Help with recurring algae

[nath514]

I have had my reef tank up for more than a year now and have frequent bouts with a hair like algae. I have not been able to pin down the cause or a reliable way to combat it. Attached are some photos of the algae. If you could please help me identify it that would be great!

Tank Stats:
28g AIO
Tunze DC 9004 Skimmer
AI Prime
Fuge chamber with chaeto
1 clown + 1 small blenny
Mostly soft corals
Water change 10-20% weekly
Dosing 2 seachem 2 part 4ml per day

Phosphates measure very low, I feed sparingly and use filter floss to remove fine particulate.

covers most of rock
https://imgur.com/56wJFoM

https://imgur.com/GDcwyBc

grows across the sand bed as well
https://imgur.com/vNVrs0u

See back wall behind duncan
https://imgur.com/sDRXcHn

 

[RioReefr]

My tank is similar albeit a little bigger AIO. I also have a AI Prime and experimented with a chaeto in one chamber.

This is my experiencing combating GHA:

1.) I contributed to new dry rock added to the tank which leeched phosphates. IMO, the big piece of dry-rock I put into the tank didn't become "live" for at least a year. It went through all kinds of algae issues to now where I see good stuff growing on it.
2.) The tank was in my living room and received a lot of natural sunlight.

Things I did:

1.) I took everything out of the back-chambers and vacuumed thoroughly all the sediments at the bottom of those. I think that was the heart of my problem as I was surprised how much crap was down in those.

2.) Closed all the blinds to the living room and reduced the "whites" of the AI Prime down to 20% and using mostly Blues, Violet and Dark Blues.

3.) Dosed NoPox at 1-2 mL per day. After about 3 days, the GHA started turning white and started falling offf. I dropped the NoPox down to just 1mL per day and after 1 week there was no more GHA.

4.) I ditched the filter-floss as I felt it just sucked up a lot of waste. I since used a filter sock and replace it out everyday with a newly washed one.

5.) I used a combination of GAC and Purigen. The GAC I use a very small amount (~50g) and change it out weekly. I am not sold on the Purigen, but it was cheap so I still use it.

6.) I got rid of the Chaeto-chamber. Chaeto needs a lot of surface area and tumbling to successfully grow or it will die, turn white and fall to the bottom. It just becomes too much of a "bad" thing as the rotting chaeto pollutes the tank. Putting it an AIO chamber was a good idea in theory -- but for me personally, it just did not work the way I had thought because the Chaeto could not spread out.

7.) I got like 10 trochus snails. They love to munch on algae.

Following this regimen, I don't get anymore GHA. I get some faint glass algae, but that is about it. It has been a really long time I cleaned the backwall and nothing grows on it (except baby trochus snails).

 

[mcgyvr]

Nitrate level?
Phosphate level?

 

[nath514]

My tank is similar albeit a little bigger AIO. I also have a AI Prime and experimented with a chaeto in one chamber.

This is my experiencing combating GHA:

1.) I contributed to new dry rock added to the tank which leeched phosphates. IMO, the big piece of dry-rock I put into the tank didn't become "live" for at least a year. It went through all kinds of algae issues to now where I see good stuff growing on it.
2.) The tank was in my living room and received a lot of natural sunlight.

Things I did:

1.) I took everything out of the back-chambers and vacuumed thoroughly all the sediments at the bottom of those. I think that was the heart of my problem as I was surprised how much crap was down in those.

2.) Closed all the blinds to the living room and reduced the "whites" of the AI Prime down to 20% and using mostly Blues, Violet and Dark Blues.

3.) Dosed NoPox at 1-2 mL per day. After about 3 days, the GHA started turning white and started falling offf. I dropped the NoPox down to just 1mL per day and after 1 week there was no more GHA.

4.) I ditched the filter-floss as I felt it just sucked up a lot of waste. I since used a filter sock and replace it out everyday with a newly washed one.

5.) I used a combination of GAC and Purigen. The GAC I use a very small amount (~50g) and change it out weekly. I am not sold on the Purigen, but it was cheap so I still use it.

6.) I got rid of the Chaeto-chamber. Chaeto needs a lot of surface area and tumbling to successfully grow or it will die, turn white and fall to the bottom. It just becomes too much of a "bad" thing as the rotting chaeto pollutes the tank. Putting it an AIO chamber was a good idea in theory -- but for me personally, it just did not work the way I had thought because the Chaeto could not spread out.

7.) I got like 10 trochus snails. They love to munch on algae.

Following this regimen, I don't get anymore GHA. I get some faint glass algae, but that is about it. It has been a really long time I cleaned the backwall and nothing grows on it (except baby trochus snails).

I should have mentioned a few more details. I have had the tank setup for more than 3 years total but moved about a year ago. I rock was kept in buckets of salt water and the tank was set back up within 3 hours. So overall the tank and its rock has been up for quite a while. My chaeto seems to do really well, I have to take a handful out every week or so. I have a light on the back on the tank that runs for most of the night growing the chaeto. I have been using chemipure blue for the last 2 months. The filter floss gets changed out daily or at most every 2 days. I will have to look at no-pox haven't used that before. Thanks for the detailed response!

 

[nath514]

Nitrate level?
Phosphate level?

Both were close to 0 when last measured. I will get some updated measurements tonight.