Algae issues? "Manual removal"? say what?

[ScubaSkeets]

When people ask for suggestions on removing hairy algae from their tank, one of the top suggestions is "manual removal"
I am not doubting those who have been successful with it, but I wonder if the "juice is worth the squeeze"

Because, unless "manual removal" means something other than "pulling" the algae off the rocks, or using something to scrub it off, those methods are easier said than done, at least in my experience.
Simply tugging the algae with your fingers and/or a siphon is extremely time consuming and it usually results in just tearing the algae, and not removing the "base" that is stuck to the rock.
Using a brush "may" remove the "base" of the algae if you're persistent enough but that just leads to different issues, including splashing of some of the water out of the tank. I have had a bit of success mitigating the splashing by actually using a cheap sonic-care type electric toothbrush that I bought at Walmart for 20 bucks, but it still didn't quite solve my hairy alage issues.
So what other "manual removal" methods are there?

I have one method that has worked for me several times, with no ill effects, but it is somewhat unorthodox. So in the interest of avoiding the "gasp!! You do that?!" replies, I won't mention it here, although I'm guessing some of you may already know what it is.

 

[Waters]

Manual removal isn't necessarily about removing the entire "base" but rather keeping it short enough to allow other methods to have a better chance of eradicating it.

 

[ScubaSkeets]

Manual removal isn't necessarily about removing the entire "base" but rather keeping it short enough to allow other methods to have a better chance of eradicating it.

Fair enough. However, if you have a larger tank with alot of hairy algae, manual removal is gonna be quite a task, and even if you do get all of it to a short enough length to allow other methods (assuming CUCs, herbivores) to eradicate it further, aren't you going to need one heck of a lot of CUCs, herbivores to accomplish it before it ends up coming back, assuming the CUCs, and herbivores are the only method you use?

 

[ScottJ]

Personally, I have not had much luck with a CUC keeping anything under control other than uneaten food and the Nori I offer my Tailspot Blenny. Even my Urchin only eats Coralline.

 

[ScubaSkeets]

Personally, I have not had much luck with a CUC keeping anything under control other than uneaten food and the Nori I offer my Tailspot Blenny. Even my Urchin only eats Coralline.

Me neither, but apparently people have had great success with it, because it is usually on the list of the top 5 or 10 suggestions when people inquire about it. Not sure why it works for some people and not for others.

 

[ScottJ]

Me neither, but apparently people have had great success with it, because it is usually on the list of the top 5 or 10 suggestions when people inquire about it. Not sure why it works for some people and not for others.

I have pretty good luck on hair algae by removing the rock and spot treating with a toothbrush and H2O2. But that can be impossible more times than not I guess.

I have red turf algae in my small tank. I kill it with H2O2, and in a few weeks, it's back. At least it's a nice red, I have just learned to enjoy the color.

 

[kevgib67]

When people ask for suggestions on removing hairy algae from their tank, one of the top suggestions is "manual removal"
I am not doubting those who have been successful with it, but I wonder if the "juice is worth the squeeze"

Because, unless "manual removal" means something other than "pulling" the algae off the rocks, or using something to scrub it off, those methods are easier said than done, at least in my experience.
Simply tugging the algae with your fingers and/or a siphon is extremely time consuming and it usually results in just tearing the algae, and not removing the "base" that is stuck to the rock.
Using a brush "may" remove the "base" of the algae if you're persistent enough but that just leads to different issues, including splashing of some of the water out of the tank. I have had a bit of success mitigating the splashing by actually using a cheap sonic-care type electric toothbrush that I bought at Walmart for 20 bucks, but it still didn't quite solve my hairy alage issues.
So what other "manual removal" methods are there?

I have one method that has worked for me several times, with no ill effects, but it is somewhat unorthodox. So in the interest of avoiding the "gasp!! You do that?!" replies, I won't mention it here, although I'm guessing some of you may already know what it is.

