Algae, Algea, Algae

legalreefer · May 21, 2009

Hair algae has taken over a lot of my tank. About a month ago the ac went out. I got home only to find an explosion of HA on several pieces of rock. The ac went out a second time in the same week only to double the amount from the time before. All my parameters that I have test kits for are good. Sal 1.0255, calcium is 350-400, nirtrites are 0, rates 0, amm 0, kH is around 10, and temp is 78. So I tried the AlgeaFix that was raved about on reef central. It has been a month now that I have been treating with it and absolutely zero results. In fact is has steadily gotten worst. So I am at a loss as what to do. Some rocks that are not a part of the structure of my aquascaping I put in the sump for a couple of weeks to rid most of the HA. It works, but some has come back. The others with corals on them, I just keep picking them clean around the corals. I put a Fox Face in there yesterday, so I will see how he does. I wanted a Tang but am scared of territorial issues down the road with new additions. If the fox doesn’t do the job I will get a sea hair. But I want to figure out what is causing it, not just put a bandage over it. Any help is very appreciated.

legalreefer · May 21, 2009

Oh I know most will ask the question of my setup. Is a 55g, with a sump that contains a G2 skimmer, it has T-5 lighting, I feed on the 3rd day, and there is nothing in the system like sponges or anything to create nitrates. Hopefully that will help.

tokejr · May 21, 2009

Have you check phosphate levels?

Put in a lawnmower blenny.

fish scales2 · May 21, 2009

Where is your mag at? your Alk is in the mid to high range (perfect IMO) but your calcium is low so it makes me think your mag is low. Test your phates. And sponges help reduce trates so they are good.

legalreefer · May 21, 2009

I got a lawn mover, but he never eats it. I dont check for phosphates bc I dont think you can accurately check it. I am thinking of running a phosban reactor.

legalreefer · May 21, 2009

I do regular WC, and top off with RO. I need to get a TDS meter so I can check to make sure my RO is working corretly. I have noticed it makes about 50gpd (which is what it is rated at), where it used to only make 25gpd.

Fish Scales2;346756 wrote: Where is your mag at? your Alk is in the mid to high range (perfect IMO) but your calcium is low so it makes me think your mag is low. Test your phates. And sponges help reduce trates so they are good.

No idea about my mag. I thought sponges are bad, well if you let them collect a lot of junk and not clean them often.

seedless reefer · May 21, 2009

I had an outbreak of HA in my frag tank.

I tried a few solutions which included buying a new tang because the one I had before ate it like candy but this tang while busy, never worked like the old tang.

I moved the frags to the display and I was amazed at what took care of the algae..........hermits!

cdub · May 21, 2009

I had a similar issue where I had an old ro filter that I had forgotten to change. Once the algae took hold I tried everything to get rid of it(3 day lights out, reduced feedings, 50% water changes back to back, vodka dosing, wet skimming, rock scrubbing)algae fix marine dosed every three days with normal water changes and a frequent filter sock change has completely eliminated my serious issue.

texhorns98 · May 21, 2009

bratliff;346776 wrote: I've got four tangs, a lawnmower blenny and hermits... what algea? But seriously, step up water changes and start testing for phosphate. I was using an API kit and it told me my phosphates were 0. Changed to SeaChem and it's reading 0.05. I do run carbon and phosban though. My photoperiod is rather long and I think that encourages the algea I do get.

You have FOUR tangs in your 90?!?

pochaxoo · May 21, 2009

brattliff is right on. I have had the same problem just recently and I now believe it is the Sun I am getting early in the morning on my tank that has increased my photoperiod without my permmission. Anything like that happening and has your temperature started going up with the summer weather (yeah I know what summer weather) ?

good luck

texhorns98 · May 21, 2009

bratliff;346873 wrote: Yep. And they're all quite happy. No issues. I've got a regal, a yellow, a mustard and a two spot.

Have they told you that personally?:tongue2: On a serious note, you've only had them in there a month. I'd keep a CLOSE eye on them.

