Guest clownfish4 April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 Alright, this is getting ridiculous! I have done 50gs worth of water changes and scrubbed every rock and yet this crap keeps coming back, thicker then before! It is getting out of control and I need a permanent solution quick! Thanks for any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emissary April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 When I had a major alage problem I did the following: * There are two kinds of fish: those that make messes and those that clean messes. I got rid of all my fish and bought a Tang. * I increased my water change schedule from 5G/3mos (75G tank) to 5G/week. * I cleaned my protein skimmer. * I added a filter to catch particulates. * I ripped stuff off rocks. * I bought a bunch of snails and crabs (redleg, blueleg). * My filter clogged and saltwater overflowed everywhere. My auto-top off system worked. Salinity went down to 1.013. * I brought it back up to 1.021 in three hours. * I brought it back up to 1.025 the next day. * The tang bought it. (everything else lived) * I turned off the lights for 3 days. * I turned my lights back on for 6 hours a day for two weeks. * I bought a tang. * I turned my lights back on for 8 hours a day for a month. At the end of this process, my algae problem was just gone. Everything's still happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarosh April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 Mike my tank is no where near the size of yours, but 2 months after I set everything up the tank exploded with hair algae. Besides letting it run its course I added numerous snails, and used a peice of 1/4" acrylic tubing and airhose to suck the bigger stuff off of the glass. I started using the tubing to suck the stuff out because I felt I was just making it worse by scrubbing the stuff. Felt it just created seed pieces to go wacky somewhere else. Once I was able to keep the glass clean all the critters kept the rocks and sand in check. The scrubbing lasted a month, once I switched to the sucking that crap out it only took me a week to get it under control. Just my experience. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tang-away April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 Mike, I have this wierd neon green stuff that is growing over the rock, I do not think it is hair algae I might have to go and take a picture to see what it is. Any help. you should pump your skimmer up!!! make the stuff it pulls out look like pee, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grav April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 Alge needs 2 things to live. Light and nutrents. Light is tough, ya gotta light the reef, but even that you have some control. How old are your bulbs? How long are your bulbs on / day? Were you not recently boasting a high fish load and a killer skimmer? Sorry if I'm thinking of someone elses post but I think it may have been you. Food may be getting eaten, but fish poop is alge food. I'm a huge fan of Mithrax crabs right now. I have 5 in my 150g, no hermits, 30 snails and a 25g fuge filled with Chaeto. As I moved LR with hair, bubble, turf and "whatever" alge (yes the old tank got neglected) into the new tank I'd see it get picked clean in about an day or two. I'm not a big fan of water changes to reduce nutrents. Nitrates and nitrites produced in a tank with alge and alge supporting light will be consumed very quickly, and turned into more alge.... long before the weekly or monthly water change. Further, changing 5 or 10% of your water could at BEST reduce your nutrents, and therefore alge by 5 or 10%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 you defintly need to get rid of the source of the alge to permenetly get rid of the alge no amtter how much you remove if the source is still there it will retrurn do you use RO/DI high fish load? fuge? heavy feeding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clownfish4 April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 Grav, I have had this problem for a month or so because I let my RO filters run over their capacity, won't make that mistake again. Yes I do boast about my high fish count and killer skimmer, but that doesn't mean I am an expert in this hobby! :D I will start running my skimmer real wet and stop by TRT tomorrow for lots of snails, but I will never put another crab in my tank, whether it be a hermit or a mithrax, etc. Sam, I don't remember what your stuff looks like, its been a while since I saw your tank. Thanks for all the help and I will update as the days progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Stearns April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grav April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 AH. Gotcha. If you think the primary cause is bad RO/DI, and I would agree that could be it, I would let nature take it's course. Whatever you imported when you were changing water after the filter went bad should be comsumed and your alge will die back. That reminds me. I have a TDS meter. I use it ever 3 or 4 months. If anyone wants to test their RO/DI at the next meeting I would be happy to bring it along. phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 My old tank developed HA despite a low bioload and minimal feeding (2-3 times per week max). I fought a long battle with HA in my old tank, and tried everything under the sun. I'm no expert, but here's what I did. Used only RO/DI water for make