Green Hair Algae Question

bguzio

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Hello friends,
I had to tear down my 4-year-old 150-gallon tank after a terrible case of velvet in my DT about 6 months ago. I lost about 80% of my fish. I was extremely lucky for the 4 years my tank was established without QT any of my fish. I have a skimmer and an inline UV light. The new fish would get a freshwater bath and were immediately put into the DT. Unfortunately, I added a copper band and within two days he showed severe signs of velvet which most of my remaining fish caught and died. I decided to tear down the tank and do an entire bleaching. I started up the tank again about 3 months ago and learned my lesson. All new fish get quarantined for at least a month before being put into my DT. About a month ago I started to have a green hair algae infestation in my DT, as well as my new DIY, standalone macro algae refugium which is tied into my sump. I only have about a softball size of macroalgae from Algae Barn at this time. My phosphates are at 0.04 and my nitrates are at approx. 3 ppm. I'm sure the green algae uptake is the reason for such low phosphate and nitrate levels. I lowered my lights on the DT to almost off for about a month now and the green hair algae is just about completely gone in the DT. My 20-gallon refugium has 2 Kessel tuna 80 lights which are left on for about 10 hours at night. The green hair algae is still a real problem in my refugium and I constantly need to clean it to remove the algae. My question is this.......Will the tank mature with practically no lighting in the DT so I can eventually turn the lights up to normal levels or am I just postponing the inevitable regarding the green hair algae infestation where it will come right back when I raise the light PAR to a normal output level no matter how much time goes by in the DT with practically no lighting to fuel the algae to grow?

P.S.
Interesting that I did not have a green hair algae problem when I first started the DT almost 5 years ago.

Any feedback would be appreciated and welcomed.

Bill
 

lapin

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Just a guess : the algae has no competition so it’s free to grow. I would reduce the light in the fuge for a bit and see if coralline or film algae the display will out compete it. At normal par in the display you will get growth. As to what comes first and stays is the question.
 

BetterJake

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Any inverts or tangs? I know they don't like eating old growth, perhaps a good manual scrubbing and a sizeable CUC for new growth would help.
 
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bguzio

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Just a guess : the algae has no competition so it’s free to grow. I would reduce the light in the fuge for a bit and see if coralline or film algae the display will out compete it. At normal par in the display you will get growth. As to what comes first and stays is the question.
Thank you for your advice regarding this age-old algae problem. I will cut back on the refugium lighting and try feeding a bit lighter. I can't use something like vibrant as the refugium will get wiped out as well unless I take it offline.
 
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bguzio

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Any inverts or tangs? I know they don't like eating old growth, perhaps a good manual scrubbing and a sizeable CUC for new growth would help.
Thank you for your advice.....I have one skunk shrimp and a blood shrimp that survived the velvet crash 6 months prior. None of my tangs survived the crash. The small amounts of GHA that is in the tank get scrubbed away with a toothbrush. Again, there is very little GHA in the DT with the lights practically off 24/7. I don't want to put a clean up crew in the DT yet as they also need to be quarantined for approx. a month as well. However, if I know they will help significantly, I should buy them now to be used after QT and then into my DT
 

BetterJake

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Thank you for your advice.....I have one skunk shrimp and a blood shrimp that survived the velvet crash 6 months prior. None of my tangs survived the crash. The small amounts of GHA that is in the tank get scrubbed away with a toothbrush. Again, there is very little GHA in the DT with the lights practically off 24/7. I don't want to put a clean up crew in the DT yet as they also need to be quarantined for approx. a month as well. However, if I know they will help significantly, I should buy them now to be used after QT and then into my DT
Good plan. I don't have the space or ability to do QT, totally understand its necessity. I actually buy all my fish already QT from either Dr.Reef or TSM Aquatics. It's more money but the peace of mind is worth it to me
 

willsaf.ws

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Hello friends,
I had to tear down my 4-year-old 150-gallon tank after a terrible case of velvet in my DT about 6 months ago. I lost about 80% of my fish. I was extremely lucky for the 4 years my tank was established without QT any of my fish. I have a skimmer and an inline UV light. The new fish would get a freshwater bath and were immediately put into the DT. Unfortunately, I added a copper band and within two days he showed severe signs of velvet which most of my remaining fish caught and died. I decided to tear down the tank and do an entire bleaching. I started up the tank again about 3 months ago and learned my lesson. All new fish get quarantined for at least a month before being put into my DT. About a month ago I started to have a green hair algae infestation in my DT, as well as my new DIY, standalone macro algae refugium which is tied into my sump. I only have about a softball size of macroalgae from Algae Barn at this time. My phosphates are at 0.04 and my nitrates are at approx. 3 ppm. I'm sure the green algae uptake is the reason for such low phosphate and nitrate levels. I lowered my lights on the DT to almost off for about a month now and the green hair algae is just about completely gone in the DT. My 20-gallon refugium has 2 Kessel tuna 80 lights which are left on for about 10 hours at night. The green hair algae is still a real problem in my refugium and I constantly need to clean it to remove the algae. My question is this.......Will the tank mature with practically no lighting in the DT so I can eventually turn the lights up to normal levels or am I just postponing the inevitable regarding the green hair algae infestation where it will come right back when I raise the light PAR to a normal output level no matter how much time goes by in the DT with practically no lighting to fuel the algae to grow?

P.S.
Interesting that I did not have a green hair algae problem when I first started the DT almost 5 years ago.

Any feedback would be appreciated and welcomed.

Bill
You are gonna go through a green algae phase especially starting with dry rock .. the fact that you have a fuge is great .. but how big it and is a ball of macro gonna compete with clean prime surface ready to be infested.. you need a cleaning crew .. invertebrates.. urchins.. fox face and tomini tang .. some other herbavour/omnis .. hair algae will grow you’ll remove some and they’ll eat some additives like cope bods and dr Tim’s bacteria could help 2 .. I’ve been dealing with gha 2 .. and you can win just remember you can’t see it cause someone is eating it .. I don’t think anything can outcompete it .. my personal opinion
 

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