As far as algae goes, I'm starting to fight some myself. I had a PBrT in there who was munching everything in sight. Now that he's gone, the recent addition of a Red Spot Blenny is what I'm using. I too need to address the cause of the problem, but there's a TON of opinions out there. I'm looking into raising my mag levels right now.

tgray3 · May 21, 2009

Also been fighting an HA outbreak. Wet skimming, less feeding, scrubbing the rock have slowed it down but not lessened what is already there. I decided a couple of days ago to try the "Prodibio" probiotics that the May speaker said he is using in the tank on the video he showed. I ordered it from Salty Supply and it isn't here yet. I'll let you know how it works for me. Hopefully good stuff.

dannybradley · May 21, 2009

Post a picture of it. Different algae varies greatly in response to treatment. Also, I believe that AlgaeFix is just Poly(oxy ethylene). There's nothing new there. Go get yourself a bottle of Kent PolyOx. It's just a mild oxidant.

ralph atl · May 21, 2009

You must export the same or more nutrients than you put in. Overfeeding, tap water, high phosphate foods, etc. 
 
 
Phosphate reduction/ removal and high trates could be the answer. Wet skimming with a skimmer that is rated at least double your water volume. If you cannot get a fuge or sump (you can maybe make a "Rubbermaid sump with cheato in it for a few bucks) you can get a $35.00 hang on phosphate reactor for your tank and put some GFO in there. In the future, you'll most likely need a refugium with Macro algae. If you choose GFO, you’ll need to start VERY SLOWLY! Use 25% of the recommended media, slowly increasing every 2-4 weeks. You need to acclimate your tank inhabitants over at least a 2 month period especially is you have any stony corals. Once acclimated you’ll need to change your Iron based media in the phosphate reactor more often. Your media will get saturated in 2 weeks or so depending upon how much is bound up in your rocks, tank, algae, etc. Use less media, change every 2 weeks. Use a great test kit like DD Merck, Hack, or colormeter or send to AWT. If you already have a fuge & reactor, be aggressive & change the media every 2 weeks.
 
When you do your water change, take the end of the hose and suck all the algae down like a vacuum. It'll take a few water changes, but it works (especially after the phosphate remover kicks in)
 
Use a phosphate reactor with some phosar or ROWA or whatever, and something to lower nitrates like a fuge, AZNO3, Vodka, VSV or other carbon source. 
 
 
check out:
 
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php</a>
 
[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php</a>
 
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2003/chem.htm
 
[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</a>
 
[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php</a>
 
[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm</a>
 
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1349443
 
[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm</a>
 
 
 
VSV:
[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...nftt/index.php</a>

[IMG]http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1225324">http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1225324</a>
 
 
[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22849&highlight=vodka">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...ighlight=vodka</a>

dannybradley · May 21, 2009

Removing phosphate from the water won't help much if it's a species of algae that stores phosphate.

Those kinds of algae have to be consumed or killed, you can't starve them.

ralph atl · May 21, 2009

DannyBradley;347161 wrote: Removing phosphate from the water won't help much if it's a species of algae that stores phosphate.

Those kinds of algae have to be consumed or killed, you can't starve them.

This is where we disagree. although your theory is quicker, and more practical, in the long run, it's not the fix.

as long as you keep your phosphates at <0.028 and nitrates at <0.5, hair algae, caulpera, whatever will cease growing. The only problem is that it usually takes months to get phosphates down that low because sand, live rock, algae, etc, all absorb and store phosphates. I would venture to guess that most people would rather not want the hassle, expense, and time to maintain those levels. For 2 weeks I shut down my skimmer, and stopped vodka dosing to treat prazipro. Hair algae started creeping up all over. 2 weeks later, it's almost all gone. Caulpera was introduced accidentally into my tank through my fuge. I haven't seen any in a year or so, yet some sprung up over that same period. I just yanked it out.

I think your answer is the more practical answer, however.

dannybradley · May 21, 2009

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about better reefkeeping, but look at what Bryopsis puloma was doing in Mojo's tank. He runs his nutrient load as close to 0 as humanly possible, and the stuff was going nuts.

Definitly correct what is causing the issue in the first place, but you'll run across certain things that even with top notch reefkeeping you'll need an external factor to eliminate. Other than those kinds of cases, I agree with you 100%.

ralph atl · May 21, 2009

Agreed

Algae, Algea, Algae

legalreefer

Member

legalreefer

Member

tokejr

Member

fish scales2

Active Member

legalreefer

Member

legalreefer

Member

seedless reefer

Active Member

cdub

Member

texhorns98

Active Member

pochaxoo

Member

texhorns98

Active Member

tgray3

Member

dannybradley

Active Member

ralph atl

Active Member

dannybradley

Active Member

ralph atl

Active Member

dannybradley

Active Member

ralph atl

Active Member

Similar threads