# QUESTION about algae



## BABOafrica

My aquarium is at the coast in Kenya. It is about 300 gallons with a 120 gallon filter tank sitting next to it.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I only set it up for about 3 weeks a year when on vacation. It is empty the rest of the time.

It is lit by natural sunlight, which at the equator is quite powerful.

A friend of mine saw my marine aquarium and was amazed at the amount of algae growth. 

(I am quite amazed myself...)

It clouds up the tank something fierce. I conquer it only by changing the water once every four days.

My friend suggested a protein skimmer to solve the problem.

I never used one.

Where would I start?

I do not need to invest in any pumps. I have an extra 3000 gph pump that I could use to run a skimmer. Most of the skimmers seem to have a pump already incorporated. Does anyone sell just the skimmer?


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## BABOafrica

I should probably add this:

The algae plaguing my aquarium is the green-yellow floating type.

It grows on the tank walls but mostly makes the wáter opaque.

Nothing I have tried using mechanical filtering takes it out.


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## treliantf

Control the sunlight that reaches your tank is the best solution. If you have a fish only tank, then you do not need much light, ie., adding shades to block most light you will see great improvements in cutting algae growth.
Yes, skimmer helps as well. I'll be posting a DIY skimmer design, which requires no extra power to operate, stay tunned...


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## coralbandit

A skimmer may help if large enough.
UV may help depending on what the algae really is.IF it is suspended in the water(like green water in Fresh) then I think a uv could work.
Otherwise a large Protien skimmer and possibly Ozone.
The 1000 starts the large skimmer category to me.
index
If shipping and price is a big issue this brand may not be for you but the link will show you a large size.
I run the 1,000 I believe on my 120g.Possibly it is a 750?


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## BABOafrica

treliantf said:


> Yes, skimmer helps as well. I'll be posting a DIY skimmer design, which requires no extra power to operate, stay tunned...


I love the idea of making a DIY skimmer.

If you would share your experience, I would be grateful.

Many thanks!


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## Reefing Madness

I've got direct sunlight on my tank, I don't have any algae growing in mine.
Keep your phosphates out of the water. Test using a Hanna Checker, keep them at .03-.05, that will keep your tank clear of problem algae. Or run a large sump with a ton of macro algae. 
With regards to a skimmer, when choosing one, you need to look for one twice your water volume.


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## BABOafrica

Reefing Madness said:


> I've got direct sunlight on my tank, I don't have any algae growing in mine.
> Keep your phosphates out of the water. Test using a Hanna Checker, keep them at .03-.05, that will keep your tank clear of problem algae. Or run a large sump with a ton of macro algae.
> With regards to a skimmer, when choosing one, you need to look for one twice your water volume.


Many thanks for your comments.

I do not have aquarium running now. So I cannot test.

Anyway, HOW do I keep the phosphates under control?

Is that accomplished by running a protein skimmer?


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## BABOafrica

I found the following: Chemistry And The Aquarium: Phosphorus: Algae's Best Friend — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog. It supports the idea mentioned about growing macroalgae:

Nevertheless, growing and harvesting macroalgae (Figure 2) remains one of the best ways to reduce phosphate levels in reef tanks (along with other nutrients). Tanks with large amounts of thriving macroalgae rarely have microalgae problems or excessive phosphate levels that might inhibit calcification of corals. Whether the reduction in phosphate is the cause of the microalgae reduction is not obvious; other nutrients can also become limiting. But in a certain sense it makes no difference. If rapidly growing macroalgae absorb enough phosphorus to keep the orthophosphate concentrations in the water column acceptably low, and at the same time keep microalgae under control, most reef keepers will be satisfied.


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## Reefing Madness

I run SeaKlear to keep my phosphates at .05.


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## treliantf

The way I control my phosphorous and nitrate, those are the two major microalgae fertilizer, in my tank is to go *natural and green* with macro algae, grow in both tank and sump. Check my last photo gallery post. Competition-elimination is the key.


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## Reefing Madness

treliantf said:


> The way I control my phosphorous and nitrate, those are the two major microalgae fertilizer, in my tank is to go *natural and green* with macro algae, grow in both tank and sump. Check my last photo gallery post. Competition-elimination is the key.


You mean the picture of your tank full of Hair Algae? 
Aquarium Gallery - Marine planted fish tank


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## treliantf

Did you see Caulepa prolifera?


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## Reefing Madness

Did you see the massive Hair Algae growing?? Your Caulerpa isn't helping, if running the proper amount of Macro Algae, you will not have any Hair Algae or other nuisance algae growth.
I don't use macro algae, I use SeaKlear to rid my tank of phosphates and vodka to rid my tank of nitrates, you will not see any sponge or hair algae growing in my tank.
Hair Algae is not a good sign.


