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do i have way to much algae in my tank?

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http://photos.yahoo.com/elementrider1000


thanks

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pnh

Well, what do you consider too much algae? I mean too much to one person could be just a touch on their rocks/decorations/plants, to another it could be what covers the entire glass on the back side of the tank.. ya know? Anywho, it doesnt appear that way to me....

72 gallon bowfront:Tanganyikan Lake set up
75 gallon: A. Baenschi trio,Cyanotilapia Afra Cobwe(4), copadichromis trewavase, protomelas sp. tangerine tiger(breeding pair)

in a fw tank i hate algae in a sw tank i can stand a little bit of it. i think i have way to much in my sw tank. what can i do to get rid of it, but not all of it?

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pnh

It sorta depends on what you like I guess.

In a reef tank, it just shouldn't be taking over the animals; algae can often smother corals and ultimately, lead to their demise.

I hate any algae but corralline. I'll deal with an occasional patch here and there, but everything gets either scraped off (if it's on the front) or eaten off (by one of the animals). So yeah.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

so scaping it off is the best way to get rid of it?


and i dont want to put any chemicals in my tank to get rid of the stuff i dont want to get rid of ALL or it but most of it.


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pnh

I think the only way to really lessen the algae that grows is to lessen the nutrients that end up in the system. Such as use good quality RO or distilled water instead of tapwater and a good salt mix. Unfortunately my ro water tests 2ppm phosphate so I have a fuge packed full of chaeto to help out. Phosphate removers could also be a possibility if you do have phosphates. Keep nitrates low, don't overfeed.. etc and you shouldn't have much in the way of algae. To take care of what little does still manage to grow add a few algae eating critters like snails and scrape off whatever they miss on the glass.

Of course I still have a tank full of brown algae coated rocks so maybe my advice should be taken with a grain of salt. The nerites and turbos are doing a good job but it keeps coming back. I think those phosphates are getting the best of me and I'm going to have to use different water or a phosphate remover.

I'm going to have to use different water or a phosphate remover.

Just tack a DI unit onto the end of your RO unit. That will take care of phosphates and other goodies your RO unit misses.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

The ro unit I bought does have DI but it turns out I'm not allowed to set it up in the apartment. I have it setup at my mom's house for now and I can get water from there but it's a half hour away and do to the really horrid plumbing and filtration system setup there the rest of the house does not get water when I run the ro unit. That means until I get a house I'm mostly buying refill water at $.25/g from the grocery store that's only a block away. I can get some from the fish store that probably won't have any phosphates but again it's a half hour away.