Hairy brown algae, What is it?

[Exotrezy]

So I have been dealing with diatoms for the past couple weeks but recently (about 1 week ago) this brown hairy algae came up. It flows in the water and it is spreading. Never really got a clear answer on what it is. Here is a video link:

 

[Dan_P]

So I have been dealing with diatoms for the past couple weeks but recently (about 1 week ago) this brown hairy algae came up. It flows in the water and it is spreading. Never really got a clear answer on what it is. Here is a video link:

Looks like hair algae

 

[Exotrezy]

Looks like hair algae

What hair algae? It does not come off with a turkey baster and i have to scrape the base of it with tweezers to make it come off.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

Looks like hair algae

Take some out of the tank and see if it's green under normal lighting. If it starts looking more like brown snot in the tank and not 'hairy', it might be dinos.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

What hair algae? It does not come off with a turkey baster and i have to scrape the base of it with tweezers to make it come off.

Hair algae has 'roots' and will adhere very strongly to rock. It's tough to remove.

 

[Mels_Reef]

So I have been dealing with diatoms for the past couple weeks but recently (about 1 week ago) this brown hairy algae came up. It flows in the water and it is spreading. Never really got a clear answer on what it is. Here is a video link:

It reminds me of a green/brown Cyanobacteria I had in a new system a month into it. It was covering my egg crate bad. I added a bunch of astrea snails and swapped those racks out for clean ones and it’s not been a problem since.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

It reminds me of a green/brown Cyanobacteria I had in a new system a month into it. It was covering my egg crate bad. I added a bunch of astrea snails and swapped those racks out for clean ones and it’s not been a problem since.

Tank also looks brand new. Might be that as well.

 

[Exotrezy]

Tank also looks brand new. Might be that as well.

Not too new, started back in october but did a fallow from november until end of december

 

[Exotrezy]

Take some out of the tank and see if it's green under normal lighting. If it starts looking more like brown snot in the tank and not 'hairy', it might be dinos.

I will do that

 

[Mels_Reef]

I will do that

What is your phosphate and nitrate levels and what test kits are you using?

 

[gbroadbridge]

So I have been dealing with diatoms for the past couple weeks but recently (about 1 week ago) this brown hairy algae came up. It flows in the water and it is spreading. Never really got a clear answer on what it is. Here is a video link:

It's just one of the many species of GHA.

It's common in new tanks during ugly phases which occur during the first 3-18 months.

Manual removal is the way to go with elbow grease and a toothbrush.
Introduce herbivores will help.

Keep tank chemistry stable and keep up weekly water changes.

 

[Exotrezy]

It's just one of the many species of GHA.

It's common in new tanks during ugly phases which occur during the first 3-18 months.

Manual removal is the way to go with elbow grease and a toothbrush.
Introduce herbivores will help.

Keep tank chemistry stable and keep up weekly water changes.

Any specific snails that will eat it?

 

[Exotrezy]

What is your phosphate and nitrate levels and what test kits are you using?

I need to get a phosphate tester as I don't have one but for nitrate last I checked it was about 10 ppm.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

I need to get a phosphate tester as I don't have one but for nitrate last I checked it was about 10 ppm.

Need to get at least Nitrate + Phosphate + Alkalinity testers. Phosphate at 10ppm is off the charts high. Phosphate should be at 0.05-0.10ppm at ideal parameters. Nitrate should be ~5-15 ppm. Alkalinity needs to be stable at 8-11dKh.

Remember - stability is WAY more important than chasing certain numbers.

 

[Exotrezy]

Need to get at least Nitrate + Phosphate + Alkalinity testers. Phosphate at 10ppm is off the charts high. Phosphate should be at 0.05-0.10ppm at ideal parameters. Nitrate should be ~5-15 ppm. Alkalinity needs to be stable at 8-11dKh.

Remember - stability is WAY more important than chasing certain numbers.

I said nitrates is 10ppm not phosphate, i am trying to see which phosphate tester to get, I want a hanna tester but they are pricey so i am thinking maybe salifert.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I said nitrates is 10ppm not phosphate, i am trying to see which phosphate tester to get, I want a hanna tester but they are pricey so i am thinking maybe salifert.

I hear what you are saying but the Hanna is much easier to read than the Salifert.

The Salifert works okay if you use a second vial with unreacted water so you can see very small color changes by comparison.

At 0.10 ppm Phosphate it is an okay test to use - very difficult lower than that.

The salifert is better if you have silicates in the sample, Silica interferes with the Hanna much more strongly than Salifert.

 

[Mels_Reef]

No phos test kit even comes close to a Hanna phos checker. In my opinion, you shouldn’t even keep a reef if you can’t/won’t make that investment. It’s a priceless tool

 

[Exotrezy]

No phos test kit even comes close to a Hanna phos checker. In my opinion, you shouldn’t even keep a reef if you can’t/won’t make that investment. It’s a priceless tool

Well I will most likely get it later on but for now I am saying to get salifert.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I do not know which specific organism that is, but in the case of green algae, which this may be, herbivores can be a better way to go than nutrient control.

 

[Exotrezy]

I do not know which specific organism that is, but in the case of green algae, which this may be, herbivores can be a better way to go than nutrient control.

Yes I had 1 turbo snail but the minute that I put it in my tank it didn’t move much and all the other snails and hermits were fine but the turbo and i think the other was a trochus. The guy I got it from said that he would bring me a replacement for free so very happy about that. He said he might even throw in a shrimp or 2 for free since I had to wait.