjoy not having the algae headache! If you want something for your snails and crabs you could buy dried algae sheets at almost any pet store.

[glampka]

Now there's one you don't see everyday. Complaining that you don't have nuisance algae!! The chaeto is sucking up the nitrates that the nuisance algae would be feeding on. Get rid of the chaeto & you'll start getting the nuisance.

[emccullough1]

Well I guess I well quit complaining. And I did not know I should not see any. I just thought that a little was normal. I don't want my cleanup crew to starve to death. So I well keep adding a little algae sheet every 3 days like I have been doing. It is amassing how fast they react when I put it in they come a running as soon as it hits the water and fight with each other for the best spot. It reminds me of when of when we raised pigs the way the piglets would crawl all over each other for the best feeding socket ( I don't want to get in trouble for using the right word )