Desperate need of help with hair algae/dinos

[dlemonz]

I’ve done everything imaginable over the last 6 months - nothing fixes my hair algae. Recently my nutrients bottomed out and Dino’s came. Current nitrates are 5 and phos is 0.03. I have tried invert overload, I manual pluck daily, removing the rock and scrubbing with peroxide. Nothing works. Currently running uv and carbon for the Dinos, not helping. Does anyone have any ideas besides brightwell razer which i think i am forced into and just accept whatever coral die.

 

[Uncle99]

You need to cultivate more good guys in your system. They are the ones that make that stuff disappear.

Your phosphate at 0.03ppm is way low, with testing error could be zero which favours all the pest type stuff.

Bump that to .1ppm and ensure stability in all other parameters, this favours the good guys.

There comes a point where the good guys just outcompete the pest type for space and rocks stay cleam, sand white.

 

[dlemonz]

I’ve been trying to even when parameters are stable the hair algae never goes away

 

[sixty_reefer]

How’s your filtration looking? Do you have a sump

 

[dlemonz]

No it’s a waterbox 25 aio so I just use filter floss. I ran a skimmer for a while as well but didn’t do much took it out when my nutrients were low

 

[sixty_reefer]

No it’s a waterbox 25 aio so I just use filter floss. I ran a skimmer for a while as well but didn’t do much took it out when my nutrients were low

Can you add a few pics with white lights

 

[CHSUB]

6 months is a new tank and algae is expected. An algae eating Blenny would help and manual removal is always part of the hobby until the algae has no real estate to grow. Imo, run your skimmer and reduce no3, “bottoming out” nutrients doesn’t exist if you have fed fish.

 

[dlemonz]

The tank is over 3 years old and was doing very well until the algae took over

 

[CHSUB]

The tank is over 3 years old and was doing very well until the algae took over

Are you dosing no3, aka algae food?

 

[landlubber]

You need to cultivate more good guys in your system. They are the ones that make that stuff disappear.

Your phosphate at 0.03ppm is way low, with testing error could be zero which favours all the pest type stuff.

Bump that to .1ppm and ensure stability in all other parameters, this favours the good guys.

There comes a point where the good guys just outcompete the pest type for space and rocks stay cleam, sand white.

while i agree with his po4 being low when dealing with copious amounts of gha unreadable values are the norm. Unfortunately for the hobbyist, the second nutrients are introduced to the water the gha pulls them out and furthers the struggle with dinos.
Typically a microscope for ID and the correct remediation method is the best course of action. I learned the hard way that throwing money at it while assuming it'll be effective was not the right way to go about it
Need that ID for the best chance at winning this.

 

[Subsea]

You need to cultivate more good guys in your system. They are the ones that make that stuff disappear.

Your phosphate at 0.03ppm is way low, with testing error could be zero which favours all the pest type stuff.

Bump that to .1ppm and ensure stability in all other parameters, this favours the good guys.

There comes a point where the good guys just outcompete the pest type for space and rocks stay cleam, sand white.

Kudos to this post.

Algae abatement requires consumers, competitors and real estate.

 

[dlemonz]

This is a picture of the Dino’s. I thought it was osteos that’s why I’m running the UV right now. I used to run higher nutrients but that’s when the green hair algae took over

 

[dlemonz]

I am shutting this tank down within the next 6 months because it is at my parents and I no longer live there so trying to fix everything before I move it over to my new tank

 

[Subsea]

I am shutting this tank down within the next 6 months because it is at my parents and I no longer live there so trying to fix everything before I move it over to my new tank

How about a full tank shot with white light.

 

[dlemonz]

How about a full tank shot with white light.

Sorry I am not with the tank so can’t get a picture

 

[XtraKargo]

I would get a good clean up crew. Emerald crabs, or even trochus snails, and if you can find one a small tuxedo urchin. Then I would turn off the UV, it could be killing the very good guys you want, and in a coral system I made the same mistake. Turned it off and things were much better. Lastly, PNS Pro BIO (Red bottle bacteria) is a great beneficial bacteria that actually grows in salt water environments. It was recommended to me in a similar situation, and I've done well with it since. These smaller setups are easy to tip the scales in the dinos favor, and just take your time getting it lined back out. (I'd ease up on any water changes for a bit also, and let the glass grow out a week or two.) Shooting from the hip here, but I know you can beat it back.

 

[Stang67]

Pic of dinos isn't adequate to determine type. Check out Mack's reef on FB there is a ton of info including how to I'd and treat each kind. It took me a few months to get over mine. May just want to wait because it can take months to beat depending on type. Good luck.

 

[Subsea]

I am shutting this tank down within the next 6 months because it is at my parents and I no longer live there so trying to fix everything before I move it over to my new tank.

How far away is your new tank? Is it set up and what size?

 

[dlemonz]

Thanks yeah I will try that as my last resort before razor. I have a tuxedo urchin, 3 turbos, 10 astreas and 5 hermits in the 25 gallon

 

[CHSUB]

I don’t have a microscope so I have never had Dino’s….lol. Algae is all the same, needs nutrients to grow and if you remove some and some gets consumed problem solved.