Algea!!!!

[lovelylinda]

I've been fighting hair algea since last fall when my RO filter was blown, and I recently had to tear down the tank to remove the trigger, and I think I released a lot f crap, because now I have even MORE hair algea,and a lot of cyano. I've done 4 60 gallon water changes in 2 weeks, and pick off the strands every 3 days. I turned off the lights for 3 days and am running them 4 hours per day now. The tangs are NOT eating the hair algea even though I never feed them. Is there anything else I should be doing? Oh, I added 5 snails now that the trigger is in solitary confinement.

 

[coraldaddy]

Is it Bryopsis? if so cut your lights back to about 6hrs for a couple weeks, get some urchins and change your phosban media if you have it, if you don't you might want to get one it will help alot.

I've had great results using Globe and Long Spine urchins, but they will only control it. You need to find the source (food, R.O. filter, light) if the lights are old, the spectrum could be an issue contributing to the algae.

GL

 

[philblumenfeld]

Linda,
I went out and bought an emerald crab, turbo snails, and a lawnmower blenny.
None of them worked!
I think it was too much for them.
I have since, scraped the back wall and a few of the heavily infested rock, gotten rid of the crab and snails and making sure my PH is above 8 to curtail growth.
So far, so good.
BTW, PM'd you about the chaeto light.

 

[Tanque Verde]

Something is feeding that algae and you've got to figure out what.

I'd recommend that you test your freshmade water for nitrates and phosphates. Also, regardless of how your tank is testing, you might try rowaphos and chemipure to soak up the bad stuff before your algae can. Check your bulbs, as coraldaddy suggested.

I like emeralds and hermits for algae. After you acclimate them, drop them right in the thick stuff and let them munch.

Finally, are you running a fuge?

 

[McCrary]

If you are doing water changes with water that isn't RO/DI it really isn't going to improve your algae situation. Are you running a phosphate reactor? If you are not then it would good to start running one to reduce the phosphates in your water. Also, what skimmer are you running on your tank, a skimmer that is not up to the task will allow DOC's to accumulate.

 

[shuskins]

As McCrary said about the phosphate reactor.... when you guys came over and i just started getting that hair algae i got some phosban reactor and carbon and chemi-pure and put them in my filter and then set my lights to 2 hours less than normal and it was gone in probably 2 days..... phosban for the win!

 

[lovelylinda]

I had Rob test my RODI after changing all filters- 0 tds. My skimmer is an ASM g-3. I put chemipure in a week ago- no phosphate reactor. My fuge is 2 months old- growing chaeto. I've had a bucket-o-sand in the sump for 6 months. Nitrates are 10. My lights are PCs and all bulbs replaced in February. Since I'm on a tight budget, I'll add Rowaphos to the sump and skip buying the phosphate reactor, although I think I need one.

 

[Tanque Verde]

just out of curiosity, do you run an ATO? If not, what is your evap like and how often/much are you topping off?

 

[McCrary]

Rowaphos runs like $80 a liter, you can save some cash by buying a generic GFO from twopartsolutions.com, they also sell the carbon ROX, which may be the best carbon for your tank. If you run ROX for like 3 days and then run the GFO for four weeks and keep on that schedule it will do a lot for your tank. A Two Little Fishes reactor is a must for any hobbyist and they run like $40 with pump.

 

[lovelylinda]

That's what I'll do,then. What about water changes?

 

[shuskins]

As McCrary said again.... get one of those Two Little Fishies reactor's. They are insanely cheap and might fix your problem.

With PC bulbs I dont see how you could have so much algae growth. Did you accidentally drop in like 50 lbs of uncured LR? lol...

 

[McCrary]

If you have RO/DI water that has a zero TDS then water changes are only going to help you with your algae problem.

 

[lovelylinda]

I had to move most of my rock to get the trigger out. Then the the algae went nuts. I top off about 2-3 gallons per day, because I run a little fan in my sump. I'm going to order the reactor today.

 

[McCrary]

Cool, you should see a big improvement if you use a decent GFO and run some good carbon in between the GFO.

 

[lovelylinda]

I ordered the reactor and the GFO yesterday. I still think my 2 tangs and foxface should be eating the algae, though.

 

[Bifferwine]

Hardly anything will touch hair algae, very few fish. Some individuals will, but the majority of fish stay away from that stuff.

 

[McCrary]

Scott had a tang and a foxface in his 110 and neither of them ate hair algae.

 

[McCrary]

So how is the GFO working for the algae?

 

[lovelylinda]

The hair algea is still growing, and the red slimey stuff as well. I'll do another water change next weekend. The glass is a lot cleaner, though.

 

[Bifferwine]

Do you have a sea hare? Sea hares are the best animals I've found for most types of algaes. They will eat it really quickly, so when it's done you'll probably have to pass it on to someone else who can use it or give it back to the store.