# Sending up the Help signal for TOS and Fishfirst!



## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

Hey guys,
Well I'm still having algae problem with my tank (the 34 gallon Red Sea Max)
We talked about the red slime algae a while back and it faded for a while and now is back in full force. I syringe feed, I have cut the coral frenzy feeding back to only once a week and I still can't get that stuff under control. I am also getting another type of algae, it is very weird looking and I don't really see it online so maybe it isn't even algae, ill get i pic of it if you can't tell by my description but here it goes:
Its very long like hair, some of the strands are green, some are more of a blue color, the blue ones look more like feathers than hair though. 
Whatever that is is starting to break out in my tank too, i cut it off and it just grows right back within days. 
H-E-L-P
Is this just a cycle? Tank is probably coming up on 3 months old
Do i need more scavengers?
All my corals are doing well (Flame scallop and Carnation are both still alive somehow) but the tank is just ugly with that crap in it and I can't keep up with it. 
You two know your stuff go lets here whatcha got for me


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## k-dawg- (Feb 2, 2006)

Pictures would definitely help with the ID. Do you have any form of nitrate removal? It's a nutrient problem so manual removal + waterchanges using fresh RO and good salt FTW.

BTW a flame scallop is not a coral, its a scallop


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

Thanks K-dawg lol just to clarify:
I know a flame scallop isn't a coral, Id be in real trouble if I didn't know that lol I can see how it looked like I thought that was but I brought the flame scallop and carnation up because they are both supposed to be hard to take care of and require a lot of feeding which is the cause of the first cyanobacteria outbreak, I was told to stop feeding as much, so I did, and they are both still alive and doing well.
I may need a form of either phosphate or nitrate removal, any suggestions?
I do a 20% water change with RO water once a week and I top off with RO as well
Im trying to get a pic but its real hard to get a clear one lol


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

I would use PhosGuard or PhosBan for phosphate removal.

In reef tanks, there are several ways to go about getting rid of nitrates, including some that I am currently testing out, but am skeptical of, such as dosing vodka. IMO the best way to get nitrates out of your water is by doing more frequent smaller water changes.

As far as feeding the scallop, it is a filter feeder and will feed on live phytoplankton that is in the water column. They tend to do well for about 6 months or so, then just die off. I know of some people that have good luck with them though, but for the more part, they are one that belongs in the ocean.

And a 3 month old tank is still a VERY young salt water tank. It takes a good 6-10 months for your tank to be stable, and a MINIMUM of 1.5 years for it to be fully cycled.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

Keep up with the water changes and manual removal. Snails can definately help... (Nassarius to stir the sand bed and Turbo/Astrea to eat the algae) How old are the bulbs? Are they the same age as the tank? If they are older they may need replacement


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

Nah bulbs are actually a little younger than the tank. 
I have 5 nassarius snails in there but the turbos kept knocking my corals off so I took them out.


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