Help with algae on glass

[strange33w]

I am trying to find out what might be causing this green film on the inside of my glass. I have a 120 gallon reef with a 10 gallon refugium and a 20 gallon sump with trickle wet/dry filter system. I am using a red sea berlin turbo skimmer and my lighting is 2 250 watt 14000k metal halides. I checked my water perams- ph 8.3 -kh 11- nitrites 0- nitrates 0- phosphates less than .02 -calcium 480ppm and temp is 80 inthe morning and 82 when the lights go off at night. I turn on my lights and in about 4 hours I have to clean my glass. I am running my lights for a total of 10.5 hours a day right now. I did just recently upgrade to the metal halides from 8 54 watt t5s but I had the same problem if not worse with the t5s. Any help would be great. I have been doing weekly 5 percent water changes. And all my fish and corals look very healthy so I am not sure why I have this build up.

Also as far as clean up crew i only have 10 blue legged hermits 3 scarlet hermits 10 snails and 5 turbo snails. My rock has some green algae but not alot. I would post pics but I cant yet on this forum.

[zero186]

Welcome i will say Green algae is pretty normal. I can see your water change % isnt what is should be. I would try to do a 20% weekly that will help to remove waste from the system which will be fueling your problem, any Phosphates are bad. i would also use something to clean the sides daily like a Mag Float or something. I used to have fish eat the film Algae when i came lose while cleaning.

[twelve volt pro]

When a stubborn film develops on the glass that the MagFloat wont take off I just use a clean credit card and scrape it off during my weekly water change.

[Loverotties]

Originally Posted by zero186

Welcome i will say Green algae is pretty normal. I can see your water change % isnt what is should be. I would try to do a 20% weekly that will help to remove waste from the system which will be fueling your problem, any Phosphates are bad. i would also use something to clean the sides daily like a Mag Float or something. I used to have fish eat the film Algae when i came lose while cleaning.

2nd this!

[fihsboy]

Yeah, do at least 10-15% of your water during a water change. On a tank that size.... I would do probably 20 gallons. if not 30. Thats the best thing in the world for your tank. Green film algae is normal though. We all have it. We all hate it. And we all scrape daily if not twice a day. Welcome to TRT!

[Jnicho]

Dang, I guess I'll quit complaining...I was thinking cleaning the glass every 3 o 4 days was a pain...once or twice a day and I would go nuts.

I would agree with upping your water changes...that will help dilute the nastie's...otherwise you want to limit the nutrients you add and remove as much of what gets in as you can...things like only using high quality food...thawing/rinsing food before use...a skimmer rated much bigger than your tank and running it wet...all these things should help...if you have a sand substrate regular cleaning with a gravel vac during water changes and blowing off your rocks with a powerhead or turkey baster before hand will remove a lot of detritus.