Pale SPS, but Green Hair Algae

[Zstriker]

Little lost here - my sps are fading (looking pale), but I am noticing some green hair algae popping up in a few spots. Anyone experience this combo? Any tips would be much appreciated. All I have done is raise the lights so far. I am tempted to feed more, but just don't want to make the algae problem worse.

I have checked for red bugs, AEFW, alk swings, temp, salinity, etc, and everything seems fine in that regard...I hardly feed (maybe a pinch a day of spectrum pellets) to three fish. Tank is a 65 gallon, lit by 250 radiums, currently running 1/2 cup GFO, changed weekly.

Open to any advice!

 

[Ostentum]

What do your parameters look like. With the small bioload and light feeding it could just be a lack of nutrition to the corals. Need more info to be able to tell

 

[Allmost]

Where is the algae growing ? Rocks ? Or sand ?

If it's on the rocks or sand, then that's a sign of bonded nutrients to the rocks or sand. In case of sand, if not deep sand bed then you should siphon it with water changes. If on rocks, then manual removal and water changes are the way to go. Have to dilute it.

What happens is that po4 in water is low, so pale sps, but rocks are leaching out po4, which the algae is taking up fast, you need to break this cycle by removing algae, and keeping water clean,until so by simple osmosis the po4 bonded to rocks (sink) is emptied. Meanwhile to not stress sps too much, you should do smaller water changes more frequently. In my case, feeding particle foods does help them not get too weak as well. Amino acids would just feed the algae, so I'd stay away from those.

JMHO,

 

[Allmost]

Dp.

 

[Zstriker]

Thanks! So perhaps, I will up my GFO from 1/2 cup to 1 cup, in hopes of sucking out the phosphate from the rock, but will also feed reef roids a few times a week, to keep plenty of coral nutrition in the water column. This seem like a good plan?

I do water changes, 10%, once a week, with my schedule, not sure I can up that right now.

 

[Alex T.]

Spot feeding your corals may be a better option than broadcast feeding in this case. That way you aren't blindly filling up the water column with more nutrients.

You may also want to look at something that may be a little more obvious...your lights. If it's been a while since you've changed bulbs then that might be the culprit. I know that around the 10 month mark my rocks start to grow small patches of gha and SPS fade a little. A bulb change with reduced photoperiod to acclimate them for a week or so usually brings back the color and growth, while the gha miraculously disappears with no additional gfo or water change adjustments.

 

[Allmost]

Thanks! So perhaps, I will up my GFO from 1/2 cup to 1 cup, in hopes of sucking out the phosphate from the rock, but will also feed reef roids a few times a week, to keep plenty of coral nutrition in the water column. This seem like a good plan?

I do water changes, 10%, once a week, with my schedule, not sure I can up that right now.

no no ! I wouldnt double up on po4 remover, that will just stress corals out, and I bet they will start to loose tissue from base up.

sadly only way I know of takes time and alot of patience ...

also, use a turkey baster, or a maxijet power head, to make sure hair algae doesnt collect detritus and remove as much as possible of it with water changes.

 

[creefer01]

I have a similar issue and tend to agree with allmost. I've started, just today, to do 3 water changes weekly and continue manual removal and sand bed vacuuming. I started the tank with BRS dry tonga and suspect that my issue is attributed to PO4 leaching from the rock.

 

[Allmost]

yea dry rocks will do that alot.

also mexican turbo snails and urchins do a great job at controlling the algae.

 

[creefer01]

I'm not a fan of urchins. Mexican turbos and astreas have always done the trick for me.

I knew setting this tank up I would have this happen, but I could not find any live tonga anywhere that worked, so.....I started dry.....and......am paying for it.

 

[kyle1284]

where is the algae growing ? Rocks ? Or sand ?

If it's on the rocks or sand, then that's a sign of bonded nutrients to the rocks or sand. In case of sand, if not deep sand bed then you should siphon it with water changes. If on rocks, then manual removal and water changes are the way to go. Have to dilute it.

What happens is that po4 in water is low, so pale sps, but rocks are leaching out po4, which the algae is taking up fast, you need to break this cycle by removing algae, and keeping water clean,until so by simple osmosis the po4 bonded to rocks (sink) is emptied. Meanwhile to not stress sps too much, you should do smaller water changes more frequently. In my case, feeding particle foods does help them not get too weak as well. Amino acids would just feed the algae, so i'd stay away from those.

Jmho,

+1!

 

[Zstriker]

ok, I'll maintain the 1/2 cup GFO, up feeding some reef roids, and go the manual removal rate during water changes.

Sadly, I think you're right about it will just take time....tank has hit about 8 month mark...so probably just another stage...

 

[bobkill]

+1!

+2

Just scape that jazz out that algea