Green Hair Algae: Advice Requested

[SquidwardTentacles]

Five months or so in on the 28g Nano, I am having some hair algae growth. No skimmer, very frequent water changes, no PO4 (Salifert), lots of LED light (stock 89w plus 59w Ecoxotic in the blue spectrum), MP10 for flow, Chaeto in the mechanical that is growing very well (separate 4w LED for the Chaeto.

Twelve hours on with the blue spectrum and ten in the middle with the 75w of white. Thinking maybe too much light? All corals (TT, Zoos, Hammers, Plates, Dunkin, 'shrooms, Fuzzy 'shrooms) are doing great. Red gono is not doing so well. I just dropped it down to the bottom to see if that makes it happier.

Riddle is: The hair only grows on the MP10 and where the max flow turns back onto the rock on the other side which is about 21 to 24" away. So my observation is it's only growing in the areas where I have the highest flow rate. Make any sense?

I used rock from a previous build that had no algae. The start was where/when I added a new piece of rock with mushrooms from an LFS.

Any suggestions or thoughts from experience? The flow thing is what has me thinking the most...

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

got any snails?

 

[SquidwardTentacles]

Yeah, I forgot that part. One Turbo mistake and five or six Astreas. The Astreas hang out on the MP10 but stay away from the rock with the hair. I just did a thorough cleaning of the MP10. Maybe that will drive them to the rock...

 

[Randy15]

Any blennys since you don't have room for a tang?

 

[block head]

Phos from the rock,sand, food. My 28 is great at collecting crud in the back chambers. Its there. Tearing mine down and resetting in the fall.

 

[Bigsteve]

Id take out the rock haha

 

[Landolakes]

I'm not having any problems with the rest of your rock. No algae at all, maybe it likes all the light and the flow could be pushing all the gunk back there. Funny thing is I have the same nano and have algae on the power head and the back wall where all the flow goes. I'm guessing it's the leds even though I don't have any extra.

 

[cardiffgiant]

I'd consider reducing the days to 6-8 hours. What's your feeding schedule? What type of food and how much at once?

 

[SquidwardTentacles]

I'm not having any problems with the rest of your rock. No algae at all, maybe it likes all the light and the flow could be pushing all the gunk back there. Funny thing is I have the same nano and have algae on the power head and the back wall where all the flow goes. I'm guessing it's the leds even though I don't have any extra.

Lando, good to hear from you! Thanks for the update on the rock. How's the 125 build coming? No issues with anything I hope?

 

[SquidwardTentacles]

Good points all. I think Lando nailed it. The flow wraps around and the way the rock is set up creates a semi-blocked crevice where I added added a 6" x 1" rock with mushrooms on it. I tried to move it. It's now attached by Zoos and Green Polyps. Rather than tear them apart, I'll try reducing the "day" period a couple hours to see if that helps. If it doesn't, I'll tear it away and allow better flow.

Regarding feeding; twice a day and very small amounts.

Also will get another PO4 test to double-check.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

suggestion

suggestion

Get in there with a hand held powerhead and blast the crap outta where it's hiding in the crevices. Remove the crud filled 'snowstorm water' if possible.