Algae issues Please help

[TwentyTwenty]

I have an Aqua C remora. Works pretty well, I have a low bioload. I really do not know what to do next. Hopefully a combination will come through for us. One question, might be a long shot this really all started when I switched from IO salt to IO reef crystals. What salt are you using Joe ?

 

[schneijt]

I'm using IO, but I see no reason to change. Of all the millions of people using IO, I don't hear of any "algae plague" or anything like that. I know it can't be my salt or you'd hear lots of people having problems getting algae to go away, and they would all have IO in common... So switching salts to IO probably won't help/hurt you at all. They all seem pretty close to the same formula, which makes sense.

I'm sure that battling the algae on all possible fronts, I'll find a way to beat it. It's not that bad right now, probably because of my limited feeding and focus on improving water/tank quality in all possible aspects.

Will keep you posted,
Joe

p.s. I'm using the promo ER RS-80 on my 75gal +25gal sump. It's a bit undersized, but I don't overfeed or abuse my system so it works out just fine. Plus with the new "Mega Chaeto Fuge" I'm working on, that'll probably pull out more than the skimmer! Oh, and do you have problems with excess foaming when you put PolyFilter in vs. not having it in?

 

[TwentyTwenty]

I figured as much with the salt, but just wanted to hear it from someone else. I have no foaming issues what so ever when the poly filter is in use.

 

[schneijt]

Well, my new chaeto fuge is nearing completion. A few more days and I'll have it running. We'll see if that helps at all, but I'm rather "glass half empty" these days when it comes to this %$&* brown algae...

If there's any good news, the tank has to be moved in a little over a year, anyway... So it'll have to be completely broken down then, and I'll be starting over. That'll give me a chance to cook my rocks for several months and get rid of this crap...

-Joe

 

[TwentyTwenty]

Just did my weekly water change. This stuff just does not slow down. I see more of it now on my sand bed than the rock. I vacuumed out a ton of this stuff today. I do not know what is feeding it. My water quality is perfect and inhabitants are healthy. I do not think it poses any real health issues. I just hate the way it looks, but I think I'm going to have to live with it. If anyone comes up with a fix please advise. Good luck, Mike.

 

[schneijt]

Well, my hermits and turbo snails have finally turned to eating this stuff, but probably not because they want to. They only nibble on it a little at a time, but it's better than nothing. It doesn't spread very quickly in my system, so I'm glad for that. Also, it's really a problem on one side of my tank. I don't know if that's for any certain reason or if it just started there and has yet to spread to the other side... But, my 14K Phoenix on that side is getting a bit old, so I may swap that out for a new bulb. Probably won't help, but a new bulb is needed anyway just as part of the regular maintenance. Who knows.

New 'fuge is ready to go, I just need to get my second bucket of water in there to fill it. Then the powerhead gets turned on to feed it, and I have to figure out how to get my lighting going above it. Then I'll get chaeto from two local reefers to start growing. I'd pull chaeto out of my hang-on 'fuge, but it's not growing very well these days. I'm not sure if it's because I've starved the tank of so many nutrients lately. But, I'll see if stronger lighting over the new fuge will help with chaeto growth and nutrient export. Worst case it's a good place to put some chemical filter media and increase my system volume. Hopefully I can get some macroalgae to take off in there.

OK, I'm done babbling now. Still battling my brown slime in the sandbed, so I think I'm going to need to "recharge" my sandbed through IPSF and maybe get another cuke and fighting conch. Until then I'm still reducing sand bed depth and trying to take out as much of the algae down there that I can. I've accepted the fact that I just have to live with my algaes and work to control them as best as possible. I guess it's truly "natural" that way. No tanks are ever really free of any algae...

-Joe

 

[schneijt]

Hmm... I'll clarify. Brown fuzzy algae is only on one side of my tank. I can't find any of it on the other side unless it's on a hermit/snail shell who's wandered over to that side of the tank. So, the only way it's present over there on the right side is if was taken there by something that got it on the left.

-Joe

 

[mirthrin]

What is the water flow like in your tank. Maybe you just need more flow.

Just a thought.

 

[schneijt]

I do wish to add more flow to my tank, which may help the sand algae problem, but the fuzzy brown algae doesn't care about flow. It seems to anchor itself anywhere on the rockwork it wants to, regardless of flow. I still am in the process of adding more flow, though. I'm one of many fans of the "can't have too much flow" approach. I've got a Koralia #3 on the way, which will be directed to get more flow into the lower front part of the tank. More will be on the way in the future, but I'm only trying one right now to make sure I like the design/quality/performance of the Koralia pumps. Adding more flow to combat algae isn't my main concern; I'm doing it for my sps who will surely appreciate it.

