Green algae

[saltwater sasquatch]

Hey everyone,
So I just recently went through an anenome nuke and lost almost my whole 55g tank. The only things that survived are my 2 perc clowns, 2 starfish, a few snails and hermits and a sally lightfoot crab. Since that has happened a few weeks ago I have started doing my water changes and topoffs with distilled water per some advice on here as I was using dechlorinated tap water before. However in the past few days I have had a massive problem with green algae it is all over the tank glass and the rocks I have checked all my parameters and they are all perfect (or as close to perfect they can be). I am not sure what is causing the algae I scraped the glass clean yesterday and changed my filters and when I got home today all of the algae is back. The 14 turbo snails I have are working as hard as they can to keep up with it. If anyone has any ideas to help please let me know.
thanks

 

[Cathic]

Let us in on some other info, Lighting, water flow, type of algae (hair, slime, etc) sounds like something is off. Just give us some feedback and we can try and help!

Also where are you getting the distilled water from?

 

[saltwater sasquatch]

I have 6X48 watt nova extreme pro hot5 lighting, 1300 gph circulation pump and I am getting the distilled water from the local grocery store.

 

[Cathic]

How old are your bulbs? and how long are they on? Also in a 55g you will probably want more than just 14 turbos. Id look here, ReefCleaners.org | Clean Up Crews and Macro Algae - Home , for a cleanup crew capable of handling a 55 they do good work. I think Biff or someone else needs to chime in as well though because the problem is more than likely the water not the cleaners.

Is it hair algae? do you have a sump or fuge?

 

[saltwater sasquatch]

Oh sorry it is slime algae I did have a hair algae problem during the anenome problem but that has cleared up and gone away. The bulbs are only about a month or so old as the whole lighting system is brand new.

 

[saltwater sasquatch]

Also this is the first time I have had green algae problems and it is the most turbo snails I have ever had.

 

[MushroomXombies]

Whats your Nitrates at

 

[saltwater sasquatch]

I just tested today and my nitrates were at 0 ppm.

 

[MushroomXombies]

How about your phosphates? Tap water has high levels of it. Its likely while you were using it, your live rock was absorbing it and now leaching it back out. How often do you feed your tank? Your lights aren't the problem, something in your water is fueling the algae.

 

[saltwater sasquatch]

phosphates were at 0 as well. I have been feeding once every other day. Will it eventually go away with proper water changes and maintenance.

 

[bjohanson1234]

just because you are measuring 0 doesnt mean there are 0. Algea feeds off of nitrates and phosphates so it consumes them before the test can read them

How many fish do you have?
What size tank?
How much do you feed? not just frequency, but quantity?

 

[saltwater sasquatch]

I have 2 perc clowns 14 turbo snails 5 blue leg hermits 1 sally lightfoot crab 1 sandsifting starfish and 1 serpant starfish. and a couple pieces of coral. I feed just 1 quarter of a block of frozen mysis shrimp every other day and it is a 55 g tank.

 

[MushroomXombies]

+1 If you have algae you have some Nitrates and phosphates. Are you running a skimmer

 

[saltwater sasquatch]

No I am not running a skimmer.

 

[MushroomXombies]

I would invest in one. Also some phosphate removing media and do weekly water changes and your problem will go away

 

[Bifferwine]

I think whatever is happening is a left over effect of the troubles you had earlier. I think it will go away if you keep up with water changes. You can also do a black out for 3 or 4 days, and just take some time every day to manually remove as much of the algae as you can.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Make sure you do a water change half way through the black out and after the black out to remove nitrates released by the dying algae.

 

[saltwater sasquatch]

Hey everyone I wanted to thank you for the help. My tank is all cleared up and doing good soon I will be able to start stocking it again.