Battling Green Hair Algae. PLEASE HELP!

[FLSharkvictim]

I have a question I have a 120 gallon mostly a fish & rock only tank except for Toadstool Leather and two Cocco worms, 1 small gorgonian and two small sponges.. Anyhow I am battling a Green hair algae out break in my 9 year established tank! I have around 70-80 lbs of live rock and about 40 lbs of live sand with a 30 gallon sump/fuge. I am thinking the total water volume is right around 100 to 110 gallons give or take ! I currently have started doing 20% water changes every week which is 20 gallons and I have a BRS Dual Reactor. So my question to you is how much BRS GFO Granular Ferric Oxide should I use in one side of the Dual BRS reactor and how much BRS Premium ROX 0.8 Aquarium Carbon should be using on the other side? One of my buddies that have been in the hobby for a very long time recommend changing out the GFO at a min of ones a week until I can get this under control. Also, I have picked out as much as I could and left some to show you what i am battling on my rocks.. It still keeps on growing on my flow boxs that I pick off ones a week but no matter what I do I can't for the life of me get this GHA under control. One last thing MY RODI incoming water TDS is at 0 and my bulbs I change every 10 months to 15 months but I have been recently changed on my AquaticLife T5 HO fixtures so I don't know what else to do. I even added a 6 Emerald Crabs, 20 turbo snails, 20 Blue Legs and 10 red legs hermit crabs. I even added a Aqua UV sterilizer (25watts) which helps a little. Also, I have attached two pixs to show you the algae I am trying to remove. The last picture is before this GHA started to grow. Your thoughts and recommendation would be HIGHLY appreciated.

 

[oldpaddy]

Did you recently switch to led or turn up the led intensity? How's the substrate looking? How old is the substrate?

 

[thegrun]

I would use 1-3/4 cups of GFO and 3/4 cups of the ROX carbon. I agree with your friend initially change out the GFO weekly, after the algae is under control you should be able to stretch it out to once a month. It would help to get a clear close up picture of the algae for positive ID, but from your photos I don't see the tell tale branches typical of Bryopsis Algae so I suspect it is common hair algae.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

oldpaddy - No My AquaticLife Fixture is T5 lighting not LED's so they can't be turned up if you know what i MEAN. In regards to my live sand it's 9 years old - I have never changed it out since there is no need. Also, there is no brown algae growing on it what so ever.. Also, Just checked my TDS coming out of my RODI INTO MY TANK and it was 0.02.. so i am changing filters now

 

[oldpaddy]

oldpaddy - No My AquaticLife Fixture is T5 lighting not LED's so they can't be turned up if you know what i MEAN.

So the tanks been up for nine years and you've only had hair algae issues starting recently? Any changes or additions within a month of the algae showing up? Using different brand foods, salt, etc

 

[mcgyvr]

nitrate/phosphate results?

 

[oldpaddy]

nitrate/phosphate results?

Those readings will be misleading if there's enough algae growing.
I have hair algae issues and my no3 and p04 always read zero.

 

[FLSharkvictim]

Oldpaddy, yes that is correct it's been up and running for 9 years and now all of a suddenly I had a out break. I been using the same salt for years which is the Instant Ocean Reef. I dont mix my own saltwater I buy it from my LFS and that's the kind they have always used and they have not changed since I am very good friends with the owner. The only thing I have done with there food was i have added Formula two flakes since that's all my Powder Blue Tang will eat. He will not touch or even look at what I have always feed my fishes which has always been frozen PE Mysis. I have a Yellow Tang, Powder Blue Tang, Blue Caribbean Tang, Clown Fish, Dottyback, Kaudern, Pajama Cardinalfish which all have no problem eating the frozen mysis. I only feed a tiny pinch of the Formula two flakes in my Two Little fishes feeding ring. As far as the frozen mysis I feed a half of cube like i always have done in the past... Do you think it could be the flakes not getting all eaten up by chance? I might of just found part of the problem my RODI water TDS going into my tank just tested at 0.07 which we all know should be at ZERO.... Last week it was ZERO but it's 0.07..

I going to test right now my phosphates with my hanna checker and my Elos Aqua Test Kit for my Nitrate....Will advise after I test everything. Cal, Alk, Phos, PH, Nitrate AND Nitrates, Mag etc etc... and then i will post those numbers a little later today and maybe that will give you more info on what is going in my tank.. Thanks for everyones help...

Here my numbers from last week: Phos testing high...
Alk: 8 dkh
Cal: 450
Phos: 08
Salinity: 1.022
Temp 78.9
Mag: 1300
Ph: 8.0

 

[outssider]

If the tangs and the clean up crew are not eating it, the odds are very good that it's Bryopsis. bryopsis can thrive at very low nutrient levels and few animals have a taste for it...good luck...

I have been battling it for close to a year. The only thing that seems to help is to run nutrients super low by carbon dosing. Super low nutrients is hard on some corals.

 

[Buzz1329]

"I dont mix my own saltwater I buy it from my LFS and that's the kind they have always used and they have not changed . . "

No offense, but I would not trust anyone to prepare SW for water changes or water for top off water. My advice would be to get an RO/DI filter to ensure that any water entering your tank registers at 0 TDS. Mix your own SW -- not sure what "IO reef" means, but regular old IO is all you need, IMO.

Good luck,

Mike

 

[FLSharkvictim]

"I dont mix my own saltwater I buy it from my LFS and that's the kind they have always used and they have not changed . . "

No offense, but I would not trust anyone to prepare SW for water changes or water for top off water. My advice would be to get an RO/DI filter to ensure that any water entering your tank registers at 0 TDS. Mix your own SW -- not sure what "IO reef" means, but regular old IO is all you need, IMO.

Good luck,

Mike

Mike, I do have a RODI, and my current reading on my TDS after I changed my DI it's reading ZERO... But you're correct I need to start mixing my own saltwater - totally agree with you there mate. As far as my GHA my Emerald carbs are eating it and my turbo snails are eating it. As you may know they can only each so much per day!! I have a plan in place, i am doing 20% water changes every week, Change out my BRS GFO weekly and change my Premium ROX 0.8 Carbon every 3 weeks to a month.. and start making my own saltwater.