How do you get rid of green algae?

[gottahaveaDori]

Hey,
We have some green algae starting to grow on some of our rocks--may be hair algae--but it isn't long yet, if it is. Wondered if anyone is an expert at getting rid of it. Bob wants to get a sea slug--anyone else got any other ideas?
Thanks!

 

[Kalied20]

I got some large snails from FINS locally. They do a great job.

 

[c_stowers]

Have you checked your nutrient levels (phosphates and nitrates)? If they are high, you may be fighting a losing battle until you get them under control.

 

[gottahaveaDori]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9413137#post9413137 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kalied20
I got some large snails from FINS locally. They do a great job.

We have snails, too--they aren't eating it.

 

[gottahaveaDori]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9413448#post9413448 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by c_stowers
Have you checked your nutrient levels (phosphates and nitrates)? If they are high, you may be fighting a losing battle until you get them under control.

Zero phosphate and nitrates. Can we do anything else?

 

[loyalty]

are your bulbs old?

 

[gottahaveaDori]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9413867#post9413867 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by loyalty
are your bulbs old?

We have 4 bulbs--three of them are less than 2 months old (blue VHO's), and the white super actinic is over a year old.

 

[loyalty]

that white actinic may be the culprit, i've always read that bulbs start causing algae growth around the 1 yr mark

 

[gflat65]

(Hurts the soul to help a Tiger/War Eagle-go Rebs)) Is there any place that detritus could be building up (in a sump, in the rock-I blast mine with a turkey baster at least once a week, overflows, etc.)? Are you running any filter floss? You'd likely pick up nitrates if you were running floss, though. What test kits are you using? And finally, what is your calcium/Alk balance? It is noted in a number of places that you can keep many different algaes down with a slightly higher Alk/dH. When my Ca/Alk balance was swinging alot, I had a lot of Bryopsis (worse than hiar algae in my opinion). Now that I've got it balanced and happy, it is much more at bay. It still grows, but not nearly as bad.

 

[pitbullpooch]

how long has the tank been running? i notice in your sig. says new 125 so i was thinking it might just be the normal new tank algae which you cant do to much about. since you said your levels are good id say just be sure you have a good clean up crew to take care of it untill it matures and works itself out. mexican turbo snails are great cleaners if you can get ahold of some id try them out. also like someone else mentioned the older bulb wont help any but with any of my mature tanks ive had power compacts run in my nanos for 16 or more months at times when i was to lazy and to cheap to replace them and never had any issues but im not saying it cant happen.

edit: if it is hair algae then i always used emerald crabs but that was in my nanos so im not sure if they would work in a larger tank unless you bought a ton.

 

[gottahaveaDori]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9413959#post9413959 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by loyalty
that white actinic may be the culprit, i've always read that bulbs start causing algae growth around the 1 yr mark

Really? I had never heard that. I will tell Bob. Thanks! Do you have any suggestions on how to get rid of it now that it has started? I took a toothbrush to some of it tonight--some had gotten into my cabbage corals.

 

[gottahaveaDori]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9414090#post9414090 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gflat65
(Hurts the soul to help a Tiger/War Eagle-go Rebs)) Is there any place that detritus could be building up (in a sump, in the rock-I blast mine with a turkey baster at least once a week, overflows, etc.)? Are you running any filter floss? You'd likely pick up nitrates if you were running floss, though. What test kits are you using? And finally, what is your calcium/Alk balance? It is noted in a number of places that you can keep many different algaes down with a slightly higher Alk/dH. When my Ca/Alk balance was swinging alot, I had a lot of Bryopsis (worse than hiar algae in my opinion). Now that I've got it balanced and happy, it is much more at bay. It still grows, but not nearly as bad.

Oh, not an Auburn fan, huh? Ha ha! I'm just Bob's wife--not the sports fan--couldn't care less. Ha ha!
Yes, sireee--we DO have a detritus problem! We have blasted with the turkey baster ad nauseum, but it all just resettles back onto the rocks. We just put a new Seio pump on the side of the tank to blow current around the front of it, but Bob has ordered a couple more powerful pumps to increase our flow and hopefully blow the "gunk" into the overflows to the sump. I don't think we are running filter floss--Bob would know that. I am technically-challenged. I do know we use Phos Guard to control our phosphates. I don't know the calcium/alk balance. What is Bryopsis?
Also, there is some gunk in the overflow "holes," but trying to keep it completely free of debris has proven futile. Again, hoping that these extra pumps will help with that some with more intense flow. We have several powerheads in the tank, but they are all behind the rocks. Looks great aesthetically, but doesn't do the job of moving the stuff around, unfortunately.

