stubborn hair algae

[Aquatica Services Pattaya]

been fighting for over 3 months a terrible hair algae outbreak.
the aquarium is 1300lt 3m long 50cm high.....Mostly soft corals some clams (who have since died) and anemones.
Withy ApI test I show 0 Nitrate 0 Phosphates Temp set at 26C running 2 skimmers and have a Cheato Heowing station set up inside the sump.
tank was doing great untill we tried to rais the Ph slightly (previous at 7.8 stable) raised it to 8.2 with Ph up chemical and adding an oxygen pump into skimmers. succesfully raised to 8.4 stable but then the algae struck....we have tried everything took out rock cleaning to have algae return...we are feeding to an absolute minimum (only every other day 1 block frozen fresh food..no more dry food) all ApI test stayed at 0...bought a HANNAH phosphorus checker reading 200??? added ElimiPhos untill reading now set at 15-20 stable.....all for all algae to keep coming back....we used to do 10% weekly water changes now to even 20% water changes weekly bryshing and sucking out as much algae as possible....just for it to come back.....
lights are 4x AI Hydras 64HD set as follows.....
haninging about 30cm above the water...
have a 12000lt return pp running at 80% and 1 Jebao CP
150 running at reef mode to create huge flow......
for 2 weeks now adding every third day ApI Algaefix which seem to do little to not much.....
even did several 2-5 days lights put to no effect.....
who can help?
most soft corals seem to be doing ok accept lost my clams and the Gonioporas seem to start to dissapear....bubble tips not looking too happy...

 

[Lavey29]

With 0 nitrates and 0 phosphate your corals are starving to death. Are you doing daily manual removal of GHA? Do you have a diverse cleaner crew which includes turbos and tuxedo urchins?

 

[Aquatica Services Pattaya]

With 0 nitrates and 0 phosphate your corals are starving to death. Are you doing daily manual removal of GHA? Do you have a diverse cleaner crew which includes turbos and tuxedo urchins?

includes turbos and tuxedo urchins?

turbos..blue legged..astreas..trochus...every 3rd day we service the tank and brush off as much algae as possible 1 weekly water change

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Can we see a tank pic, it really helps....
Something seems off on your tank from your description, really need a pic

 

[PeterErc]

Can we see a tank pic, it really helps....
Something seems off on your tank from your description, really need a pic

pictures are worth a thousand words, might not be hair algae

 

[vancouverredsea350]

My tank is in the front room of my house and gets lots of natural light in the summer. I usually get a ton of green hair algae around then so I purchase a sea hare that makes quick work of it then I return it to the lfs when it’s all gone. I’ve tried Algaefix and stuff too that didn’t work for me either.

 

[Aquatica Services Pattaya]

pictures are worth a thousand words, might not be hair algae

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Pictures under white lights would be more helpful.

How long has this tank been set up?

Did you start with dry rock or live?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I also see at least one aiptasia, maybe more but the picture is too blue to tell for sure.

 

[Aquatica Services Pattaya]

I also see at least one aiptasia, maybe more but the picture is too blue to tell for sure.

no aptasia..yes there are some mojano anemones in the tank came with corals purchased...we blast them if they get too much....

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

no aptasia..yes there are some mojano anemones in the tank came with corals purchased...we blast them if they get too much....

Can you post pics under white lighting please?

 

[jason2459]

Maybe it's the blue but sure looks a lot like several aiptasia to me too. Otherwise the blue is to blue to really see the algae well.

 

[PeterErc]

The API Algaefix could be what had the most negative effect on the inhabitants. I would recommend to stop dosing, water change and run some carbon. The anemones should rebound if not too far gone. There are threads on Vibrant dosing and Algae fix which are the same herbicide. Many people had bad experiences using the products. Some free time and a google search on Vibrant will explain more than I ever can.

Since you can remove the rocks, spot treating with H2O2, hydrogen peroxide, will kill the algae. Plenty of threads with that info too.

Is the cleanup crew consuming the algae or does nothing eat it?

 

[Seansea]

Algae scrubber. Buy one and dont look back.

 

[Aquatica Services Pattaya]

some pictures and video taken under white lights today...

 

[Aquatica Services Pattaya]

we have taken out a

The API Algaefix could be what had the most negative effect on the inhabitants. I would recommend to stop dosing, water change and run some carbon. The anemones should rebound if not too far gone. There are threads on Vibrant dosing and Algae fix which are the same herbicide. Many people had bad experiences using the products. Some free time and a google search on Vibrant will explain more than I ever can.

Since you can remove the rocks, spot treating with H2O2, hydrogen peroxide, will kill the algae. Plenty of threads with that info too.

Is the cleanup crew consuming the algae or does nothing eat it?

The API Algaefix could be what had the most negative effect on the inhabitants. I would recommend to stop dosing, water change and run some carbon. The anemones should rebound if not too far gone. There are threads on Vibrant dosing and Algae fix which are the same herbicide. Many people had bad experiences using the products. Some free time and a google search on Vibrant will explain more than I ever can.

Since you can remove the rocks, spot treating with H2O2, hydrogen peroxide, will kill the algae. Plenty of threads with that info too.

Is the cleanup crew consuming the algae or does nothing eat it?

we have taken out all rock and fully cleaned them now 3 times....
realy not see any of the CUC eat any of it or any of the Tangs or foxfaces in it....

 

[Shibaken3]

1 snail per 1 gallon. or 1 hermit per gallon.
It is about 300 gallons so I'll add 100 snails and 100 hermits to start off.
Recommend asternia snail/trochus. For hermits blue leg hermit.
I don't see any snails in the pictures. I should be able to see at least one snail in each frame.
I also see aptaisa. I'll add peppermint shrimp before it gets out of hand.

This is how I would tackle this problem.

 

[jason2459]

What kind and how many tangs? How many foxfaces? I didn't see them in the videos or pictures? What other grazing fish do you have? Herbivore and Omnivores.

I think I saw clown, orchid dotty back maybe?, fire fish, and some cardinals. Of those the clown is the omnivore but not really a grazer.

Any blennies or angels? Any urchins?

Snails are good to have. Need lots of them to have some effect.

How is that chaeto doing? Able to harvest weekly? Ever consider an Algae Turf Scrubber (ATS)?

I would stop dosing the algaecide.

What kind of water change schedule do you have? Or none at all?

What do you dose for Alk and Calcium? I'm curious why you went with pH up. That looks like it's made for freshwater aquariums?

Ingredients are formulated potassium hydroxide and potassium carbonate if I'm looking at the right product? K in high quantities has been noted to have bad effects on our aquariums including fish deaths.

If you haven't been doing water changes I would certainly start now.

 

[jason2459]

Ok, I see 20% weekly now.

 

[jason2459]

ElimiPhos

How much and how fast did you drop phosphates?

Looking at that product it's lanthanum chloride? Did you filter it out with something to catch the particulates? Filter sock?

Dropping phosphates to fast can have negative effects. Possible to have the lanthanum free through the aquarium to have some negative effects.