Hi
Posting on behalf of the hubbie who has a marine tank that has been set up just a year. We've been having some issues with flatworms, which are now just starting to die off, and then we get an outbreak of algae! He said it can be normal to get this at this stage of the maturation, but now is confused because we can't find the cause. We have tested the water here and all seems fine, and had it checked at the local fish shop, who agreed. But it doesn't seem to be dying off! Anyone any ideas?

Tests done - NH3, NO3, NO2, KH, pH, Mg, Ca, PO4. Approx 400litres capacity with a sump. Inverts - snails, red-legged hermits, shrimp(s). current fish - 2 clowns, 1 six-line wrasse, 3 javanese cardinals, 1 blenny, although the algae started when we only had the clowns and the wrasse. Then one clown died unexpectedly, and has been replaced.

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3.0 Burmese cats - Xander, Chaos and Mayhem, 0.1 Moggy - Simone

Have you added any corals that could have been carrying algae on the live rock?

How many cleaners do you have? Hermits, Shrimp, Snails......

Im not saying this could be the reasons but just suggestions.

Also I was told you can have phosphate present without it reading on your test because, A: the algae can be using up the phosphate as it becomes present and B: there is a small layer of water on your rocks that doesnt move as the current of water flows over the top and phosphate is trapped there.

Do you have a phosphate remover in your sump? might be worth trying if you dont.

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What sort of algae?

Not sure how many cleaners there - used to be 2 shrimp but not seen them recently, at least 6 hermits and ditto for snails.

It's a green algae, more then that I cannot tell you sadly.

And no, no coral additions for several months becase of the flatworms.

Phosphate remover in the sump!

The new blenny is doing an ok job of munching on it at the moment, and I think the other half is going to get some sea hares next week.

__________________
1.0. Veiled Chameleon - Dave
2.4.6 Bearded pygmy chams.
1.1. Fire salamanders - Antony and Cleopatra
1 tropical fish tank
1 marine fish tank
3.0 Burmese cats - Xander, Chaos and Mayhem, 0.1 Moggy - Simone

Is it green Hair Algae? if so its deffo PO4 or silicates which is the problem....

In my exp I would not bother with the sea hares as this is will only be hiding it and more than likely come back you need to address where the phosphates/silcates are coming from

Are you using RO water?
Are you over feeding?

these are to 2 higest causes of high Phosphates my advice would be to only feed a good flake food such as New Era stop all frozen blister packs (high in PO4 unless rinsed in RO) and remove by hand what you can until either the PO4/silcates are burnt up or the root of where they are coming from is found

HTH

Baden

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