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## treliantf

I studied marine algae for quite sometime. Yes, hair algae in general, is not a good sign for reef tank but may not be bad for a fish only tank, depends which type of hair algae you are getting, they are incidental, if you have good luck, angel hair (Briopsis plumosa)and brush algae (Clodaphora prolifera) or wire algae (Chaetomorpha linum) can be a good addition to your tank. Worst is the filamentous green algae, which you want to keep in your scrubber, not in display tank. Most Caulepa type algae are good addition and they keep my angel and moorish idol healthy by providing vitamin C to prevent and fight HLLE.


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## Reefing Madness

Fight HLLE? There is nothing you can do for a fish with HLLE, it is what it is.

As far as your Hair Algae, you'll change your mind about it when you lose control of it, and your tank looks like this.


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## BABOafrica

Reefing Madness said:


> I run SeaKlear to keep my phosphates at .05.


How much SeaKlear do you add at one time?

How often do you add it?


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## Reefing Madness

I only need to add a capful to my 240g tank once a week. So you can imagine how little is needed to keep phosphates down in a smaller tank.


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## treliantf

Back to HLLE (not HELL, of course), see my previous post:
Let's continue on the difficult subject of HLLE, from which both I and the fish suffered, like most new hobbyists might have experienced, you see yours used to be pretty angels became not so pretty day by day and in the end I may have to do the last thing: euthanasia, and luckily, I found a medical solution, 0.1% metronidazole mixed in dried oyster balls, which my then 4-years old passer angel gladly swallowed daily. This medication stop the progression of lateral line erosion but did not heal the wounds. The passer was in good shape otherwise, in my sterile tank (no UV but with 0.05 ppm copper, measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy) for 6 years and was traded with fish food due to my relocation 14 years ago. 
The fact that HLLE can be stopped by an antibiotics indicates that it's a bacterial infection and the use of trace Cu in the tank to keep algae on control may have exacerbated the problem because there would be no vitamin C from algae to supplement the need for the fish. 6 months after I moved, I decided to experiment with planted non-sterile marine tank, initially with ozone but was then replaced with UV couples years later as the bacterial control method. But once in a while I still had cyan bateria problem and fortunately erythromycin ascorbate came to the resue and problem solved.
Meaning while I formulated a water conditioning additive that allows incidental invertebrates (small unidentified nitrate-hardy sponges, bristle worms and rock anemone) to grow in the tank and this is what I believe my moorish idol can survive for more than two years because she kept picking on those invertebrates. Both clown trigger and blueface love to eat small bristle worms and young sprout of Caulepa 
prolifera. Under these environments you will never need metronidazole because HLLE is not a natrual disease and will not occur in my non-sterile tank.
By the way, you don't need an advanced degree to enjoy a beautiful fish tank and certainly you don't need an AA spectrometer to test your water but you need to learn from past failures(others, not yours) to be a responsible pet owner.
Good luck!!!!


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## treliantf

Here I delivered what I will do. Check my recent skimmer post.


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## BABOafrica

treliantf said:


> Here I delivered what I will do. Check my recent skimmer post.



Where did you list it? I didn't see anything on your skimmer.

I'm in the middle of building a diy skimmer with airstones to make the bubbles.


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## coralbandit

BABOafrica said:


> Where did you list it? I didn't see anything on your skimmer.
> 
> I'm in the middle of building a diy skimmer with airstones to make the bubbles.


http://www.aquariumforum.com/f46/how-make-high-performance-skimmer-87082.html


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## Reefing Madness

BABOafrica said:


> Where did you list it? I didn't see anything on your skimmer.
> 
> I'm in the middle of building a diy skimmer with airstones to make the bubbles.


Your better off using a pump with needle wheel or mesh impellar, utilizing air intake, via just a rubbe air line.


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## BABOafrica

Reefing Madness said:


> Your better off using a pump with needle wheel or mesh impellar, utilizing air intake, via just a rubbe air line.


Thanks for the advice.

I've looked into all the many different designs.

I noticed the latest post on a DIY skimmer uses an air pump system. I prefer that since it simplifies the set up.

I'm building 60 inch column skimmer, starting with a 9 inch diameter PVC pipe that I picked up for free. It will work on a gravity system, with the skimmer taking water off the top of the aquarium and eventually emptying into the sump.

So far, I've only spent $30 and I have all the parts I need, except the air pump and 3/8 inch tubing.

I'll make my own airstone and see how that works.

I can always convert to water pump system with a venturi tube if the air pump doesn't work out.

The only part I have yet to buy is the air pump. I'll probably go with a $46 commercial air pump (1257 gph) from eBay.

However, I am open to other suggestions.

Joe


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## treliantf

search for skimmer!


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