the unbeatable, legendary algae. Pls help lol

[LV reefer]

I’ve had my tank setup about a year and a half. Everything was going great till I started dialing in nutrients and upping my lights for my tank and corals. I’ve battled cyano, then diotoms, then cyani again, then GHA. Now this. Ive had turbos that just keep felling off rocks and dying. Other snails I have about 30 of. No crabs. But also 2 conches and a goby. Sand bed? PRESTINE.. rocks? See for yourself. Pls help LOL. Tried seahare and my crabs killed it so I dumped everyone of them. Parameters in pictures

 

[MeganV]

Have you looked at this under a microscope? Are you sure it's "algae"? It kind of reminds me of a filamentous cyano called lyngbya. One way to differentiate it w/o a microscope is the lyngbya is very soft and slimy where as regular hair algae is, well, hairy feeling. The fact that your nutrients are sort of out of wack makes me think this isn't a hair algae problem. It also might explain why the sea-hare bit the dust, because I think the lyngbya has toxins.

 

[Lasse]

Have you looked at this under a microscope? Are you sure it's "algae"? It kind of reminds me of a filamentous cyano called lyngbya. One way to differentiate it w/o a microscope is the lyngbya is very soft and slimy where as regular hair algae is, well, hairy feeling. The fact that your nutrients are sort of out of wack makes me think this isn't a hair algae problem. It also might explain why the sea-hare bit the dust, because I think the lyngbya has toxins.

I´ll think you are on something here

Sincerely Lasse

 

[machliwala]

I would get tuxedo urchins very durable and voracious eaters of algae

 

[gbroadbridge]

I´ll think you are on something here

Sincerely Lasse

On something or onto something ?

 

[Lasse]

On something or onto something ?

Excuse my Swenglish - not a native English speaker - speaks and write English with a slight Swedish accident

Sincerely Lasse

 

[JumboShrimp]

Too bad you say your crabs killed your Sea Hare. Maybe you could pull them from your tank (assuming all your rocks aren't glued together)-- because my Sea Hare and Tuxedo Urchin cleaned my tank of algae so throughly, I now feed them algae wafers and Nori in a clip.

 

[mcarroll]

I think whatever it is, it has outgrown the capablities of your CUC critters – it's time to take out THE BIG GUN...THE #1 MEMBER OF YOUR CLEANUP CREW. You. :)

Start plucking that algae out of there, and try to get 100% of it. "ASAP" as the saying goes.

If it's really a lot, break it down into 20 minute work sessions and try to hit it every day. If possible, start yesterday. ;)

If you aren't sure how to pluck algae by hand, do it just like melev does in this video:


Your nutrient levels are quite low....seems like the tank could regularly hit 0.00 ppm from numbers that low – a good way to promote algae. How are you filtering this tank, etc?

 

[LV reefer]

It still only grows in area of light, but it does look very similar to that. What’s the best course of action if that’s what it is? Luckily none of my frags are glued to my rock and can very easily all be taken out and cleaned with a long days work. Thank you!

Have you looked at this under a microscope? Are you sure it's "algae"? It kind of reminds me of a filamentous cyano called lyngbya. One way to differentiate it w/o a microscope is the lyngbya is very soft and slimy where as regular hair algae is, well, hairy feeling. The fact that your nutrients are sort of out of wack makes me think this isn't a hair algae problem. It also might explain why the sea-hare bit the dust, because I think the lyngbya has

 

[LV reefer]

I think whatever it is, it has outgrown the capablities of your CUC critters – it's time to take out THE BIG GUN...THE #1 MEMBER OF YOUR CLEANUP CREW. You. :)

Start plucking that algae out of there, and try to get 100% of it. "ASAP" as the saying goes.

If it's really a lot, break it down into 20 minute work sessions and try to hit it every day. If possible, start yesterday. ;)

If you aren't sure how to pluck algae by hand, do it just like melev does in this video:


Your nutrient levels are quite low....seems like the tank could regularly hit 0.00 ppm from numbers that low – a good way to promote algae. How are you filtering this tank, etc?

