Reef Discussion

[Trentwalsh]

I have a seriously serious hair algae problem, its brown/green hair and it is going nuts, several times ive toothbrushed it off and put a filter sock on to catch it....seems to come back worse the next day.....hoping to get a lawnmower blenny tomorow... Phos is 0.00 nitrate is 1-2, mag 1410,cal 420, alk 9.3.... Tanks got lots of sps now, approx 30 pieces.. Neeed some serious advice n help its getting outta control, will do another round of toothbrush n filtersock tonight

 

[Sam Parker]

Need pics to see what the situation is really like man. Are you dosing any zeo or other supplements? I'd stop that asap as it's probably just being expensive algae food

 

[Agent M]

Keep manually removing it but don't use a toothbrush as you'll just spread it that way, pinch it out with your fingers and have a small bowl of water on hand to put it in, so that your fingers get rinsed each time you remove a pinch.

Remove whatever hair algae you can with a pair of bone cutters, scrape little pieces off the rock with them.

There are a few other methods you can try but I'll leave that to others to recommend as SPS are sensitive and I don't keep them.

 

[Azedenkae]

Also even if you do catch it with a filter sock, much of it can still spread through the water anyways. I generally would do big water changes after massive algae scrubs, to remove as much of it as possible just after scrubbing it all.

 

[slin1977]

Also even if you do catch it with a filter sock, much of it can still spread through the water anyways. I generally would do big water changes after massive algae scrubs, to remove as much of it as possible just after scrubbing it all.

I disagree with this advise. As it's an SPS tank. A big water change will cause bacteria bloom and that's going to be his next problem. Would not risk RTN or STN with big water changes either .
Would use filter wool to remove algea from the glass throwing each green piece of wool in the bin.
Filter sock is great to catch stray spores and skimmer too.

The Zeo coral suppliments need to stop, the Zeo basics need to stay. Water changes at 10 percent per week as usual.
Feed the coral light only as normal.
Pictures would help gauge how much water flow rate through Zeo reactor if this needs to slow or speed up. This refers to SPS health and condition.

Blenny or tang would help too.
Set up canister filter with wool in to catch stray spores and keep changing out wool after scrubs.

 

[Lesley]

I have always been led to believe that although your phos is reading zero it is likely to be a false reading. The hair algea is consuming it faster than it can be traced in the water column. I would suggest your phos is a lot higher & maybe you should think about GFO ? I am sure someone more experienced than me will correct me if I am wrong !

 

[slin1977]

Nope GFO not recommended with Zeovit. Bac and start together take care of phosphate and nitrate.
GFO and other Phos removers can lead to STN or RTN.

His alk is on the high side and should aim for 6.7

 

[slin1977]

At this point in my new tank having SPS frags for 1 week am not using any Zeo supps , just basics , bac start and active carbon.
Use of Zeo reactor adds another factor to the equation that takes experience to learn.

Too many additions of suppliments and the new user can't identify through observation their effect on coral. My two cents.

 

[somethingfishy76]

What test kit are you using?

 

[RobbieMVFC]

I have always been led to believe that although your phos is reading zero it is likely to be a false reading. The hair algea is consuming it faster than it can be traced in the water column. I would suggest your phos is a lot higher & maybe you should think about GFO ? I am sure someone more experienced than me will correct me if I am wrong !

GFO reduce p04. Don't think that will help.
Fee people have been saing high mag like 1500 helps (Something I should of thought of earlier sorry Trent)
I haven't tried it but it might be worth a try.
We need to remember that this tank is only about 3 months old. Could be just part of the cycle.

Snails Trent Snails...lol

 

[Lesley]

GFO reduce p04. Don't think that will help.
Fee people have been saing high mag like 1500 helps (Something I should of thought of earlier sorry Trent)
I haven't tried it but it might be worth a try.
We need to remember that this tank is only about 3 months old. Could be just part of the cycle.

Snails Trent Snails...lol

Don't most algae's grow. & survive on high nutrients being nitrates & phosphate ? Or am I completely off the ball here ? :(

 

[slin1977]

@Lesley

http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10354

 

[somethingfishy76]

I had the same thing happen to my tank over Christmas. I had green/brown algae waving at me everywhere. I thought my Phos was around 0.1-0.2 but after using a mates hannah checker i soon realised what the issue was. It was actually 0.59... I started using Rowaphos and knocked it on the head. But i first removed every rock and gerni'd it with salt water... Not something everyone wants to do i know but my corals and fish at the time all pulled through the process. I only removed rocks that was badly affected and did them one at a time. To not stress anything. It worked great and no more algae blowing in the breeze...

 

[Lesley]

@Lesley

http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10354

Interesting article. I've always wondered what the system was. But still doesn't explain it clearly to me.In my head term ULN & hair algea just doesn't sit right with me ?

 

[slin1977]

Sorry I don't have those links.

 

[curly747]

If i get hair algae i first check everything is working properly. Return pump giving plenty of flow? Protein skimmer working properly? Are your wave makers or power heads still all going strong? Then i move onto anything i changed recently. Once i had an algae problem in my tank because i removed a lot of algae from my overflow. I guess the algae in the overflow had been removing a lot of nutrients. I also had a problem when i decided i wanted to view my fish just a couple of hours longer with the lights on. When all else fails i cut back on feeding. I have found that my fish do pretty well on very little food. Despite all my efforts i still end up with the toothbrush and filter sock sometimes. I think its an ok way to get a head start on it while you adjust or fix something else. I don't think anyone has a magic bullet. I stay away from all chemicals. In the end, it has to be is too much nutrients or light. Trick is finding out why. Good luck.

 

[curly747]

Forgot to mention. The lawnmower blenny will not fix your hair algae problem. Although they are a nice fish.

 

[ReeferRob]

The problem with hair algae and seeing low to no phosphate is it uses it as it leaches from the rock. I have some rock that grows it and some that doesn't. It forms those thick mats to capture the nutrients and use them to fuel their growth. I have some rock that grows it and some that doesn't, a mix of both Pacific and Atlantic rock that does and doesn't grow hair algae. I'm riding out the storm right now until it's done doing its thing, then it's on like Donkey Kong with the SPS.

 

[Azedenkae]

Yeahhh I have no idea how zeovit systems work, or what zeovit is. So no idea then.

Though @slin1978, when you say a big water change would only lead to a bacterial bloom in this situation, is that because of the zeovit? Or just in general for a SPS-dominated tank?

 

[Trentwalsh]

Ok, i dont do zeovit system, am going to purchase some clean up crew tomorow, alk is currently being lowered( it takes time)... Everything is working perfectly fine, ive stopped adding aminos n coral foods, stopped vodka dosing today..... Just did a massive scrub n clean of it all added a filter sock ill change over tomorow or just remove......caught most of it....it dosent get that long...say after a weeks growth it is still only maximum 1cm long and brown...definatly not green...when i scrub it off it loves to get stuck on corals...i just spent 90minutes giving it a damn good work over, thank you everybody for the help and suggestions