any way to encourage hair algae or turf algae growth??

[hotelbravo]

Ive been struggling to grow algae in my tank to provide food for my tang and angel. Ive been trying to grow macro in my sump but its to slow to keep a constant supply. If I were to get a rock from someone who has tons of hair algae or turf would it spread in my tank?
I feed algae sheets every other day and I feed them a blend of chopped squid, chopped scallops, mysis shrimp, "LRS Fish Frenzy", and articpods. But would like something for them to graze on
Ive been running the tank for 1 year 4 months it was originally a 30 gallon I upgraded to a 75 gallon and then to a 90 gallon and converted the 30 into a sump. Ive never experienced an algae bloom of any kind. Not even diatoms. Any advice???
My last water test showed
Ammonia - 0
Nitrate - 40
Nitrite -0
Salinity - 1.025
Ph - 8.3
Phosphate - 0.34
No other tests completed

 

[imjedi76]

most people try everything to get rid of algae and you want some? well, from my limited understanding algae feeds off of phosphate, so if your phosphate goes up you'll have an algae bloom..

 

[hotelbravo]

most people try everything to get rid of algae and you want some? well, from my limited understanding algae feeds off of phosphate, so if your phosphate goes up you'll have an algae bloom..

My phosphate is high at .34
And yes I know most try to get rid of it but I dont mind the look of algae and it provides constant food

 

[CuzzA]

Tangs are hit or miss with hair algae, usually miss. Nori is so cheap, why not feed them what they love and supplement with the macro?

 

[hobbzz]

Tangs are hit or miss with hair algae, usually miss. Nori is so cheap, why not feed them what they love and supplement with the macro?

Cuzza hit the nail on the head.

 

[Reef Frog]

You may have the best problem you can have in fish or reef keeping! But if you really want pest algaes, yes, a rock covered in the stuff should spread to other rocks and grow "well" with your nutrient parameters. Assuming your light is powerful enough, which isn't hard to do. Position a piece next to bare LR & out one in the sump & you should be able to achieve your goal.

 

[hotelbravo]

I hate feeding the algae sheets cause it seems like my tang is playing with it instead of eating it. He tears off chunks and lets them float away sometimes he eats it sometimes he Just tears it and lets it get sucked into the overflow.
Ive tried the yellow, green, and red sheets the same thing happens. Ive added macro to the tank and he demolished it before it could spread. Same thing with a small rock that had hair algae on it. I know he will eat hair algae since he did so on the small rock I added a few months back but I figured if I get a big enough rock and add it to the tank it would have a chance to spread before it gets eaten like the smaller rock was.

 

[hobbzz]

You can rubberband them to a rock. Wrap the rubber band around a few times so it keeps the sheet tighter to the rock and doesn't allow large chunks to be removed.

 

[hotelbravo]

Ive been cutting the sheets in such a way that he only removes tiny sections at a time but it doesnt help he just pulls until there is nothing left on the clip than swims away and lets the algae just float around him slowly drifting to the overflow

 

[hotelbravo]

Any nutrients I can add to the system to encourage growth?

 

[CuzzA]

Start dosing phytoplankton heavily.

 

[hotelbravo]

I just finished off a large bottle of phytoplankton and saw no noticeable results

 

[Peter Eichler]

More light? What are you currently using?

 

[hotelbravo]

Current orbit led marine lighting. The lighting has been sufficient enough for my RBTA over the last year. I also run a pair of T5s on my refugium growing macro (caulerpa brachypus)

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Open the windows and let the sunshine in

 

[hotelbravo]

Haha surprisingly I do that also.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Well then either start renting your fish out or show others how not to grow it

 

[Hodge1995]

overfeed?

 

[Rob6311]

Most tangs won't eat hair algae, you should just get the tang feeder sheets

 

[hotelbravo]

Most tangs won't eat hair algae, you should just get the tang feeder sheets

as i stated above in a few different posts. i already have "tang feeder sheets" and they are not working.
and again like i stated in my previous post i added a small rock with hair algae on it and the tang ate all of the hair algae before it could spready.

please read the entire post before commenting.