Hair Alge/Cyno

[Jorgens]

Ok. I've been working on getting rid of my cyno for over a month with WC and picking/vaccuming off substrate. Within the last week it's almost taken over my system. I ordered another 24 hermits of various types (scarlets/red legged) a coupld more sea stars to help with detitus, and 2 dozen nassarius snails.

Currently we have....
since 9-06

180g Display 150#'s LR
2-3"DSB

3x250w 10k MH 8hrs
4x96w PC Actinics 13hrs
moons constant

55g sump/refigium
cheato/caluprea
6" DSB

ASM g3
Quiet one14000 return pump
2x powerheads 1@500gph 1@200gph
50+ blue leg hermits
Hundreds of ceriths
1 yellow tang
1 scopas tang
1 scooter blenny
1 Mandarian
! Blue Trigger
1 Diamond Goby
2 clowns /1 big Nem
15-20 small frags of assorted corals

Whats the best way to battle this as I'm loosing with my current stratigy!!!

All input Greatly appreciated!!!

AS of this am

trAtes 0-5ppm
alk 10 calcium 400
PO undetectable
0 ammonia/trItes
Drip Kalk/trace elements on auto-topoff

 

[markzfishn1]

Usually direct flow will help get rid of it. The PO4 probably won't show up since it's being used up. How old are your light bulbs? If they're over a year, they can change spectrum and cause alge break outs.

 

[Jorgens]

blubs are a month old...turn over is about 20x per hour. The hair alge is taking over in aeras of high flow...cyno is staying at med-lower...

 

[zoomfish1]

I agree. Flow is the answer. You only have 700gph flow in a 180g system. You need somewhere around 3500gph. Either a closed loop or more powerheads aimed at the cyno will surely help.

If worse comes to worse, you could try chemi-clean. A couple doses would probably get rid of it. Your tank is at the age that a cyano outbreak was due. By adding more flow and attacking it at the source; overfeeding maybe, bad water (old filters), reduce lighting cycle, reduce nitrates and phosphates, you will begin to get the problem in hand.

With a tank that large, it stands to reason that the outbreak will be large. Would have been nice if the cyano would have stayed in the fuge.

 

[Jorgens]

I have about 3700ish gph total. the return pump is rated at 3600 - a ft of head. im assuming 2900-3000 just on return pump. the 2 powerheads i have to help are only at 700. I have 5 returns plumbed in the tank at various locations. As i "blow" on it it goeas away in that location and appears in another 2x as big.

 

[zoomfish1]

Sorry, misread about the return pump. Really, about all you can do is syphon it out, keep doing the water changes and try to get the nitrates and phosphates down. You can add a phos pad, or Rowaphos to help with the pO4.

It's something all tanks go thru in the beginning. It will pass with time.