I’ve gone and siphoned basically the entire volume of water into a filter sock just cleaning it out, within days it’s back over my rocks, I’ve been having issues bringing my PO4 and nitrates up but dosing those at this point daily. I’ve since just used a UV and socks. Skimmer off and nothing else going on really.

 

[LV reefer]

Too bad you say your crabs killed your Sea Hare. Maybe you could pull them from your tank (assuming all your rocks aren't glued together)-- because my Sea Hare and Tuxedo Urchin cleaned my tank of algae so throughly, I now feed them algae wafers and Nori in a clip.

He was sweet man! Woke up one day and they were picking apart his back as he was in a crevice

 

[LV reefer]

Have you looked at this under a microscope? Are you sure it's "algae"? It kind of reminds me of a filamentous cyano called lyngbya. One way to differentiate it w/o a microscope is the lyngbya is very soft and slimy where as regular hair algae is, well, hairy feeling. The fact that your nutrients are sort of out of wack makes me think this isn't a hair algae problem. It also might explain why the sea-hare bit the dust, because I think the lyngbya has toxins.

I looked at this online and honestly looks very similar but this came after months of nothing being introduced into the tank, can it sit in just spores for that long?

 

[LV reefer]

I also should add, it grows nowhere the light doesn’t touch, I have rocks in my sump and nothing on those

 

[MossyFroggyLove]

My hair algae grows within hours. I have been plucking it with my hands which seems efective, and you can try it to! But, I am getting tired, so I'm just going to get an abalone. Then once all the algae is finished, I'll feed it nori. You could also try this or with tuxedo urchins. I heard they pickup things on their backs, which for me, seems cool.

 

[Lasse]

I looked at this online and honestly looks very similar but this came after months of nothing being introduced into the tank, can it sit in just spores for that long?

Cyanobacteria is among the worlds oldest - now living - group of organisms. They are always present but they not always bloom and dominate the fauna - but present - yes. If they bloom - they have a lot of tricks in order to combat other organism according surface or volume to grow on/in. Among the most powerful tools are the ability to fix nitrogen – that is – they have mechanisms that can capture nitrogen gas and convert it into biologically usable ammonium. This usually happens in specialized cells – heterocytes. Lyngbya lacks these, but it is still believed that several species or populations in this genus can fix nitrogen gas via other, partly unknown mechanisms. In my opinion, low nutrient values – including phosphate – can trigger a cyanobloom in such a way that other competing organisms have a lower growth rate and, in the case of sessile organisms, leave a free surface for the cyanobacteria to grow on. Once well established, they can benefit when nutrient values are increased and use toxins to fight other competing organisms. This means that you have to somehow reduce their population and create good conditions for other organisms to take over. Useful measures are darkness, scrubbing of growth sites and patience.

My hair algae grows within hours.

For me - this indicate a type of bacteria - not algae

Sincerely Lasse

 

[MossyFroggyLove]

For me - this indicate a type of bacteria - not algae

Sincerely Lasse

It feels like hair algae, and my trochus snail eats it and my lonely hermit crab. But, it is not enough to control the algae.

 

[LunkerPunker]

Continuum Aquatics Bacter Clean M

 

[hellokevin]

I had something similar and got a few conches and in a few days all clean

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I’ve gone and siphoned basically the entire volume of water into a filter sock just cleaning it out, within days it’s back over my rocks, I’ve been having issues bringing my PO4 and nitrates up but dosing those at this point daily. I’ve since just used a UV and socks. Skimmer off and nothing else going on really.

I know its a hot topic and everyone has their own opinions.... for me, if there is a heavy green algae problem, I would not be dosing nitrate and phosphate daily. On top of it your skimmer is turned off - you are feeding the algae. How can the algae ever die away if you feed it every day?

 

[Lasse]

within days it’s back over my rocks,

If you clean a spot - how long time before its back in the same amount. When I clean real hairy algae - it will takes att least 7-14 days before it is re-established as it was before. Try to look in an microscope - filamentous cyanobacteria looks like this. You can see the cell walls.

Before you proceed with anything more than just scrubbing and cleaning - try to determine whether you have a problem with algae or cyanobacteria.

Remember that all pictures of "green algae" on internet not need to be right.

Sincerely Lasse