Algae Problem - PLEASE HELP!!!

[jstlsn]

Ok, I have been fighting an algae problem in my tank for some time now and I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. I have done everything I have read to fight and algae but nothing seems to help. I don't even know what kind of algae this is. It is dark red/purple in color. It starts out growing like a vine forming a mesh over the rock and then starts growing up and out. It is almost impossible to pull of the rock. I have even tried a steel brush and can only get a little bit to come off. Here are two pictures I took of the algae on one of my rocks. When the rock is out of the water the algae mattes together. It is not slimey as it might appear in the pictures.

 

WHOLE ROCK

 

CLOSE UP

 

I had my water tested by aquariuimwatertesting.com and here are the results.

 

Ammonia (NH3-4) ........................Good ......................................... 0.005

Nitrite (NO2)................................Good ......................................... 0.001

Nitrate (NO3)...............................Good .............................................0.2

Phosphate (PO4) ..........................Good ........................................... 0.02

Silica (SiO2-3) .............................Good .............................................0.4

Potassium (K) ...............................Low............................................. 268

Calcium (Ca)................................Good ............................................ 426

Boron (B) ....................................Good .............................................4.1

Molybdenum (Mo).........................Good .............................................0.1

Strontium (Sr) .............................Good .............................................8.5

Magnesium (Mg) ..........................Good .......................................... 1214

Iodine (I

[zotzer]

It almost looks like some sort of red hair algae. There is a thread over on RC about magnesium supplementation, in addition to some lights-out time (three days to start)

 

Although mg test came back "good", it should be at least 1350.

 

Believe me, I am no expert, but read a whole big long thread about it over on Reef Central. Maybe someone here has it bookmarked.

 

Good luck and keep us all posted!

Tracy

[lanman]

I thought I'd had every type of algae in my tanks... never seen that one. It looks evil. Let's call it CRRHA - Control-Resistant Red Hair Algae. With that water, and good skimming - I'm surprised it hasn't just died off... How long have you been fighting it??

 

bob

[magnetic1]

Speaking of algae, can anyone tell me what kind of algae this is? My tang doesnt eat it, hermits will eat some, but not much.

 

It doesnt grow very fast/crazy, and I have no clue where it came from. It just looks sorta pretty looking for algae I suppose.

 

http://brakeswapracing.com/ericwong/tank/IMGP2497.JPG

[jamesbuf]

The most important thing that helped me battle hair algae was upgrading my skimmer. If there are less nutrients in the water, the algae will simply melt away. What skimmer are you using? How big is your tank by the way?

[jstlsn]

I have been battling the algae for at least 4 months.

 

My tank is 75 gallons and there is 90 gallons total in the system.

 

My current skimmer is a Bubble King Mini 160.

 

Thanks for everyones input.

 

Brad

 

The most important thing that helped me battle hair algae was upgrading my skimmer. If there are less nutrients in the water, the algae will simply melt away. What skimmer are you using? How big is your tank by the way?

[jamesbuf]

Well you have the skimming down. What kind of cleanup crew do you have?

[jstlsn]

I would say I have

 

30 Astrea Snails

1 Margarita Snail

1 Cerith Snail

2 Turbo Snails (Got these specifically to fight this algae)

2 Scarlet Hermits

1 Peppermint shrimp (Don't think he likes algae)

 

Brad

 

 

 

Well you have the skimming down. What kind of cleanup crew do you have?

[jamesbuf]

I personally would get more hermits. You mention you have been battling the algae for 4 months. Is that how old the tank is?? If so, it might just be new tank syndrome. If that is the case, the algae will probably go away as your system matures.

[jstlsn]

The tank has been up for about 13 months. I had other smaller algae problems in the beginning, but nothing like this. This stuff is slowly covering all of my rock. The pictures I posted were of my smallest rock because it is easy to pull from the tank. There are several larger rocks that are a lot worse.

 

Do you recommend any specific type of hermits? Looks like John has Red Leg Reef Hermits, Scarlet hermits, and Blue legs in stock. How many should I get?