 

[gottahaveaDori]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9414656#post9414656 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pitbullpooch
how long has the tank been running? i notice in your sig. says new 125 so i was thinking it might just be the normal new tank algae which you cant do to much about. since you said your levels are good id say just be sure you have a good clean up crew to take care of it untill it matures and works itself out. mexican turbo snails are great cleaners if you can get ahold of some id try them out. also like someone else mentioned the older bulb wont help any but with any of my mature tanks ive had power compacts run in my nanos for 16 or more months at times when i was to lazy and to cheap to replace them and never had any issues but im not saying it cant happen.

edit: if it is hair algae then i always used emerald crabs but that was in my nanos so im not sure if they would work in a larger tank unless you bought a ton.

Hey, Mike
Thanks for your input. We have only had the new tank up since November. We have snails and hermits--but some of the snails have died--so, that may be why algae is starting to grow, huh? We had turbo snails, but I don't know if they were "Mexican" or not. How can I find out? Should I call the INS? Just kidding.
Glad y'all let me know about the older actinics--had no idea about that.
I sure can understand that "too cheap to replace" bit...I don't think Bob will want to run out tomorrow and buy one of those. Unfortunately, there ain't nothing cheap about this hobby!!!!!
I have some hermits, but I am not sure if they are emerald.
Would you suggest one of those sea slug things?

 

[gflat65]

Bob saw the Ole Miss/Auburn kitty game on when he was at the house this past weekend, so I figured I had to take a shot since we beat them.

I try to migrate the detritus to the sump and vacuum out of the sump at water changes. Alot of people use a filter sock to catch the blown detritus (then remove it and clean it-typically only running it when you want to pull detritus to reduce the likelihood of a nitrate factory). FWIW, I replace all VHO bulbs at 6 months. They may have more life than that, but I always figure better safe than sorry (same with PC's-SE MH at 9 months and DE MH at 12 months). I had someone argue with me once online that you shouldn't have to replace PC bulbs until they burn out. He didn't really have an argument, though. Bulbs color shift and lose intensity over time-some quicker than others... Old bulb can cause algae IME.

 

[gottahaveaDori]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9423565#post9423565 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gflat65
Bob saw the Ole Miss/Auburn kitty game on when he was at the house this past weekend, so I figured I had to take a shot since we beat them.

I try to migrate the detritus to the sump and vacuum out of the sump at water changes. Alot of people use a filter sock to catch the blown detritus (then remove it and clean it-typically only running it when you want to pull detritus to reduce the likelihood of a nitrate factory). FWIW, I replace all VHO bulbs at 6 months. They may have more life than that, but I always figure better safe than sorry (same with PC's-SE MH at 9 months and DE MH at 12 months). I had someone argue with me once online that you shouldn't have to replace PC bulbs until they burn out. He didn't really have an argument, though. Bulbs color shift and lose intensity over time-some quicker than others... Old bulb can cause algae IME.

Yeah, Bob is SERIOUS about Auburn in a big way! We use those filter socks--I know, because I wash them! I don't know if Bob is vacuuming the sump, but I will tell him that. We have 3 of those socks, and one of them is in there at all times. I just keep them clean so there is always a change available. We always have 0 nitrates, but we have had a problem with Phosphate until we started using that Phos Guard some time ago. I suspect we are probably overfeeding. We have a large powder blue tang and a medium-sized Hippo tang--and they like to eat. We keep seaweed in there for them--pretty much all the time--and then of course mysis or brine, and cyclopeez ever day. But they always seem ravenous when we feed--a frenzy! We have a lot of fish in there--and corals, too. Our velvet wrasse and our large, female marroon clown--and our diamondback gobies are also big eaters, too. But I have always read that tangs need to be fed at least 3 x a day. And you don't want to stress out a tang!!! We all know what happens if you do!:eek2:
Anyway, thanks so much for the advice! And, would you get one of those sea slug things?