Thanks for your input,
Joe

 

[TwentyTwenty]

Hi guys, it has been 2 weeks since touching base. An update is in order. There is hope, I have the upper hand on it now. Its growing very slowly and only on a few spots on the rocks. The sand also has a few spots. I have 3 poly filters going, 1 in each baffle in the fuge. This is the only change in my battle against the Brown. Also, my Chaeto is a huge ball now instead of a tennis ball. Growing rapidly, eating up any bad stuff still in there. So, maybe this is a new direction for anyone who is fighting it out with this stuff. Good luck and be patient, Mike.

 

[schneijt]

Wow, I haven't done an update in a couple weeks either!

My remote 'fuge is up and running. It's a 44qt Rubbermaid from Menards. I got a compact fluorescent floodlight like Melev suggests at Menards, too, but could not find a kelvin rating. "White" according to the label turned out to be a very dim looking yellow... So, I ordered one of the ones from the link on Melev's page. Both bulbs are lighting my fuge on a reverse lighting schedule from the main tank. Chaeto has, in a week, tripled in size. I'm not using any sand in the 'fuge, since I've started to hate sandbeds recently... No pods seemed to make their way into my chaeto when my friend gave it to me, but I'm planning to add copepod and amphipod cultures along with LR rubble into the fuge in the Spring or early Summer.

I added a Koralia #3 to replace the MaxiJet 1200, which was turned into a feed pump from the sump up to the 'fuge above and next to the tank. I'll be adding another soon, as it is a very nice powerhead for producing good water movement and random current. And they're pretty cheap, too!

My last addition was a new vertical DI cartridge from Purely H2O. Water was great before, but still it didn't hurt to make sure I was getting the most stuff out of it before putting it into my tank.

I've actually stopped worrying about constant water changes. 5gal is changed every couple weeks now, and I vacuum out sand in the areas where I have algae on the sandbed.

Overall, the algae seems to not be getting much worse. The one rock that had the worst problem is being picked at by hermits and snails once in a while, and slowly is looking like a rock again. There are other spots in the tank where it's present, but it doesn't seem to grow or spread very quickly. That makes me happy.

To sum it up, I've gotten (I think) this algae under control. I focused on nutrient export, limiting nutrient import, and improving my husbandry in all areas that warranted attention. It seems to have worked.

OK, that was long. Feel free to ask any questions you may have; I'm glad to help others.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[TwentyTwenty]

I have just one thing to add to my update. While on WWM.com I saw a picture of "our" algae. Likely a BGA, and the recommendation was to start raising the iodine level in the system. Something to think about anyway. Joe, it sounds like we are on the same road to controling this algae. Keep up the good work and if anything new arises let us know, Mike.

 

[Chad Vossen]

you can move all your fish into the Q-tank and keep them well fed there while you starve the display of nutrients from food and fish waste. if you dont have coral, you can leave the lights out as well.
also, if you have the space for a fuge, set one up. i have three 36"longx18"widex5"deep trays filled with chaeto algae and it seems that i have more than enough. click on my red house to see a picture of my top tray for ideas.

 

[schneijt]

Well, we've had good luck by just focusing on nutrient management and refinging our maintenance routines. I don't think we need to go as drastically as QT'ing the display tank. We're doing pretty well just by cutting back on food, making our water changes more effective (more frequent), and making sure we get as much DOC removal from the water column as possible. Also, we've had good luck with bigger 'fuges running chaeto under optimal lighting. My new fuge is growing chaeto really well, and the gravity drain down into my display tank should make for optimal pod production for a future mandarin.

-Joe

 

[TwentyTwenty]

Hello, I know it has been 2 months. But, a very good 2 months. My tank is now 99% free from that fuzzy brown. It has happened over the last 2 weeks. So, here is my update. While reading some posts on WWM.com I came across a person who had our problem. He battled it for over a year, before he found his cure.

He basically did all the things we did, with about the same result. Until someone told him that this algae or was it really a bacteria, could have been feeding off of metals in his water. He purchased CupriSorb a Seachem product which absorbs metals. Needless to say in 2 weeks his tank was free from this algae/bacteria.

My turn to try this stuff. I also added Hypersorb and Purigen along with the CupriSorb. I just fit them in my sump between the baffles. In 2 weeks my tank was just about completely free of it as well. I hope this helps, good luck and any questions just fire away. I'm more than happy to be able to help.

 

[schneijt]

My algae slowly went away over the course of a few weeks. I really didn't do anything different; it's like it just ran out of fuel one day and started receding. There are only a couple spots here and there in my tank, and I don't worry about them since they don't spread. Interestingly, I'm now getting some bubble algae popping up in a few places now. It's as if the BA replaced the terrible brown hairy plague...

Even though I'm no longer worrying about the algae problrem, I'm still keeping an eye on water quality. I use a small piece of polyfilter in my Megaflow, and it gets replaced as soon as it turns brown, which is about a week or so. I also have a bag of Chemi Pure in my sump, which will be replaced pretty soon, since it's been in there for nearly two months. Any chemical filtration I use gets washed/rinsed before being put in.

I don't know 100% what "fixed" my problem, but all is well now.

-Joe