I guess its time to stop ignoring the algae.

[randomfishdude]

I've decided it's time to stop ignoring this ugly ish hair algae. For whatever reason my Tang and fox face are not eating it and I caught the foxface nibbling on a kenya tree.

My tank is thriving. I have a massive cuc. Pobobly 20 turbos 20 Nassisarius and a few other random snails along with a tux urchin and 2 new tiger conch that I added today. Oh and 2 or 3 emerald crabs plus 2 blue eyed hermits.

It is only in the more in the less seen places where the cuc less go.

So can anyone help me figure out what it is.

There is also the sandbed problem but I belive that's cause of rainwater getting into rodi and the loss of my old goby(3month ago) which I re added a new one today.

Tank is almost a year old. As said before corals and fish are thriving.

Lv:
1.026
15 no3
.22pho4
8.7alk
8.2 ph.

Here is a crap load of images.

 

[ryanjohn1]

what’s your thoughts on chemical treatments

 

[randomfishdude]

what’s your thoughts on chemical treatments

I prefer not. Chemiclean = no cyano but = yes dinos.
I've used polyop lab for ich twice successfully.
So not opposed just would rater not if possable

 

[ryanjohn1]

Flux rx

 

[randomfishdude]

What about non chemical options?

 

[Reefer Matt]

What size tank?

 

[randomfishdude]

What size tank?

90 gal

 

[Reefer Matt]

90 gal

I’d pull the long algae by hand, and add another 50 or so astrea snails, or a couple more pincushion urchins. I like to have around one critter per gallon. And maybe lower the PO4.

 

[randomfishdude]

I’d pull the long algae by hand, and add another 50 or so astrea snails, or a couple more pincushion urchins. I like to have around one critter per gallon.

Alright.
For whatever reason the foxface just isn't eating it and now apparently the kenya tree tastes better!?!?

 

[NeedAReef]

probably eating something off the kenya tree rather than the tree itself is my guess but I could be wrong. Algae scrubber might help. Do you have a fuge to compete for nutrients? skimming?

 

[Reefer Matt]

Alright.
For whatever reason the foxface just isn't eating it and now apparently the kenya tree tastes better!?!?

Mine went on strike too in my fowlr. Maybe more food will help if you don’t feed a lot already.

 

[randomfishdude]

probably eating something off the kenya tree rather than the tree itself is my guess but I could be wrong. Algae scrubber might help. Do you have a fuge to compete for nutrients? skimming?

He is definately eating the tree. I know both foxface and tang peck at my gorgonian because of the alge of thoes but the one little kenya frag has chunks out of it and is tore up.

I do skim. I kinda had a refugium for 3 weeks then made a post asking about what kind of algae was growing. The fuge was just some sand and a few rocks. One being a old frag rack that was previously covered in the algae. It was also just a Walmart light with a little lamp thing. So I turned off the lights then scrubbed off the frag rock. I occasionally turn on the light to give the coral in there a little light.

I haven't been able to get my hands on some cheato yet.

Mine went on strike too in my fowlr. Maybe more food will help if you don’t feed a lot already.

I probobly over feed.
3 times a day auto feeder doing a small amount of pellets for the anthias. (Started about 3 weeks ago)
Along with once or twice a day mysis.

I also do phyto daily started 3 weeks ago too. I did add pods to refugium but no clue if they're still alive.

I also occasionally do reef roads.


I Also have a uv.

 

[NeedAReef]

He is definately eating the tree. I know both foxface and tang peck at my gorgonian because of the alge of thoes but the one little kenya frag has chunks out of it and is tore up.

I do skim. I kinda had a refugium for 3 weeks then made a post asking about what kind of algae was growing. The fuge was just some sand and a few rocks. One being a old frag rack that was previously covered in the algae. It was also just a Walmart light with a little lamp thing. So I turned off the lights then scrubbed off the frag rock. I occasionally turn on the light to give the coral in there a little light.

I haven't been able to get my hands on some cheato yet.

I probobly over feed.
3 times a day auto feeder doing a small amount of pellets for the anthias. (Started about 3 weeks ago)
Along with once or twice a day mysis.

I also do phyto daily started 3 weeks ago too. I did add pods to refugium but no clue if they're still alive.

I also occasionally do reef roads.


I Also have a uv.

wow, yeah looks like overfeeding and over nutrients could be the culprit. if you put that much in this is a closed system it has to come out somehow. maybe dial back the roids and phyto a bit, give it a few weeks, dial back lighting an hour or two, see if you can stem the growth a bit. take pictures with something to measure growth, I use the wooden fast-food chopsticks with a set of marks on them when I need to measure then take pic, or pics, this lets me see progress over time. I guess I could use a ruler but I did not have one the first time I did it and now it is more a habit.

 

[randomfishdude]

wow, yeah looks like overfeeding and over nutrients could be the culprit. if you put that much in this is a closed system it has to come out somehow. maybe dial back the roids and phyto a bit, give it a few weeks, dial back lighting an hour or two, see if you can stem the growth a bit. take pictures with something to measure growth, I use the wooden fast-food chopsticks with a set of marks on them when I need to measure then take pic, or pics, this lets me see progress over time. I guess I could use a ruler but I did not have one the first time I did it and now it is more a habit.

The algae has been there for months. It just got uglier recently.

Does the phyto being live make a difference? I've only had the skimmer running since Christmas. Maybe I'll se auto feed to twice a day?

I do have a really long photo period. It is more of a lower par however.

 

[NeedAReef]

I don't think live phyto makes a difference for the gha, never heard anyone say that. sounds like you are doing what you can, maybe up the water change % or frequency for a while if the nutrients are running high. or like others said try an algae scrubber?

 

[randomfishdude]

I don't think live phyto makes a difference for the gha, never heard anyone say that. sounds like you are doing what you can, maybe up the water change % or frequency for a while if the nutrients are running high. or like others said try an algae scrubber?

Ok. Water changes are a commodity in my tank. Usually every 2-3 weeks at 10%.

Sadly I'm trying to save for project car so I can't really afford a algae scrubber. Probobly couldn't fit one to be honest.

Maybe I'll try to get my hands on some cheato? I could also start up the refugium and let the algae grow there and just keep my uv on so it can't re spread???

 

[NeedAReef]

Ok. Water changes are a commodity in my tank. Usually every 2-3 weeks at 10%.

Sadly I'm trying to save for project car so I can't really afford a algae scrubber. Probobly couldn't fit one to be honest.

Maybe I'll try to get my hands on some cheato? I could also start up the refugium and let the algae grow there and just keep my uv on so it can't re spread???

cheato growing to outcompete the other algae might work. give it a roll

 

[klc]

Feed less, don't add roids or anything liquid, use a turkey baster and blow off all of the rocks daily, vacuum the gravel as necessary to get it clean or remove the sand entirely, change any mechanical filter socks daily, reduce your po4 to less than 0.1, problem algae will go away on it's own when the conditions are right.