Adventures in battling algae

[HKesinger]

QUESTION: best way to get the HA in the sand bed? My siphon doesn’t seem to pick it up since it’s stuck itself to clumps of sand

How it started: So back in December, I left my RODI unit outside and it froze and broke a canister. Took me over a month to fix that so I had not been doing water changes and just topping off with water from the grocery store, I just got a new light on the tank at that time too and I ended up with GHA and cyano.
Fast forward to last week, I fixed the canister and did a 20% wc, scrubbing and siphoning what I could.
Tomorrow it’ll be a repeat of last Saturday.
I’m hoping getting back to regular maintenance was the source of the problem. I have a small order of clean up crew coming to maintain the 125 too since I was lacking there.
Photo is from tonight. It was worse last week

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Is there anything in your tank that is photosynthetic aka NEEDS light (like corals)?

Perhaps corals are there and I've overlooked them in your photo. I'd suggest cutting back on your light, and working on your nitrate and phosphate control.

Most CUC doesn't like/touch green hair algae. You need to get in an manually remove regularly and also cut back on the three things it needs to grow: light, nitrates and phosphates.

If it makes you feel better, my tanks have been significantly worse, but I eventually got to the other side. You will too. I used to chant: I am smarter than hair algae, I am smarter than hair algae as it kept me motivated as I cleaned (it also kept me entertained... and looking back at myself, its still a funny chant).

Hang in there and just keep at it.

 

[HKesinger]

Is there anything in your tank that is photosynthetic aka NEEDS light (like corals)?

Perhaps corals are there and I've overlooked them in your photo. I'd suggest cutting back on your light, and working on your nitrate and phosphate control.

Most CUC doesn't like/touch green hair algae. You need to get in an manually remove regularly and also cut back on the three things it needs to grow: light, nitrates and phosphates.

If it makes you feel better, my tanks have been significantly worse, but I eventually got to the other side. You will too. I used to chant: I am smarter than hair algae, I am smarter than hair algae as it kept me motivated as I cleaned (it also kept me entertained... and looking back at myself, its still a funny chant).

Hang in there and just keep at it.

Yeah i just have a finger leather and some zoas. I’m 90% sure the problem just stems from lack of nutrient export/improper water. The CUC is just there to keep things under control, not so much for a solution. I have 2 emeralds in there and they’ve been great at picking the shorter tufts of HA and bubble algae and scavenging left over food so that’s been great.

 

[HKesinger]

Battle continues on the 125. Last night I siphoned a bunch of algae off the rocks and let it drain into my sump into a filter sock. Tonight I just did a 5 gallon change (4%) to get up the loose stuff on the sand bed. This weekend I’ll do 20% WC (30 gallons) to get the rest of the rock and clean the back wall. and clean my sump.
I’m making progress though. Algae growth has slowed down a lot over the last week compared to earlier this month so I’m getting somewhere.

 

[Soilworker]

Best thing I found aside from what others have mentioned (parameters, lighting, don't overfeed) is get an urchin. I have a pencil urchin and long spine black urchin in my 160gal. I'd also recommend some turbo snails. I've had them leave lines of bare rock on a rock covered in hair algae. https://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/tank-cleaners is a good source if you're in the US.

Make sure you're manually ripping off what you can. If the hair algae is too long then not much will eat it.

 

[Soilworker]

As for the cyano, I'm coming out of a battle with that right now. Came after the hair algae was almost all gone. Blowing it off the rocks with a turkey baster and vacuuming your sand is working for me (make sure you have a filter roller or sock to catch the cyano you dislodge. I have ChemiClean on hand but trying to avoid chemical treatments for it if I can.

I added a bunch of extra copepods and have 4 tiger conches which are said to eat some cyano...not sure if they do but they stir up the sand which helps. Also make sure you have adequate flow. I'm being a little aggessive with my flow right now and put my MP40s on nutrient export mode and lowered them. The sand is getting blown in some spots but I'm hoping it will clean up the cyano on the sand a bit.