Algae... admit I have a problem

[BriansBrain]

Are you sure this is algae?

I guess I can’t be positive since I don’t have a microscope but it’s green, photosynthetic, and grows like it. So that’s what I was thinking

 

[SMSREEF]

Looks like a hair algae. CUC does not usually like the old long stuff. Manual removal is key. You sound like you have enough CUC so if you manually remove, they should be able keep up. I would add an emerald crab though.
Pull out a rock out, remove what you can by hand and with toothbrush and then spot treat with peroxide (do not treat whole rock, only treating surface where algae is).

 

[code4]

Algae problem is simple to keep in check but once it gets out of hand like yours it’s a little harder to cure

people always worry about nutritions when they have an algae problem. Then never consider the grazers
When I first got my tank I had a lot of grazers I never had algae in my tank. I got lazy with testing and said my nutrients most be low Well they weren’t. It’s just my grazers where eating it faster then you can grow

I would buy a sea hare to eat that hair algae

add 4 turbo snails, 14 blue leg hermits , or scarletts. 12 trochus snails

I wouldn’t add too many tangs your tank doesn’t seem to be that big

I had this same issue. Black mollies ate the algae before I even seen it. Then I tested just because. It went to 160 before I even finished shaking the test tube! Crazy

 

[LIreefguy]

I had this same issue. Black mollies ate the algae before I even seen it. Then I tested just because. It went to 160 before I even finished shaking the test tube! Crazy

Yes algae will grow in a brand new tank with no nutrients

too many people worry so much about nutrients but never every about the grazers. Snails , tangs , crabs

 

[Uncle99]

Is there any possibility that the tank is hit with natural sunlight at all.
Really looks like tanks we see when even small amounts of sunlight for short periods hit the tank day in and day out.

 

[code4]

Yes algae will grow in a brand new tank with no nutrients

too many people worry so much about nutrients but never every about the grazers. Snails , tangs , crabs

mine was not a new tank. Established for several years. I just got complacent. No algae. Must be good. Not. I had added the mollies to clean out another tank. Over 60 of them. No algae after that. Lulled me into a sense of false security

 

[Sharkbait19]

I know this sounds annoying to do, but what I did with my algae bloom was pick it all off. Then my emerald crab and snails finished the job. It was tedious, but I haven’t had a problem since.

 

[BriansBrain]

Is there any possibility that the tank is hit with natural sunlight at all.
Really looks like tanks we see when even small amounts of sunlight for short periods hit the tank day in and day out.

It does. We have a ton of windows. I changed my photo period hours to better turn on earlier and shut off earlier. 1 hour each ramp up and down with blues with 8 hour ab+ Photo period

 

[code4]

See no algae. Nitrates were so high my test could not read it. In tanks that I had algae covering everything I could not read the nitrate. Because the algae sucked it up. Algae managing is only part of it. Nutrient management is the other part. In the algae free tank I added a scrubber. And dosed a small amount of carbon. I thought: self those nitrates have to come down at once. It is working. But it will take time. I also used amquel plus to neutralize the nitrates. Always learning

 

[Uncle99]

It does. We have a ton of windows. I changed my photo period hours to better turn on earlier and shut off earlier. 1 hour each ramp up and down with blues with 8 hour ab+ Photo period

Sorry but worst possible light, high in the red spectrum, a favorite of pest algae.
Did this myself. Thought I was doing the right thing, natural grows corals in the ocean right?
But the reality is you’ll find pest algae on every coral reef.
Blocked the sunlight, brushed off what I could, dosed Vibrant.
It took 16 weeks but now looks like this
Hope that helps.

 

[LIreefguy]

I wasn’t saying algae grazer was the end all cure all

proper maintenance, proper nutrients export equipment (skimmer , gfo reactor , etc). Your tank isn’t new but I didn’t see many corals so I figured it was a new tank

 

[snowbanked]

I would up your water change schedule to at least 20% every two weeks, possibly more after you try some of the other methods recommended.