 

[pitbullpooch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9423466#post9423466 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gottahaveaDori
Hey, Mike
Thanks for your input. We have only had the new tank up since November. We have snails and hermits--but some of the snails have died--so, that may be why algae is starting to grow, huh? We had turbo snails, but I don't know if they were "Mexican" or not. How can I find out? Should I call the INS? Just kidding.
Glad y'all let me know about the older actinics--had no idea about that.
I sure can understand that "too cheap to replace" bit...I don't think Bob will want to run out tomorrow and buy one of those. Unfortunately, there ain't nothing cheap about this hobby!!!!!
I have some hermits, but I am not sure if they are emerald.
Would you suggest one of those sea slug things?

well your tank isnt as new as i thought it might be but alot of times people still have trouble with algae for up to 6 months just from mini cycles. It could just be a typical algae outbreak from maybe overfeading,something dieing or just something simple like the lights as mentioned by others but it all depends on if it gets worse or starts to work its self out. most of my algae outbreaks work them selfs out aslong as i got a clean up crew. Im use to nanos which are really easy to overfead and have outbreaks but they always worked themselfs out with the help of my cleanup crew. heres a link to where they have a pic of a mexican turbo. its the 4th pic down http://floridapets.tripod.com/snails.htm and heres an emerald crab http://floridapets.tripod.com/crabs.htm . its the 5th pic down but i wouldnt worry about getting one of the emeralds untill you know if it really is hair algae and there may be something better for a larger tank anyways as far as hair algae goes. im just use to nano's and thats what ive always used.as far as the sea slug goes im not sure what they clean since i ve never had one before but you can probably get the mexican turbo from anywhere local as far as that goes. its the best thing ive ever added to my cleanup crew but if it is hair algae i dont thing they can eat it but i could be wrong.

If it was me id change the bulb or cut down the amount of time you run your lights till you can replace it just to see if that helps and make sure you have a decent cleanup crew also maybe cut back on feading as much as your use to just to see if that helps till it gets better.

can you get a pic of the algae by any chance? or maybe someone local can come check it out if possible cause it is hard to really figure it out unless we could actually see what it is. good luck with it.

 

[pitbullpooch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9423466#post9423466 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gottahaveaDori
We had turbo snails, but I don't know if they were "Mexican" or not. How can I find out? Should I call the INS? Just kidding.

my wife had some jokes about the snail to when i told her it was a mexican turbo lol.

 

[TitansFan]

I wouldn't use a toothbrush in the tank. That could very well make it worse spreading spores. The best way is to manually pull it out. Get a Tupperware container of cold tap water. Every time you yank some out dip your fingers in the tap water to kill spores. Do you have a fuge? The yank and pull method plus adding some cheato has seemed to help me out.

I would like to see a pic of the algae myself as well. I am now battling the hardest fight I have ever had... dynos. They appeared after the earlier said cheato was added. I think they hitchhiked in. I wouldn't wish dynos on to my worse enemy.

 

[gottahaveaDori]

good point about the brush.
No refugium. No cheato.
Every time we have taken a pic and tried to post, it says the file is too big. Any suggestions?
I'm not sure how good the pic would come out because it is not long algae. It is very dark green---looks slimy on the rocks--on the cabbage coral, it has a sort of mossy look to it. What are dynos?

 

[pitbullpooch]

that isnt hair algae then. I use to know where there was a good web site that had some algae identifications on it so ill go see if i can find it. I just had something similar to what your describing but it happened at the end of my cycle and went away all at once but im not up on the names of different types of algaes so ill look for that site.

when you save the pic to your pc you can go into paint which you will have if you got windows. just right click the pic and click open with paint, once you got that open go to the top of the page and click on image, then click stretch/skew and in there you can set the width and height to what ever percent you want to shrink it down to. if its huge then id try to out it at 50% and see if that shrinks it enough. there might be an easier way to do it but thats what i always do.


edit: well heres a qoete from a site that im not sure i can link. it does say it is mostly in newer reefs which explains why i always have it when my tanks first cycle. i just never know what all these algaes are called. anyways here what it says

"Nuisance slime algae is a problem in saltwater aquariums, particularly with new tanks where conditions will vary more than in a mature system. Usually the brown style is the first algae to appear, followed by a green slime. These are a Cyanobacter species of bacteria, not true algae, so lighting is of little importance. Sudden appearances in a well-established aquarium could be related to a decrease in metabolism in the competing organism caused by a decrease in intensity of older lights. Once again, replace the bulbs."