Micro Algae

[md14fish]

It seems I am always scraping the greenish/brown micro algae from the front and sides of my tank. I am wondering with what frequency other hobbyists have to do this chore ?

 

[Reefguide]

About once a week maybe... What your salinity at? Temp ?

 

[Tony Quinn]

And lighting? age of set-up, water parameters, I've noticed that the more mature the tank, the less I have to scrape!

 

[Haro]

I've had my tank up for about 4 months, i have a 26 gallon with a 65 watt smart lamp PC... salt runns 1.0023-25, temp 80, all other ions at very low levels, and i have to clean the glass about every 6 days, plus i have a brown/blackish alge on my sand that I suck out every two weeks.

 

[Reefguide]

Just one 65w?

Why such a fluctuation in Salinity?

The tank is relativ;y new too. It's probably part of the tanks cycle...

 

[Haro]

oops posted a typo...

my salt is 1.023-1.025...

if you were questioning my salt fluctuation its becase of the water changes tend to add more salt (i don't have much evaporation)

 

[md14fish]

My tank is a 90 gal. It is 3 mos. old. I have 440 watts of 50/50 PC lights.
pH - 8.0
alk- 5 meq
calcium is 480
sal- 1.026
temp- 77- 82

I scrape every other day. I may be a bit anal about it because I don't like nothing on the front glass. If three days go by however it is very unsightly.

 

[Anonymous]

Hmm. How long is your photoperiod?

Or you may have a nutreint problem. Are you overfeeding? Do you have any machanical filters and if so how often do you clean them? They need to be cleaned at least weekly.

 

[md14fish]

I have the lights on timers they are on for about 12 hours.

No mechanical Filters.

 

[Eddie G]

You can purchase a large Mag Float cleaning magnet for about $20. If you have a large tank there are other brands that are much stronger and more expensive. It is a set of magnets. One piece goes inside the tank and the other outside. And you can quickly and easily clean it a couple times a week.
Eddie G

 

[CraigLampe]

I would highly recommend TUNZE brand, they have different sizes/strengths for different glass thicknesses...

That floating Mag one is kinf of a piece of JUNK, not nearly as powerful as a TUNZE, and strength I think is one of the tricks to a good algae magnet, if it cannot hold together through the glass you have to go excruciatingly SLOOOOOW while you scrape!!

If I leave my tank for 4 days algae begins, I can put it off for another 2 or so, but then I HAVE TO SCRAPE!!

 

[danmhippo]

Tunze brand is good. But I am using TigerShark of AlgaeFree brand. It is also very strong magnet. I haven't been scraping my glass for months. Just the magnetic scraper is enough. It's the floating type also.

Very often, you can tell the strength of the magnet used by the price. Higher the price usually means more rare earth magnet used. (whatever "rare-earth" means I don't know though...........)