i need some advise??

[ReefKeeper]

Originally Posted by ronboy

"tapwater"

i have 2 6oo g.p.h. power heads in each corner of the back of the tank along with a protein skimmer and a aqua clear 110 filter...no sump

i think that you have answered your own question here. tap water is FULL of chemicals (that are known to contribute to algae growth) that we do not want in our tanks. i would seriously think about getting a RO/DI unit to make your own water.

and those powerheads are not going to produce enough flow,IMHO. i would add at least 2 more of those or switch them out for a few Hydor Korallia #4's.

[ReefKeeper]

why not use Kent Marine ... i use it on my tank when i need to dose something ??!! i like the Kent products and i will not change them. with partial water changes done every 2 weeks (like mine) you should not need to dose anything ... why are you dosing ??

[ronboy]

r/o water will greatly reduce phosphates "algae" problem im having...? i think i will do my next water change with r/o water i can buy from the salt store i go to until i get a r/o system.....thanks for you help i appreciate it

[ReefKeeper]

a good RO/DI unit will remove ALL of the chemicals and leave you with pure water. so yes it will greatly reduce (to 0 in most cases) the amount phosphates and and nitrates in the water that you are using. you will have to keep up with changing the filters, but they are well worth the small cost. i would do larger than normal water changes for the next month or two and see how that helps with the algae problem. i am willing to bet that it will be greatly reduced or gone.

BTW ... you should also rinse the frozen food in RO/DI water before putting it in the tank. the liquid they use to preserve the freshness is full of phosphates too.

[ronboy]

i will do that,thank you much...

rinse the food,i will do that to!

i dose all the stuff i listed cause i was told that i should,from the guy i buy all my stuff from,"or is he just telling me that so i buy something" you dont dose like that...?

[yote]

Welcome to the reef.
You've got some great advice from Keeper.He's pretty well hit that nail square on the head..So I wont repost what he has already said.

I'll bet it was your LFS that told you not to use the Kent products?
I either use Kent Marine or SeaChem products when I has to dose something.Both are about half the cost of the Marc Wiess stuff and have never cause me any problems.

[ReefKeeper]

he is just making money off of you IMHO !! i dose nothing, unless it is between scheduled water changes and i notice that it needs it. i also test for everything that i dose (looks like you do too).

[yote]

Originally Posted by ronboy

i will do that,thank you much...

rinse the food,i will do that to!

i dose all the stuff i listed cause i was told that i should,from the guy i buy all my stuff from,"or is he just telling me that so i buy something" you dont dose like that...?

That dude is just after your money.
I dont dose anything unless my water tests low for it,which is rare.
I'd suggest finding another LFS,or at least ask usbefore you buy anything from there.
Were not after your money like the LFS is.

[Bifferwine]

You don't need to dose all that stuff! He's just wasting your money. Unless you have a tank full of hundreds of expensive corals, there's no way you would need to dose all that stuff.

I have lots of corals in my tank and the ONLY thing I dose regularly is calcium. Sometimes I add iodine and trace elements. And I don't even dose the iodine or trace elements on a regular basis. I use the Seachem and Kent Marine brands too, and I like them.

And I agree, that you using tap water is probably causing your algae problems. Switch to RODI water ASAP.

Also, you need more than two powerheads. Adding more powerheads and aiming them at the surface so that they cause a ripple in the surface where air and water are mixing will increase your dissolved oxygen levels.

[fishbait]

welcome to the site. looks like everyone has you covered so I won't repeat either. It will probaly take several larger that normal water changes with good water to see a noticeable difference. and I don't see a problem with kent products either. I use them in my tank, (including kent sea salt) and I think they have very good products.