Algae Growth

[reeferkeifer]

Is some algae growth typical for a healthy tank? I notice hairy algae growing on my live rock. And it appears to be growing at the rocks on the top of my aqua scape. I have noticed it for a while and doesn't seem to be out of control and grows slowly. I keep the blinds closed in the room the tank is in and the temp is 79-80.

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[crew]

what is "a while"? it might be getting trimmed by something in the tank, or it might not have taken over yet. A little algae is normal, but I've also seen plenty of tanks with jungles and plenty of tanks with no algae at all. Do you have any tangs/rabbitfish? They tend to eat it

 

[dball711]

I strive for no algae, nada, none. Any I see I quickly remove so it doesn't get a chance to grow. I employ large clean up crews, lots of skiing, a huge to go macro that gets harvested regularly and do weekly water changes. I once had a jungle tank Crawford speaks of...never again!

 

[reeferkeifer]

A while is months. No tangs/rabbitfish. I do have a short spine urchin but he goes for coraline. It doesn't get longer it seems to grow on more rock. I just got the current orbit LED light. I keep the white light on for 9 hours at 100% and the blue at 25%. Could the light be promoting its growth?

 

[russ-iv]

ime it looks normal.

if it bugs you that much you can increase the turnover of your tank so that gfo removes the phosphates faster than it can be used in the display. 5-10x of volume

lights dont create nutrients/phosphate

 

[reeferkeifer]

Tested phosphates and got .1 but nitrates read 25mg/l. I have 3 small crabs in my 90. I do 25 gal water changes every 2 weeks but I think I'm gonna try weekly 15 gal changes and vac substrate every other week.

 

[russ-iv]

ReeferKeifer;1038920 wrote: Tested phosphates and got .1 but nitrates read 25mg/l. I have 3 small crabs in my 90. I do 25 gal water changes every 2 weeks but I think I'm gonna try weekly 15 gal changes and vac substrate every other week.

testing for phosphates is almost useless. even if the test read 0. you have them because of the algae growth. it is just that it didnt get to your gfo fast enough to be removed. the fact you have .1 means there is room for MORE growth.

increase the turnover if gfo isnt exhausted or replace the media.

substrate vacuuming does not clean phosphate from the column.

if you have nitrate, i would look at the substrate. i would stick to the larger water changes @25 gallons if you are attempting to remove nutrients. weekly 15 is still 25% less than biweekly 25.

 

[reeferkeifer]

I do not have gfo. Can't afford another piece of equipment either right now. If I put it in a filter bag will that be suffice along with other measures such as water changes and reduce amount of feeding?

 

[russ-iv]

Russ-IV;1038921 wrote: testing for phosphates is almost useless. even if the test read 0. you have them because of the algae growth. it is just that it didnt get to your gfo fast enough to be removed. the fact you have .1 means there is room for MORE growth.

increase the turnover if gfo isnt exhausted or replace the media.

substrate vacuuming does not clean phosphate from the column.

if you have nitrate, i would look at the substrate. i would stick to the larger water changes @25 gallons if you are attempting to remove nutrients. weekly 15 is still 25% less than biweekly 25.

ReeferKeifer;1038943 wrote: I do not have gfo. Can't afford another piece of equipment either right now. If I put it in a filter bag will that be suffice along with other measures such as water changes and reduce amount of feeding?

seachem's phosguard.
aluminum will leach in the system which should be fine since it precipitates at 2.7 ppm @ 8.3 ph but figured id share

 

[genesis]

dball711;1038903 wrote: I strive for no algae, nada, none. Any I see I quickly remove so it doesn't get a chance to grow. I employ large clean up crews, <span style="color: red">lots of skiing</span>, a huge to go macro that gets harvested regularly and do weekly water changes. I once had a jungle tank Crawford speaks of...never again!

Can you please elaborate on the lots of skiing. Is that a new method in the hobby that I'm not aware of? Trying to connect the dots between skiing and reefing...... lol j/p :lol2:

 

[crew]

ReeferKeifer;1038943 wrote: I do not have gfo. Can't afford another piece of equipment either right now. If I put it in a filter bag will that be suffice along with other measures such as water changes and reduce amount of feeding?

You could try purigen or matrix in a filter bag - works for me.

 

[russ-iv]

Crew;1038966 wrote: You could try purigen or matrix in a filter bag - works for me.

matrix drops the phosphate?

+1 for matrix on the trates

 

[dball711]

Genesis;1038965 wrote: Can you please elaborate on the lots of skiing. Is that a new method in the hobby that I'm not aware of? Trying to connect the dots between skiing and reefing...... lol j/p :lol2:

Typo, lots of skimming...think spell check got me on that one. Skiing can help but only in the winter months.

 

[bulkrate]

I wouldn't stress about it... some algae present is just the balance that your tank has settled at. Now if its growth suddenly takes off, then there's something that needs attention.

If it really bugs you, you can try a few different ways to get rid of it without a lot of work. If the rock's removable you could spot treat it with peroxide, or you could add a couple of dwarf hermits/trochus snails to step up the rate it's eaten. Or you could add a more decorative macroaglae to compete for the nutrients that the hair algae's utilizing. Although with an urchin present I bet you;d have to put the macroalgae in a sump - those things will eat just about anything.

 

[reeferkeifer]

My urchin is only interested in the coraline