 

Thanks

Brad

 

I personally would get more hermits. You mention you have been battling the algae for 4 months. Is that how old the tank is?? If so, it might just be new tank syndrome. If that is the case, the algae will probably go away as your system matures.

[vaironman]

Get the least expensive hermit crabs. When they are hungry, they will chow down any algae sticks out on the rock. At least 20 of them.

[jamesbuf]

A couple years ago when I had horrible algae problems, I attacked it several ways. I first upgraded skimmers. I then placed an order for 30, then 50 more hermits. We used to have a crazy hookup with islandaquatics and used to get red-tipped hermits for something like .25 a piece. Man, those were the days. I also used the technique of scrubbing the liverock inside the tank. I used a siphon tube that went from the main tank into the sump. In the sump I had a filter sock catching all the stuff I was scrubbing off the liverock. I also attached a hard toothbrush onto the end of the siphon tube that was in the main tank. I scrubbed the rock really well and most of the algae got siphoned down into the sump and filtered by the micron sock. Doing all of these things combined help me rid the tank of excess algae within a month or so. I can't really say which was the biggest factor, just that everything combined did the job.

[zotzer]

What's your lighting cycle? Have you tried turning off your lights for three days? Then I think you do two days of actinics before ramping back up to a normal lighting cycle.

 

Tracy

[lanman]

Speaking of algae, can anyone tell me what kind of algae this is? My tang doesnt eat it, hermits will eat some, but not much.

 

It doesnt grow very fast/crazy, and I have no clue where it came from. It just looks sorta pretty looking for algae I suppose.

 

http://brakeswapracing.com/ericwong/tank/IMGP2497.JPG

 

That's really pretty algae... no idea though what it is. Some kind of a macro, it appears.

 

bob

 

The tank has been up for about 13 months. I had other smaller algae problems in the beginning, but nothing like this. This stuff is slowly covering all of my rock. The pictures I posted were of my smallest rock because it is easy to pull from the tank. There are several larger rocks that are a lot worse.

 

Do you recommend any specific type of hermits? Looks like John has Red Leg Reef Hermits, Scarlet hermits, and Blue legs in stock. How many should I get?

 

Thanks

Brad

 

Do you have any pictures of it IN the water?? Maybe it would look more familiar that way.

 

bob

[bcjm]

I had those a while back. It is almost gone by now. This algae is VERY VERY hard, like a brush. It attaches to the rock like no others. You can't pull it. If you hold just a few you can lift the entire rock and it wouldn't break. It started with a very small area then grew like half of a fist size.

 

I had a yellow tang that ate the algae from time to time. I added a purple tang later. They both plucked the algae from time to time. The algae became smaller and smaller. I had a little other type of algae at the same time. I am not sure it was the tangs that did the trick or my water quality got improved. All the algae will gone later. I do believe add another tang helped for sure.

[dandy7200]

See all this nasty red hair algae?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMO, don't sweat this one

[rrubberbandman]

See all this nasty red hair algae?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMO, don't sweat this one

that algae looks like corals

[lanman]

Obviously those corals aren't worried about the red hair algae... grow enough of them, and no room left for the algae!

 

bob

[dschflier]

Here is everything I tried to fight this problem:

 

1. Running Phosban

2. Skimming like crazy with a really good skimmer

3. Light bulbs are 3 months old (t-5s)

4. Use only RO/DI water (TDS reads 0)

5. Have a Yellow-Eye Kole Tang that nips at it but does not make a dent

6. Lots of snail including 2 Turbos. They munch on it all the time but never make a dent

7. Weekly 10 gallon water changes (75 gallon tank)

8. Siphon out as much crap as I can while doing the water changes.

 

The one important factor you left out is how long you have been trying the things you have been trying. I agree with most of the suggestions but I also would continue doing everything for a long time. Once algea gets a foot hold it can survive with not much food.

 

I would start using Phosban again, continue skimming, Lower the lights, feed a bit less add crabs. If you are not adding Kalk I would add it. Anything that will help eliminate Phosphates. When you do the water change turn off your main pump use a power head to get the garbage in the water column and then syphon out as much garbage as possible. The snails will eat what is available especially if you dont give much food. Increase your water change to maybe 15 gallons a week.

