green algae

[CtotheD]

i have a 12 gallon nanocube dx and its been up for about 4 months and i have a pretty bad but not extreme green algae problem. i have a true perc and a yellow clown goby. and 3 blue legged hermits and one scarlet hermit and about six astrea snails and three nassarious snails. the atreas do a good job on the diatoms but not really on the green algae which is progressivley getting more and more of a problem every day. i do 2 gallon water changes weekly and i use catalina natural seawater which is phosphate and nitrate free. i feed everyother day. and i have a fuge in the back chambers with live rock and some type of macroalgae that is unidentified at the moment. i was just wondering if there was any other reason to have this algae? are there any methods of getting rid of it? also here is a pic of my macroalgae. if anyone knows what type it is could you please tell me?

 

[bertoni]

I can't identify the alga in the picture. What kind of algae are there in your display tank? Is it a hair algae, a film?

You might want to get a faster-growing alga for the refugium. That might reduce the nutrients available to the problem alga or algae.

 

[geoff72]

Have you tested the water for phosphates? There are other ways of it getting into your system besides your water. Frozen food has it in it.

 

[CtotheD]

yeah i feed frozen foods but my fish usually eat it right off of my fingers. and i only feed every other day so i don't think its the food although im not certain and it could be. that algae in the pic is in the fuge i just hung it over so i could get a good pic of it. i will try to get some better stuff i can't find any chaeto or calerpa in my area.

 

[SumoBlenny]

Is the algea semi rigid (maintains it shape outside of water)? If it is not rigid it is probably a type of cyano (like maidens hair algea). It looks like a green turf species which is relatively beneficial because it is slow growing, easily removed and a good habitat for pods. Sea hairs and lettuce nudibranchs are known to eat green turf algea as are red fingered hermit crabs.