Algae Issues

[Matt Schario]

Hello,

I am fairly new to this hobby (5 months in I believe). I am looking for a few pointers on this algae / growth issue I have been having. Two photos below, the one on top is a green hair like algae that keeps growing in my tank and I cant seem to get rid of it. The bottom photo, Is a pointy white plant that is growing in the tank and I have 4-5 of them throughout the tank that look similar.

Tank conditions:
Temp: 78
pH: 8.4
SG- 1.026
Nitrates/Ammonia/Nitrites: 0 ppm (according to saltwater master test kit)
Aquamaxx HOB Protein Skimmer
HOB Carbon / sponge filter
It is a 36 gallon bowfront tank
Current USA Orbit Marine LED x2
2 x Powerheads

Livestock:
2 x clownfish
1 x Coral Beauty
1 x Royal Gramma
1 x Diamond watchman goby
1 x lawnmower blenny
2 x hermits
nerite snails misc

The odd thing is the blenny isnt even touching the algae from what I have seen, maybe I am overestimating its eating ability.

I just have a zoa frag and toadstool mushroom for corals since my lights arent the greatest.

I normally feed small amounts of rods fish food and sustainable aquatics dry hatchery diet. Usually alternate between the two daily and feed a pretty small amount.

Again, any help is appreciated and if any other information may be needed I am more than happy to provide it. Do not be shy about the feedback!

Thanks,
Matt

 

[KSReef]

You could add more hermits.

The plant is Aiptasia. Get some Peppermint shrimp to control it.

 

[3mm3]

Bottom picture is an aiptasia. May sound drastic but if your able to pull the rock and razor off a piece of rock it's attached to I would.

 

[cracker]

here 's a bump for you. I'm interested as well.

 

[Matt Schario]

Ahh good call on the peppermint shrimp and Aiptasia.

Any tips on the green algae?

 

[lapin]

Howdy and welcome.
The aiptasia will need to be dealt with. Sooner the better. You will get many solutions. Peppermints from the gulf are what I find best. They eat them as a normal part of their diet and if they are tank raised ones are usually fed aiptasia. The peppermints can be an issue as they will much on LPS corals sometimes. Some people trade them back to the LFS or another reefer that needs them.
The hair. My lawnmower wont touch the stuff. Ate all the bryopsis, but no hair. Picky I guess. I find your best bet is snails in a small tank. If you remove as much as you can by hand the snails will eat off the nubs left. Find snails that like to hang out on rocks since that is where the hair is. Your hermits will kill snails for the shells if they are big enough or just eat them for food. Something to watch for. You have other options such as a sea hair but you will need to remove it when the hair is gone or it will starve.

Nitrates/Ammonia/Nitrites: 0 ppm (according to saltwater master test kit)

You have nitrate or the hair would not grow. The hair might be consuming it to the point it does not show on your kit. I would try to find something to compete with the hair for nutrients for a long term fix

 

[3mm3]

For that algea I wouldn't worry too much tank is young. You can however add a banded trochus snail or a gold ring cowrie (Monetaria annulus) if your able to find one.

 

[Greybeard]

Green Hair algae (GHA). Get critters that eat it. Pencil urchins are among my favorites. They're like bulldozers, your corals must be well attached, but they eat the heck out of that GHA. I like fishes that eat algae too... usually Tangs, but not in a <40g tank... Mollies, perhaps? Don't know what other small GHA eating fishes there are.

Reduce feedings, especially processed foods, tablet, pellet, and flake. I know, tests are saying 0 nutrients... don't believe it.

If worse comes to worse, a 3 day 'lights out' and a bag of GFO would probably be the end of it. Don't panic, GHA is normal, and fixable :)

Aptasia, on the other hand... These can be a horrible problem. I'd pull that rock, and chisel off the entire area around where he is attached. Watch for them to come back, and kill them immediately. Really... this is one of those 'nuke 'em from orbit' pests. Let 'em get out of hand, and it's grounds for shutting down a tank. Mottled filefish eat them. I like these far better than peppermint shrimp, but neither one will eradicate them. Just eat enough to keep them under control. The fish (or shrimp) goes away, and the aptasia come back. ORA's breeding mottled filefish now.

 

[laverda]

Are you using quality test kits? What are your phosphates at? Nitrates and phosphates often read low or zero when you have GHA growing in your tank. That is because the GHA is using it to grow.
There are several ways to remove nitrate and phosphate.
1. lots of water changes.
2. expensive chemicals like GFO and
3. Clean up crews like urchins, snails, sea hairs and some fish. Combine with any of the other methods as they will help, but not usually eliminate GHA.
4. Exporting nutrients via a Refugium or ATS.
I find the last the most effective and very inexpensive if you DIY something. But even if you buy a ATS it quickly saves money over chemicals and more effective. You can easily incorporate an ATS in to most tanks. See my thread for some ideas https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-anyone-can-build-an-ats-for-under-30-00.518209/ An ATS and Refugium also have the benefit of being a great source of pods.

True peppermint shrimp work well for aptasia as do aptasia eating file fish.

 

[Sallstrom]

Easiest and probably the cheapest way IMO would be to buy an urchin(Diadema or collector or something similar) and a filefish and then just wait a month.

If you try to "starve" the algae by lowering the nutrients(nitrate and phosphate) you'll just end up staving the corals as well(and you likely get red Cyanobacteria). Nutrients are not bad.

Read, read and then read some more before you make any decisions:)

 

[Poseidon03]

I do not recommend peppermint shrimp from personal experience. I had 3 demolish a rock flower anemone in 1 night. Aiptasia X works wonders.

 

[Reef-Tank]

Some time i run into this issue too. What are the best max lighting schedule hours without algea issue any idea really appriciate i run 2x A360X. Thanks

 

[Millimylilly]

When I used aptaisiaX it caused it to multiply and I had to eventually shut down the tank...

 

[Hector Fajardo]

free bump. I am having the same problem with green algae. I checked the chemistry and all in order. Using a USA orbit current, with 65 blue, 15 green, 25 red,and 20 white. In my LFS they recommend a blennie, do they eat green algae? is the light spectrum right?
This pic was with white lights on, just for the pic.

 

[Reef-Tank]

I'm running A360X with 35% intens and 75% spectrum and reduce to 7 hours running light seem it work better algea start dieing.

 

[Nathan Milender]

I think some algae is a good thing. That does not look out of control to me. I would leave it. If you really want to get rid of it I agree that snails do a good job (research which ones you get, not all are great). Urchins are cool but can move things in your tank. Hermits are funny but not as good as urchins or snails. My new favorite for it's ability to deal with high flow is the chiton, that thing is a beast and really cleans rock. I have been adding algae from sump to the tank afraid there is not enough to eat in there since that thing picked it clean.