[TA2Z]

HI all - Not sure if this question belongs in the tank and filtration fourm or in this one - 6 one way a half dozen the other maybe. Anyway, I have an all-glass 72 gallon reef ready bow front with a 15 gallon sump, a down draft skimmer, a couple of powerheads, about 110 pounds of LR, one torch coral, an sps coral the name of which I can't remember right now, a yellow tang, a flame angel , a sand siffter, and 4 turbo snails. All of this lit by two 250w MHbulbs and 4x65 PC's. The tank is pretty new, but with the exception of low alk and high calcium (from the salt I think - I am slowly but surely getting these in check), all test readings are ideal - 0's across the board. MY question is this: as the tank has gone through its maturation process there have been noticible blooms of various algea, a different algea more prominent in each phase. As the bio load is low, the snails and the fish have kept these blooms in check with astonishing efficiancy. In the overflow box - the chamber in the aquarium that makes if "reef ready" the algea has gone unchecked by livestock and I have noticed that the algea in there is thicker than I would like it to be. How or should I act against this? I was contimplating throwing a snail in there. The drain pipe enough holes that the snail could not block the water from draining. OR, should I physically remove the algea in much the same way one scrapes the algea off the tank glass? The algea at this point is not a problem and I would like to keep it that way. Thanks for your input.

TA2Z

[Ninong]

You can physically remove the algae from the overflow compartment or you could place a black lid on top of the overflow compartment to block the light and that will just about eliminate any algae inside the overflow compartment.

[TA2Z]

Thanks Ninog - Your suggestion to block the light is a good one and also one I hadn't cosidered. I think that is route I will take - seems to me such an approach would require the least maintenence. Thanks.