Personally I first try to identify the cause, to little nutrient export or to much import. With out that you can never stop the removal process. Manual removal is important, even if it is just for the psyche, temporary improvement, to at least keep it short. I feel cuc is very important. Number one on my list is my tuxedo urchin that removes algae to the rock surface, second would be turbo snails and emerald crabs. To a lesser extent, trochus, ceriths, ninjas and hermits. My tank is to small for the various herbivore fish that are awesome. Again, the underlying cause for the algae needs to be addressed. I’ve also had a lot of success soaking the rock I can remove in a hydrogen peroxide and water dip.

 

[Snoopy 67]

Well I do not know your other method.
You just can't dump a statement like that & not expect someone (ME) to ask for an explanation.

 

[kevgib67]

Alright, one last statement. I feel a lot of this can be both decreased in amount and duration if tanks are started with live rock. I consistently see the major algae problems in newer tanks that were started with dry rock. I can’t recall the last time a member posted a major algae issue in a newer tank started entirely live rock. I hope I didn’t just stir up a hornets nest but I feel it’s an important observation.

 

[fish farmer]

Me neither, but apparently people have had great success with it, because it is usually on the list of the top 5 or 10 suggestions when people inquire about it. Not sure why it works for some people and not for others.

I could rave how a chaeto refuge turned my GHA overtake into a practically algae free display, but wouldn't leave out the frequent water changes/detritus removal, manual algae pulling, better CUC, and possibly the skimmer upgrade.

I currently don't have chaeto and do have cyano/algae in the DT, but will work on addressing it with manual removal for now.

I also have a small tank, 29 gallon, where manual pulling during WC should be more effective.

 

[ScubaSkeets]

I could rave how a chaeto refuge turned my GHA overtake into a practically algae free display, but wouldn't leave out the frequent water changes/detritus removal, manual algae pulling, better CUC, and possibly the skimmer upgrade.

I currently don't have chaeto and do have cyano/algae in the DT, but will work on addressing it with manual removal for now.

I also have a small tank, 29 gallon, where manual pulling during WC should be more effective.

If I'm understanding correctly, your chaeto refugium turned your display practically algae free, but now you're not using the chaeto refugium (no chaeto?) and do have algae?
Why not just go back to the chaeto in the refugium?

 

[exnisstech]

Manual removal for me doesn't work very well unless it's a small tank with no coral on the rocks. In my experience pulling the rock to clean outside the tank does work but that is not feasible for everyone. I already destroyed my largest sps colony when I dropped a rock on it so I've stopped manual removal and just kind of watching to see how things progress. I have 3 tanks running but only have an algae problem in one. It is the only tank that does not have herbivorous fish so I think that is part of the issue. I have snails, even a couple of turbos larger than a golf ball, astrea snails, pitho crabs, emerald crabs and hermit crabs, This tank is rather small 24x20x20 and houses a large hadonni nem so I can't just add fish. I run a skimmer and chaeto fuge. Did flux a year or so ago and ended up with terrible cyano so I no longer consider flux an option for any tank. The cyano is much nastier than algae.
Doesn't look bad from a distance



But this is what has been going on for over a year. Sand is white only because I just swapped it out for larger grains a few days ago. The tank was barebottom before adding the nem but the algae was already there before adding sand.

I don't really obsess over it since it isn't my only tank but it would be nice to get it cleaned up. NO3 was 1.4 and PO4 0.04 two days ago tested with Hanna so it isn't an excessive nutrient issue, and least not N and P. Any suggestions?

 

[Waters]

Fair enough. However, if you have a larger tank with alot of hairy algae, manual removal is gonna be quite a task, and even if you do get all of it to a short enough length to allow other methods (assuming CUCs, herbivores) to eradicate it further, aren't you going to need one heck of a lot of CUCs, herbivores to accomplish it before it ends up coming back, assuming the CUCs, and herbivores are the only method you use?