 

[BriansBrain]

Sorry but worst possible light, high in the red spectrum, a favorite of pest algae.
Did this myself. Thought I was doing the right thing, natural grows corals in the ocean right?
But the reality is you’ll find pest algae on every coral reef.
Blocked the sunlight, brushed off what I could, dosed Vibrant.
It took 16 weeks but now looks like this
Hope that helps.

Makes sense and is probably a contributor

 

[code4]

I wasn’t saying algae grazer was the end all cure all

proper maintenance, proper nutrients export equipment (skimmer , gfo reactor , etc). Your tank isn’t new but I didn’t see many corals so I figured it was a new tank

I have several tanks. And each is different than the others. I love my angels. And I did not have the heart to get rid of them darn mollies. I agree with what you are saying. I just meant that some issues can happen no matter the age of the tank. In my case it was because them darn mollies gave me a false visual. I thought everything was fine. But one day while remembering why I moved the mollies. I remembered how high the nitrates were in their tank. And there was no algae in it! And then I rushed to test my large tank. My heart dropped right into my stomach. The test tube was almost maroon. I will test more regularly now. And just because it looks good it might not be. My other tanks have coral. ;Shamefullyembarrased

@saltydog11 I hope this information helps.

 

[BriansBrain]

Thanks everyone for your input and experiences. Lots of good info here!

 

[sfin52]

How big is your tank

 

[BriansBrain]

How big is your tank

display is 5’ 115 gallon and 20ish gallon sump. About 135 total

 

[sfin52]

display is 5’ 115 gallon and 20ish gallon sump. About 135 total

Have you thought about fish that will eat algea like tangs and foxface

 

[BriansBrain]

Have you thought about fish that will eat algea like tangs and foxface

I have a Kole and chocolate tang currently. They pick around but i wouldn’t call them useful lol

 

[Jilly92]

I have to swallow my pride and ask for help with a newbie issue and ask you to beat a dead horse. Algae. My tank is still young at 11 months and has gone through several uglies. But this hideous algae conglomerate has been driving me crazy for 4 months. I’ve had patience, and I still do, but it needs beat back because it’s at plague proportions now and stripping nutrients and smothering coral. It only really grows on the rock and a little on the back glass.

I don’t have a microscope but it looks like Alot of turf and maybe others. I’ve been running BRS GFO in a reactor changing media every two or less weeks. I started dosing and used a bottle of Continuum Bacter Clean M as directed on the bottle, not sure that’s done much. Dosed microbactor7 as well. After, did a round of fluconozole. It worked but the algae came back and stronger. I am starting to be convinced the rock (pukani, Tonga, Fiji) I reused from my last setup was not cured 100% and is leaching. Most of the rock is anchored and glued, so pulling rock out to clean is not ideal. I can however remove and about 25% easily and dip. But it usually just comes back.

I am currently trying a 3 day blackout now to try and beat it back some. I kow it’s not a cure all, but what would you recommend I try and do during and/or after the blackout?
I have a little nopox, but I don’t think nitrates are my problem. But idk that’s why I’ve come here lol
I feed once per day frozen and have not specifically fed corals in a while.
135ish gallon system
no3 2, po4 0.02 pH 8.1-8.4, Alk 8.5dkh, CA 420, I need test Mg when I get home, but was last at 1520
4 radions xr 15 ab+ @ 62%
6 urchins, tons of trochus snails (they keep multiplying), dwarf ceriths, Kole tang, chocolate tang, 2 clowns, 4 chromis, 2 wrasses, and a very skittish small blue throat trigger.

Pictures are nasty obviously and a lot of floaters because I was doing a water change and trying to pull what I can off. Pretty tough to manually remove

I haven't used algaefix in my saltwater but I used it in my freshwater and the bottom sandbed was covered in dark green slime and in 4 days with 2 doses ITS ALL GONE! So today I bought some marine algaefix and I'm going to try that for cyano. An urchin, emerald crab, and lawnmower blenny would help some too.