 

This is war. :-) You have to fight it like one. If 6 to 8 months down the road your algea is not turning white and losing its grip I would be suprised. I would try and look for progress after each month and look at ways to improve your attack after each month. This will allow you to keep focus. if some of the rock is easy to remove without dirupting your whole tank I would remove it and find a tool that will help in cleaning it off of individual rocks. maybe a hard bristle brush.

[YBeNormal]

As Dan recently discovered, TDS = zero really does not mean that your water is pure. Your RO/DI water could contain phosphates and other impurities that don't register on a TDS meter and/or are not easily tested for using home test kits. When was the last time you changed your prefilters & DI resin? Have you back flushed your RO membrane lately?

 

FWIW, I have the same algae in my tank but only in patches on the glass and a few very small patches on the LR. I also see it on frags that are being traded, in the LFS and in many of the other members tanks. It does not seem to be a problem for anyone.

[jamesbuf]

I also see it on frags that are being traded

 

 

So that's where it came from. Bob, I blame you for the stuff that's in my tank!!!! You just wait till the next meeting

[YBeNormal]

But...I didn't charge you for it!

[lanman]

But...I didn't charge you for it!

 

Any chance I could get some? I want my corals to look like the pictures above...

 

bob

[jstlsn]

Thank you everyone for all the help and suggestions.

 

dschflier - I have probably been fighting hit problem for 3-4 month. Never really noticed it was becoming a problem until it was too late. I am sure it has been in the tank longer than that. The phosban is still running and I am still skimming. I can run the lights for less time each day. I have been running Kalk for 5 months now. I always syphon as much algae as I can out of the tank when changing water. I might also increase my water changes. Might just do two 10 gallon changes a week.

 

The one important factor you left out is how long you have been trying the things you have been trying. I agree with most of the suggestions but I also would continue doing everything for a long time. Once algea gets a foot hold it can survive with not much food.

 

I would start using Phosban again, continue skimming, Lower the lights, feed a bit less add crabs. If you are not adding Kalk I would add it. Anything that will help eliminate Phosphates. When you do the water change turn off your main pump use a power head to get the garbage in the water column and then syphon out as much garbage as possible. The snails will eat what is available especially if you dont give much food. Increase your water change to maybe 15 gallons a week.

 

This is war. :-) You have to fight it like one. If 6 to 8 months down the road your algea is not turning white and losing its grip I would be suprised. I would try and look for progress after each month and look at ways to improve your attack after each month. This will allow you to keep focus. if some of the rock is easy to remove without dirupting your whole tank I would remove it and find a tool that will help in cleaning it off of individual rocks. maybe a hard bristle brush.

 

YBeNormal - My RO/DI filters are about 5 months old. I am going to order a full set of new ones. Also, I flush the membrane about once a week.

 

 

As Dan recently discovered, TDS = zero really does not mean that your water is pure. Your RO/DI water could contain phosphates and other impurities that don't register on a TDS meter and/or are not easily tested for using home test kits. When was the last time you changed your prefilters & DI resin? Have you back flushed your RO membrane lately?

 

FWIW, I have the same algae in my tank but only in patches on the glass and a few very small patches on the LR. I also see it on frags that are being traded, in the LFS and in many of the other members tanks. It does not seem to be a problem for anyone.

 

I found this page while searching on Google:

 

http://www.marineaquariumadvice.com/forum/...f086f5f689bf9da

 

This guy has the same stuff on his rock. Someone identifies it as bryopsis. So I searched Reef Central and found this:

 

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.p...hlight=Bryopsis

 

This stuff in this link looks totally different. So, does anyone know if what I have it bryopsis. If so it looks like raising the Mag level might be a good fix.

 

On a side not, I ran a 1" section of rock under very hot water for a could of minutes. It turned the algae white and not it is disappearing. Only problem is that coraline aglae also died.

 

Thanks

Brad

[yauger]

dude I have this same type of algae in my system... seems the only way I can get control of it is by removing the rock completely... if you find the magic trick please let me know cause not only does this stuff attach to rock but corals also, and trust me its a pain in the butt in my zoanthid colonies...