up and water changes from day 1, and monitored water quality with TDS meter Changed RO/DI filters Performed 20% water change every two weeks Checked tap water and RO/DI for PO4 and Si contamination Ensured skimmer produces sufficient skimming (DAS-2 skimmer on 125g tank) Algae occurs when CaRx is off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Folta April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 I had an outbreak of hair algae. Oddly enough, my flame angel and clowns have been going to town on it. Many of the rocks that had it are now bare of it, and the ones that still have it definitely don't have nearly as much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grav April 27, 2005 Share April 27, 2005 One more idea: When was the last time you had a "storm." I know you just put in a new wave making system, but you may still be getting a buildup of crud on the sand and in the LR. Blast it back into the water colum where your skimmer can get it out. phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clownfish4 April 28, 2005 Share April 28, 2005 Okay, I am on a regular water change schedule and shorter photoperiod. Today I took a tube and put a filter sock on the end of it and siphoned water from the main tank to the sump, catching all the hair algae in the sock. The tank looks a lot better and I got an added bonus! If you use a big enough tube you can actually suck out aiptasia and majanos!!! Just be careful not to hurt your corals. I must of sucked up a hundred majanos and the last aiptasia in my tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowardofNOVA April 28, 2005 Share April 28, 2005 Mike, I strongly recommend the Emerald Crabs, TRT has them for about $5, which is pretty good price. These have been the best crabs for the money in keeping the tank clean! I have NEVER seen them bother anything else in the tank. I agree about using a suction to get rid of the algae into either a sock or during water changes or both. I do about a 5g bucket a week water change of RO/DI water & salt mix which gives me about a 20% + - change a month. Seems to be finally working, algae is about 98% gone now. Tank is beginning to come together. Oh boy, just in time to screw with it again this Sunday! LMK if you need anything from me? Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clownfish4 April 28, 2005 Share April 28, 2005 Well Howard, since you asked, I could use a torch coral, canary wrasse, couple of ocellaris clowns, some live rock, couple of halides, some snails, sand, a sump, and a firefish! :D But seriously, I don't plan to add anything to my tank until I am sure I am back on track. I have had hermits and emerald crabs and both ate my snails. I will never use another crab in my tank. The filter sock is great for siphoning out the hair algae, the stuff comes right up, and I really enjoy pulling those pesky anemones out. Now I just need to try to siphon the 12" bristle worm in my tank! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Stearns April 28, 2005 Share April 28, 2005 I have a monster Mythryx crab that is free to who ever can catch it without destroying my corals- It knocks and lifts up rocks all over nmy tank and has moved frags into other stinging corals. It has even moved a frag that was plumbers puttied in place. I nevr did get the feeling he liked bubble algae- I manually remove any I come across- He may be eating hair - gotta be eating something as big as he is now--- Not much of a sales man am I - I have a smaller one in the tank with him that does not seem to be as much of a problem- I also have a small one in my nano cube- Maybe there are different species- though all three came from the same place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emissary April 29, 2005 Share April 29, 2005 But seriously, I don't plan to add anything to my tank until I am sure I am back on track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emissary April 29, 2005 Share April 29, 2005 Not much of a sales man am I - I have a smaller one in the tank with him that does not seem to be as much of a problem- I also have a small one in my nano cube- Maybe there are different species- though all three came from the same place. I'll take him if he's free I have a 10G tank that I throw spare algae into and use as a temporary rock-cleaning area. They clean the bubble algae off and I return the rock to the main tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest clownfish4 April 29, 2005 Share April 29, 2005 AMAZING!!! After several water changes, heavy skimming, and siphoning I have actually had corals I believed to be dead come back to life. One acropora that was completely brown has started showing its green again, a shriveld green tree coral is now fully extended, a bleaching birdsnest has reversed, and a shriveld purple devils hand is not open and pinkish again. Absolutely incredible! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex wlazlak May 11, 2005 Share May 11, 2005 Mike, I have this wierd neon green stuff that is growing over the rock, I do not think it is hair algae I might have to go and take a picture to see what it is. Any help. you should pump your skimmer up!!! make the stuff it pulls out look like pee, i think i know what you are talking about, i have the same stuff, but its not really getting to big, only in like a 1inch circle......i think its just another type of macro.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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