Cleaning Algae of LR

[Modemagic]

Whats the best and easiest way to clean algae off LR? Of course the best way is to prevent it to start with... but its already there so on to the bext step.

My thought is to use old saltwater from a water change, put the rock in the bucket and scrub it using an old toothbrush of sorts. Will this also remove beneficial stuff from the rock?

 

[Kierkier]

I think you stated it right away by guessing that prevention is the best method.

Regardless, when you get a patch of determined algae it's tough to watch it growing in your tank. I recommend using a turkey baster to blast what you can from the rock to prevent damaging with the tooth brush. Sometimes, however, I have resorted to a tooth brush when the algae problem got out of hand.

If you use the turkey baster method in your tank, make sure to change your filter media regularly! It ought to get gunked up faster if you are stirring it up and your water flow is good enough to transfer that stuff through your filtration system. Don't forget those power-head inlets and other porous media in your tank, rinse them thoroughly as well.

Good luck.

 

[KnoxvilleIa]

agree with above

agree with above

I had an hair alge problem in my frag tank. I attribute it to the water qualityand bright light with shallow water as right now that main tank is power compacts.
all my parameters are 0 . I just did the mesh mod on my octopuss skimmer(rated for 400 gal) and I'm starting to get a handle on it.
also going to add a phosphate reactor.
untill then I tried to manualy clean the tank. as fast as I cleaned it it just grew back.

My other tank took 2 months to clear up after a new start up.
when i turned the halides on the alge just exploded.
I skimmed and changed water. added a clean-up crew.
it finally cleand up, scrubbing prior to that i think would of been a waste of time. It was the envirment growing the alge, removal just made more room for it to grow.

I pretty much have alge free tanks. cure the source not the end result. time may be the only cure.
just my opinion

 

[highland135]

I had an algae out break after adding adding some additional rock to my 40 breeder. I did water changes and added 4 Mexican turbos. I gotta say the turbors went through the tank like somebody with a hoover vac and got rid of most of the algae. They were amazing.

 

[calebjk]

i picked up a nano from someone about a month and a half ago and it was just covered with hair alge. i took a .75" diameter tube and started sucking water out for a water change, then i used the tube to suck the alge off of the rock, it worked surprisingly well. after a second shot to get the stuff i missed the fist time, i have had no return of any noticeable hair alge in the last month