Correct...it is a large task and a lot of work to keep up with it unfortunately lol. Regardless of whatever methods you use, manual removal makes those other methods more successful. Herbivores and inverts are less likely to eat long strands (with the exception of sea hares which eat anything lol), you won't need as many chemicals (if you went that route), less nutrients are released back into the water as algae dies, etc. No, algae eating organisms alone will keep it short but they are an important part, along with nutrient control, proper lighting, etc.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I agree with Waters 100%. When manual removal is recommended, it's usually in response to a tank that has so much established algae (e.g. long hair algae, mats of bubble algae, etc) that if something isn't done to reduce this overgrowth, nothing else non-chemical is likely to be able to keep up. Cuc can maintain a tank but often won't eliminate algae that's been let to take over the rocks.

So, yes, manual removal is often the first step to rid a tank of a large algae outbreak. No one says it's the only step.

 

[jabberwock]

Hindsight for this case, but the best answer to PREVENT algae is real ocean live rock. It is utterly amazing.

 

[NeedAReef]

Fair enough. However, if you have a larger tank with alot of hairy algae, manual removal is gonna be quite a task, and even if you do get all of it to a short enough length to allow other methods (assuming CUCs, herbivores) to eradicate it further, aren't you going to need one heck of a lot of CUCs, herbivores to accomplish it before it ends up coming back, assuming the CUCs, and herbivores are the only method you use?

this is where a fuge or an algae scrubber come into play, if you are skimming now you might not be removing enough nutrients that the algae are feeding on (light cycle is another thing, of course. You might try growing some macro algae in your sump and light the heck out of it to out compete the hair algae until the clean up crew decides to get to work. Perhaps dial back on feeding too or use an auto feeder on a schedule which also controls portions?
just a few ideas.

 

[fish farmer]

If I'm understanding correctly, your chaeto refugium turned your display practically algae free, but now you're not using the chaeto refugium (no chaeto?) and do have algae?
Why not just go back to the chaeto in the refugium?

Read my first paragraph again.

Chaeto along with WC, CUC, manual removal, also I reduced feeding. My starting nitrates were 30+ and phosphates was 1-2 ppm....perfect for algae growth.

Once I got my tank back into routine maintenance, both my nitrates and phosphates dropped down to practically undetectable.....chaeto growth stalled. My tank was doing very well. I started to feed more again and reduce WC volume. Chaeto harvest was still very low.

This spring I removed and replaced possibly 20 percent of my rock, although some is still in the sump. Whether it was a sandbed disturbance coupled with newly cycled rock I got a significant cyano bloom which still perpetuates.

Summer and fall were busy, addressing this once a month with WC. I feel the tank is due for weekly cleaning for a while. My nitrates and phosphates currently measure low so I feel chaeto may not establish like it did before. The refuge now grows GHA and cyano. I also need to add snails, some have died this year. It is cold where I'm at so I have to look local for snails/chaeto.

 

[ScubaSkeets]

this is where a fuge or an algae scrubber come into play, if you are skimming now you might not be removing enough nutrients that the algae are feeding on (light cycle is another thing, of course. You might try growing some macro algae in your sump and light the heck out of it to out compete the hair algae until the clean up crew decides to get to work. Perhaps dial back on feeding too or use an auto feeder on a schedule which also controls portions?
just a few ideas.

Thanks, but luckily for me, I am not having long hair algae problems any more, although I have had several bouts of them in the past.

 

[MnFish1]

If I'm understanding correctly, your chaeto refugium turned your display practically algae free, but now you're not using the chaeto refugium (no chaeto?) and do have algae?
Why not just go back to the chaeto in the refugium?

Part of this depends on the cause as others have said. If you have corals covering all of your rock, you will not have algae so part of it is surface area. As to manual removal of algae @brandon429 has hundreds of posts with examples of how people can do it. It's much easier with smaller tanks vs. larger tanks. If I had an issue with a rock, I would take it out of the tank, scrub it and replace it I did not glue my corals to my rock - so it was fairly easy. Some people use hydrogen peroxide locally as well. There are plenty of tanks that have no algae whether started with live or dead rock, and though thats a kind of hot-button issue IME having used both its not that big of a difference.

 

[Snoopy 67]

I started with a 50/50 mix of live rock & live sand.
I've taken the tank apart to do peroxide & scrubbing more than once.
I still have to manually remove algae every few weeks.