Cyano and Hair Algae kicking my butt, any advice?

[Al.B]

My cyano and hair algae has been out of control the last 2-3 months. Nutrients are not low but reasonable. P-0.05, N-20. The first time I had a cyano outbreak the chemiclean cleared it right up, now I did two back to back treatments a week apart and the cyano barely budged. Hair algae responded to picking every now and then but it is percisting as opposed to last time when it went away for a little while. I’m not sure if to just wait it out or if other measures are necessary. It’s a mixed reef tank with fish, snails and shrimp.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

wait it out? That doesn't work. It needs manual removal, weekly water changes, control the nutrients.

Get a turkey baster and blast the cyano off the rocks and sand and syphon it out.

What are the phosphate and nitrate level?

Seeing the bubbles go straight up, there is obviously not flow at all in the tank. Algae, and cyano especially, loves no-flow conditions. The tank needs a powerhead in there.

 

[Al.B]

wait it out? That doesn't work. It needs manual removal, weekly water changes, control the nutrients.

Get a turkey baster and blast the cyano off the rocks and sand and syphon it out.

What are the phosphate and nitrate level?

Seeing the bubbles go straight up, there is obviously not flow at all in the tank. Algae, and cyano especially, loves no-flow conditions. The tank needs a powerhead in there.

Will try that and see how it goes. P-0.05, N-20. The flow is moderate in most areas, the flow has been adjusted to make the corals happy in their particular spots. I’m sure it’s not great in all areas but two power heads in a 30 gal is enough I think. I’ll start more frequent removal. The corals looked much happier before the chemiclean treatment, they are kind of closed up, some more than others.

 

[Al.B]

It’s hard to see but this hairy red fuzz is also on everything, doesn’t look like hair algae

 

[KrisReef]

This one is fairly easy, reading the title I think you should take it out of the tank.

 

[Al.B]

This one is fairly easy, reading the title I think you should take it out of the tank.

 

[Al.B]

I’m kind of convinced it’s Dinos now which would explain why chemiclean isn’t helping.

The progression was hair algae came in and wiped out my phos. My phos was around 0.05 prior to that. Phos has been reading 0 for 2 months. Nitrates have hovered around 15-20. Not sure if that promotes cyano or Dino.