algae id/ tips on getting rid of it?

[rutherfordreefs]

so i've been dealing with this algae growth for quite a while now and i'm not sure exactly how to beat it. i've tried manual removal but you can't get every single piece so it just continues coming back. my tang does eat it but can only eat so much of it. it looks like chaeto, but from all i've read chaeto doesn't grow on rocks so who knows. hopefully someone else has battled this and has some tips or tricks to beating it.

 

[blaxsun]

It almost looks like tiny threads of chaeto.

 

[rutherfordreefs]

It almost looks like tiny threads of chaeto.

yeah it looks like it, now just to find out how to remove it. are there any cuc that eat chaeto?

 

[blaxsun]

yeah it looks like it, now just to find out how to remove it. are there any cuc that eat chaeto?

Pitho crabs supposedly eat algae. Whether or not they'd go after all the stringy stuff is anyone's guess. If you don't have a lot of corals on those rocks, you could always remove them to a bin of saltwater and thoroughly scrub them off there, rinse in some fresh saltwater and then return to the tank.

 

[Xavier434]

You need to test your parameters and report back. Especially Nitrate/Phosphate. If those are high then I would focus on reducing those first. Also consider dosing healthy bacteria that eats Nitrate like Dr. Tim's Waste Away. The point is to starve it.

Scrubbing the rocks as suggested above is another option. You could also attempt a black out for several days, but your corals will temporarily suffer if you do that.

Lastly, I have read that chaeto is sensitive to Magnesium levels above 1500 so test your Mag. Some reefers struggle to keep it alive in their refugium for this reason. However, if you do consider trying to raise your Mag levels then first make sure your corals will be able to handle it.

 

[Uncle99]

I agree with Xavier434, water chemistry is main cause of most of our woes, either the levels and/or unstable chemistry.

What does testing reveal?

 

[rutherfordreefs]

nitrates at 5 ppm per hanna phosphates .02 also per hanna

 

[rutherfordreefs]

You need to test your parameters and report back. Especially Nitrate/Phosphate. If those are high then I would focus on reducing those first. Also consider dosing healthy bacteria that eats Nitrate like Dr. Tim's Waste Away. The point is to starve it.

Scrubbing the rocks as suggested above is another option. You could also attempt a black out for several days, but your corals will temporarily suffer if you do that.

Lastly, I have read that chaeto is sensitive to Magnesium levels above 1500 so test your Mag. Some reefers struggle to keep it alive in their refugium for this reason. However, if you do consider trying to raise your Mag levels then first make sure your corals will be able to handle it.

i have been raising mag up this past week to see if that helps. bringing up from 1250 at 1300 now. we will see if that helps. the torches and other lps shouldn't mind the elevated mag if anything they'll like it more. i just worry about my sps.

 

[Xavier434]

Those are good numbers.

Okay, so this is not usually a viable solution by itself, but I think it will work in your case. Judging by your photos, you got a small number of frags on the rocks. I know it feels like a pain, but I recommend taking them off for now and placing them on frag racks or something in the tank so they continue to receive light and flow as needed. Put very large diameter PVC pipe in the tank for your fish to hide and remove all of the rock. Put the rocks in fresh saltwater and scrub the crap out of them. Then remove all the rocks and put them in another batch of fresh saltwater. Leave them in this batch in a room with zero light for at least a few days. Wouldn't hurt to add a little flow as well but it's not necessary if you do not have spare pumps or power heads. Observe the rock daily and look for any algae growth. Do the same in the tank itself. Remove any that you see asap. Continue for more days if necessary, but if you do not observe any regrowth then put the rocks back in the display and see what happens.

I think this "should" fix your problem. I know all of the above sounds like a pain and it is, but to be honest you are in a situation where this potential solution is possible and it is quick. That is very rare in this hobby so in that sense, you might be lucky. Also, I do think dosing beneficial bacteria on the regular will also help. Allow it to beat any regrowth to the punch.

Edit: If you do not have good tools for scrubbing then get those first. Thin brushes with stiff bristles is my personal "go to" for this kind of work. Also some thin pipe cleaners to really get into any hard to access places. It is worth starting this process with the right tools from the beginning. Haste makes waste.