algae problem/question

[ri]

Hello everyone. Although I'm not new to the URS group, I've only been to one meeting and only found out about this forum a few days ago (Thanks Kevin!)

My tank has been up for just over 2 years now. About 4.5 months ago I started to get a "minor" hair algae problem. It started shortly after my Banggai Cardinals had babies. OK, it had nothing to do with the litte fish but lots to do with a proud new dad and his feeding habits!

I have since (dramatically) cut back on feeding, done more water changes more often than before and have scraped and cleaned but the stuff keeps returning. I also cut back on the "extra" supplements I add. The amount of algae is less than before but still more than I care to have!

The tank is 90 gallons with about 125 lbs of rock with 4 VHO bulbs (less than 4 months old). I have a skimmer and grow/harvest macro algae in a second tank plumbed into a common sump.

Is there a method to break the cycle? My hippo tang won't touch it, had a lawnmower blenny than ignored it and the snails/crabs don't touch it. Attached is a pic of the algae.

Any suggestions?

Rick

[cperson]

ri,
Is that brown hair algae? I would think manual removal is in order if there are tufts like that. Take out the rocks you can, pull off what you can and scrub the rest with a toothbrush in a separate bucket of saltwater. Snails and crabs should will keep the new growth in check, and the hippo tang should help quite a bit too. I would cut feeding down to 2 or 3 times per week, quit any supplements except for calcium and alkaline maintenance, do weekly water changes of 5-10 gallons and crank up the skimming. Maybe add more snails and crabs so you have a total of at least 50. Best of luck.

[Gary Majchrzak]

To help curb the growth of 'hair' algae I agree with cperson.Stop ALL liquid supplements- completely.Is your RO unit working properly? Skimmer? Phosphates are the fuel for the stuff.IME hippo tangs are nowhere near the herbivore that a yellow zebrasoma tang is. Foxface rabbitfishes are also part of the 'heavy artillary' in the algae war in a 90g tank.And snails,snails,snails! Welcome to RC, Rick! ;)

[dmorel]

I had been using DT's fairly heavily and on the advice of dave playfair and craig I knocked it way down. This has helped reduce algae a lot. (So in essence this is an I agree with previous advice post)

I am having a LOT of trouble tuning in my skimmer, if I could get it pulling better I think that would help a bunch too.

A bevy of snails/crabs/conks has played a visible role in the reduction of my visible hair algae. I don't have much, but I am pretty much in the same boat as you, trying to nip it in the bud BEFORE it becomes an issue.

The Lawnmower Blenny is an amazingly cool fish, but not particularly *useful* when it comes to hair algae. (Same can be said for the Naso Tang, but they aren't advertised as algae cleaners...)

Other things I have heard from the more experienced reef keepers around here is that patience is the key.
Keep up with skimming and keep your water quality generally good and just give it time... I might be the least patient person in the history of time as we know it, so I understand how difficult this can be. I did have a little growth on a beautiful piece of purple rimmed cap I got from todd a few months back, because I didn't want to have to re-glue it I left it alone and sure enough the coral beat out the algae on it's own...So it certainly can be a sound practice...

Good luck!

-dm

[kcolagio]

Reducing the nutrients is the best way to get rid of hair algae...

One of the more interesting approaches is to use a mangrove tree. The mangrove tree uses the same nutrients as nuisance algae...so by putting the tree in there (you get one about 9 to 12 inches tall), you are putting in a nutrient "sponge" that competes with the algae...and usually wins in a big way.

Once the nutrients are reduced, you should probably be able to keep the tank on track by cutting back on the feedings. What you feed is more important that how much also. Feeding frozen brine shrimp may make the fish go crazy, but there isn't much to them, so the fish don't get much and when they break down, the nutrient levels go up.

Just some more thoughts.

[ReeferMac]

One of the more interesting approaches is to use a mangrove tree. The mangrove tree uses the same nutrients as nuisance algae...so by putting the tree in there (you get one about 9 to 12 inches tall), you are putting in a nutrient "sponge" that competes with the algae...and usually wins in a big way.

This is the same idea behind growing algae in a sump/refugium. Often times the Hair Algae is able to out-compete some of these algae's, but what they do is reduce the overall nutrients in the system. Over time, and with careful harvesting, they will remove the excess DOC's from the system. Then, careful monitoring of your input, will keep the hair algae in check.

This isn't a magic bullet, that will kill the algea off in a few days.. far from it. It's more like a supplement to your Skimmer... Think of it that way. It's one more thing in the system competing for the same things. As it sucks the crap out, there's less and less for the hair algae to use, and since the hair algae is constantly losing ground to snails, hermits, and some big guy with a toothbrush... it loses.

What you feed is more important that how much also. Feeding frozen brine shrimp may make the fish go crazy, but there isn't much to them, so the fish don't get much and when they break down, the nutrient levels go up.

Absolutely! Reason number # 6531 why I started making my own food. That way I _knew_ exactly what I was putting into my tank. I'm still looking for a nutritional requirement of "Gel Binder" and "Preservatives".. when I find one, I'll go back to store bought ;-)

- Mac

[dmorel]

One of the more interesting approaches is to use a mangrove tree. The mangrove tree uses the same nutrients as nuisance algae...so by putting the tree in there (you get one about 9 to 12 inches tall), you are putting in a nutrient "sponge" that competes with the algae...and usually wins in a big way.


I have several ~9" mangroves in my sump.
Check on ebay, there is a guy that sells em 10 for $15.00 bucks or so.

I also have a bunch of Mac's algae. I have not been harvesting it (when I should have) for the last couple of weeks so I could bring a bunch to the meeting today. One thing that just clicked when I read this thread this morning is that I started having a hair algae problem right around the same time I noted that my macro needed to be thinned back.

Is it possible that the macro doesn't have room to grow, and so isn't burning up the nutrients that it normally does and hence my mini break out of hair algae/cyno?

That's managed to NOT become a big issue, (still a little one though)... Will be interesting to see if the big prune I am going to do in about 15 minutes has an effect on the main tank.

Hmmmmm.....

-dm

[kcolagio]

D-

Interested in selling one of your mangroves? I have enough macro to keep the hair basically in check, but I'd like a mangrove just to "round out" the competition. :)

If so, just bring it along to the meeting.

Thanks.

[dmorel]

Gotcha.

Feel free to bring something in trade rather then cash...
Not that a mangrove is worth that much but if you have some of those zoo's still...

either way, no problem I will bring one for you.

-dm