Serious tank algae issue

[Kaywise]

Ok I have never in 30 years with this tank had this issue. Started with a sever hair algae outbreak!!! For the last six months hair algae it dies I clean tank change 20% water changes every three weeks or so… hair looks like brown diatom everywhere but grows like hair??? I removed and cleaned the rock, red slime outbreaks twice treated it this is now the third time. I have snails, crabs, cucumber, urchin, fish all eating some but snails and crabs are dying off urchin gone. Cucumber hanging in there. Water is good nothing is high please any suggestions? 90 gal tank with LED lights

 

[JohnL]

Welcome to Reef Central. Has this tank been running for 30 years? Has anything changed six months ago when it started?

 

[JohnL]

red slime outbreaks twice treated it this is now the third time

What did you treat it with. What kind of filtration are you running?

 

[reefing102]

Welcome to RC! In addition while numbers are preferred, if it’s a persistent issue have you run and ICP test to detect other things such as high metals or other nutrient concentrations?

 

[Kaywise]

Welcome to Reef Central. Has this tank been running for 30 years? Has anything changed six months ago when it started?

Nothing that I know of it’s in my office and it mental health so I’m not sure if someone may have tinkered with it or my RO water had high phos levels…. But changed multiple times and changed water sources too

 

[Kaywise]

What did you treat it with. What kind of filtration are you running?

Bioballs and pads for drip filter
Chemiclean for red slime I starved the green algae out no light and cleaned the rock. Used carbon and my protein skimmer water changes I even used a medication recommended by a pet store for algae removal but did noting actually increased red slime

 

[OldReefGuy]

whats the tests say?

 

[JohnL]

even used a medication recommended by a pet store for algae removal

Which medication?

 

[JohnL]

Water is good nothing is high

What are the actual test results?

 

[JohnL]

change 20% water changes every three weeks or so

Are you siphoning it out when you do your water changes?

 

[Kaywise]

Are you siphoning it out when you do your water changes?

Yes it looks good when I get done and then it looks like this again

 

[Kaywise]

What are the actual test results?

Will have to get back with u at my office thanks

 

[Kaywise]

Which medication?

Will tell you when I get back to office tomorrow thanks

 

[griss]

Yes it looks good when I get done and then it looks like this again

Welcome to what I’ve been dealing with for several months. Hope you get it figured out.

 

[Kaywise]

Will tell you when I get back to office tomorrow thanks

 

[Kaywise]

I also increased air flow, buffer and turned off lights for the week d checking on it this morning

 

[reefing102]

A couple things stand out to me, your alk/KH seems fairly low which likely means your calcium and magnesium may be off. If I remember correctly all 3 work to balance the other. This can usually be fixed with water changes or supplement dosing. To my knowledge though this would not affect your algae issue though.

Reef Flux has been known to help with hair algae though it seems to be more of a “quick fix” than a permanent solution. I’m curious how long you treated for? I know most are generally about 14 day treatments.

Also, another contributor may be low nitrates. While 0 used to be the number to shoot for back in the day, it is believed that nitrates are a necessary nutrient in low numbers (usually around 5-10 or so) and that can actually help with algae issues.

 

[Paul B]

For the last six months hair algae it dies I clean tank change 20% water changes every three weeks or so… hair looks like brown diatom everywhere but grows like hair???

Stop changing water. The algae will remove everything it needs from the water then stop growing and you can siphon out the dying algae. Changing the water adds new nutrients. Not organics but iron, iodine, magnesium and other things algae needs.

I recently changed 100% of my NSW for ASW to eliminate invasive, encrusting sponge and I have enough algae to start a produce stand.
I am just siphoning out the dying algae in droves and it is gradually disappearing. But it is taking more than a month.

I am actually using a diatom filter to remove it because I don't want to add new water.

Good Luck

 

[zachts]

Red cyano algae (or rather bacteria) is a huge pain, not much eats it, it's toxic, had it for a few years early in a couple tanks, best way I found to get rid of it was running a lot of phosban, and siphoning it off the rocks with while removing as little water as possible from the system. latter adding a dual stage DI filter to my RO supply to get rid of any extra nutrients I don't want to add, that made a pretty big difference on subsequent tanks. the medications that kill it also kill good stuff so I try to avoid those at all costs.

 

[Kaywise]

Will tell you when I get back to office tomorrow thanks

A couple things stand out to me, your alk/KH seems fairly low which likely means your calcium and magnesium may be off. If I remember correctly all 3 work to balance the other. This can usually be fixed with water changes or supplement dosing. To my knowledge though this would not affect your algae issue though.

Reef Flux has been known to help with hair algae though it seems to be more of a “quick fix” than a permanent solution. I’m curious how long you treated for? I know most are generally about 14 day treatments.

Also, another contributor may be low nitrates. While 0 used to be the number to shoot for back in the day, it is believed that nitrates are a necessary nutrient in low numbers (usually around 5-10 or so) and that can actually help with algae issues.