Escalating algae problem...advice appreciated

[boobookitty]

Hi, all...

I have an escalating algae problem on my 240g SPS tank (~300g total water volume), and haven't had to deal with algae for a couple years. It started out as a small amount, which I was removing manually, but the patches are spreading, and quantity is growing. The corals seem healthy, colors good, etc., but the algae is getting ridiculous.

The algae looks like the following (warning: I suck at photography):

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/3700/16838Algae1.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/3700/16838Algae2.JPG


It's the clumpy stuff, definitely algae (not dino). I do weekly 10% water changes, have a CA reactor, and my parameters are all stable and in line: alk 8.0, CA 425, Mg 1350, nitrate undetectable, phosphate undetectable (all tests done with salifert except phosphate, which is done with a colorimeter). Feeding habits haven't changed for 2 years, skimmer acting normally (EuroReef, oversized).

Obviously I have nutrients...the undetectable levels just mean the algae is pulling it out before it registers. Anything eat this type of algae? My tangs don't touch it. Heck, at this point I'd even take a better tool for manual removal, since the standard forceps take forever (slips through, even with serrated tips). Generally takes 3-4 hours per session now, and the sessions have increased to almost weekly.

A couple disclaimers: I have a DSB (about 5 inches), and I use zeovit. Up until this started a few months ago, I had no issues with either. Removal of the DSB is not an option at this point: no way for me to take that hit right now, if there is any other way to solve this issue.

TIA.

A

[ronjeremy]

i agree.. you obviously have excess nutrients....first of all, 10g a week on 300g of water..you are not even putting a dent in it!!!! i do 30g a week on my 125g and i wish i could do more!!! just doing bigger WC's will remove some of the nutrients...also, i would try a Phosban reactor..run some Phosban in it and try running carbon after that! also, while you are getting the nutrients down, cut your photoperiod back an hour or two a day..i hope you get it worked it!!

[boobookitty]

Hi, Ron...

No, it's 10% a week, which is around 30g. Seems pretty common. Zeo and phsoban don't work together, and in fact I went zeo years ago because phosban and the others weren't helping control the phosphate. Zeo has...but now I have a problem.

[Craig Lambert]

He said weekly 10%, so wc frequency is fine. Do you know the tds reading of the product water from your RODI?

[dandydan]

Sea Hare will love that stuff
Luck

[dc]

It looks like Bryopsis to me. I'd work real hard at keeping it at bay. Here's a link: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=167632

[quack]

u have experience and r doing 'bout everything u can. I had this problem too till i added Ozone (RedSea)! Also chaeto is easy to grow and would be a competing algae. Good luck

[gtrestoration]

booboo... I agree with the seahare. It should make short work of it but just watch it after the algae is all gone. They don't do well long term IMO. Once they trim it down some snails and fish might be more willing to keep it cleaned up and it's less likely to collect gunk.

SteveU

[boobookitty]

Thanks all (and hi Steve :)).

I'll look into a sea hare, and start discarding the siphoned water/algae (I had been just filtering it into a bag and into the sump).

Along that same line, is there a better tool for this than simple forceps (I've been using the ones from Marine Depot)? They do ok, but the stuff slips through the ends quite a bit, meaning I have to make several passes - that's why it takes ridiculous amounts of time. I'd love to find a set of forceps with cutters at the tip, so I can cut and grip at the same time, but "cutting forceps" have the blades along the edges. I've tried needle nosed pliers, etc., all to no avail, and usually end up back with the forceps. I'd like something like a large set of nail clippers, with cutters at the end that would also grip. Ideally I'd like to outfit it on the end of a siphon tube, to pull, cut and siphon all in one go. Anyone ever find/make one of those?

Arthur

[boobookitty]

Anyone have recommendations on a better algae-removal tool?

[ricka]

cheap plastic razor?

--Rick

[dandydan]

I dont believe there is such a thing as a tool for removal off rocks,
A bit more advice dont smash it up or allow bits when you pull it off to go wandering around.
After you get your water right and lots of current, its just time.
Luck

[TWallace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8889286#post8889286 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dandydan
Sea Hare will love that stuff
Luck

Not in my experience. Sea hares, lettuce sea slugs and Mexican turbo snails all ignore it (assuming this is bryopsis, which the pictures look like).

I've been battling this stuff for months and it just keeps getting worse. Just like your tank, my nitrates and phosphates are undetectable. I've been using a phosban reactor for several months as well as dwarf sea hares (they never touch it) and my tank has had a refugium loaded with chaetomorpha since I started it. I've tried all sorts of invertebrate cleaners, hoping they'll eat it, but nothing does. Lettuce sea slugs occasionally look like they're eating it, but they never make a dent, even when I got 10 at a time in my 55g. They also mysteriously vanish over a few weeks (not powerhead deaths, as I wasn't using any for a few weeks).

If you win the war, let me know how you did it. I've heard that some kinds of rabbitfish will eat it, but my tank is somewhat small for one of those. Plus I'm not big on poisonous fish, especially when I have to reach into the tank and pull out algae frequently.

[Tu Ku]

With this type of algae I usually wait until it grows out long enough that you can get your fingers around bunches of their stalks and then just pull out as much from as close to the base as possible. After which my tang eats the rest. If you have no tang, I don't know what to tell you. The sea hare idea is a good one.

[boobookitty]

Thanks, all. At the risk of invoking the tang police, I have 5 tangs (yellow, blue, powder blue, chevron, vlamingi...what can I say, I like tangs :)), and they don't touch it. I know enough to try to get all the scraps on removal, but it's not realistic...the quantity I have to pull out means perfect removal simply isn't going to happen.

A

[Alaska_Phil]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8897254#post8897254 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by boobookitty
Anyone have recommendations on a better algae-removal tool?

I've got a 20 gal tank that's being over run by this stuff. I've found that a 1/8" square dowel, or very small tube brush works well. Just stick it in the middle of the patch and spin it! The algae winds up around it. It's actually pretty slick. :)

Phil