Algea, I know you get this alot!!

[Michelle50]

Hi,
I haven't posted here in a while, but I have the question that you guys get asked alot. I need any and all suggestions on getting rid of hair algea. I have read some of the past posts and have tried some of those ideas. We have taken out about 70% of our rock and scrubbed it, tried those lettuce nudibranches and several kinds of snails and crabs with no luck. Let me give you a bit of info.

Tank: 55gal
Lighting:4 vho's, 440watts (2 atinic-about 9 months old)
LR: about 65 lbs Fiji/Mixed
Sand Bed: 3-4 inches
Filtration: Hang on sump with live rock in it and the protein skimmer is attached, and a regular hang on filter
4 power heads for circulation
Occupants: Yellow Tang, Tomato clown, 3chromis, and royal gramma, several types of snails and a few crabs
Corals: Yellow and finger leather, Torch, Anchor, Candy Cane, and several types of polyps and mushrooms

Everything has been testing ok, except the calcium is really low. We have been dosing Calk and the Kent Marine calcium products, but it is still low. The pH has been running a bit high around 8.4. Everything else Nitrates, Nitrites, Amonia, and Spec gravity are all fine. Like I said we have tried lots of things, we even replaced the power heads to our sump to make sure it wasn't that. Do you guys think new lights will help? The only thing we can get to touch the algea is scarlett hermits and they do it sparringly. Please help, this has been going on for about three months now and we are at witts end.

Thanks for your time,
Michelle

 

[EmilyB]

Are you using RO/DI water and testing the output?

What kind of skimmer are you using?

What is in the hang on filter?

An absence of nitrate and phosphate in the presence of hair algae could mean your hair algae is being efficient.... 8O

 

[Anonymous]

Like em said.

And, are you overfeeding?

Is you skimmer really working good?

You have a nutreint problem. Your bioload seems ok, so I suspect overfeeding or poor skimming.

Louey

 

[Michelle50]

Well I know that it is not overfeeding. We only feed once a day or every other day and only one cube of frozen brine at that time. And everyone gobbles it up extremely quickly.


Ok the hang on filter, it's an old Whisper we just have the filter in it and we will occasionaly put in the carbon. But, it's mostly there to catch any loose algea debris.

The skimmer/sump is an Amiracle with the protein skimmer built in. The skimmer is attached to a Rio 600 powerhead, which we recently replaced as a precaution.

The water we get comes from our local fish store. It is RO/DI water, but we are going to ask our lfs again Monday to make sure they haven't switched and didn't tell us.

This stuff has become so bad. The more we try to remove it the worse it seems to be getting. It has now begun to choke out my corals. I've scrubbed it with a toothbrush and tried the turkey baster trick, with no luck. It is even growing on my snails and I just want to throw up everytime I look at my aquarium.

 

[Anonymous]

The skimmer is attached to a Rio 600 powerhead, which we recently replaced as a precaution.

Does this skimmer produce a nice foam? Is your collection cup full of nasty gunk (stinks)?

The water from the LFS would be the next logical suspect.

Louey

 

[EmilyB]

I just picked up one other thing which could relate, the Ca levels....how often are you doing water changes?

I would still check out the water you are purchasing, are they using a TDS to monitor it ? I'm not familiar with the skimmer, but I have my doubts about it being optimal. :?

Any media in your filter will provide for algae growth unless cleaned often.

 

[big o]

i bet the water from your lfs is bad ,check your skimmer for scum .

 

[Michelle50]

Yes the skimmer is frothy and the stuff it collect's is a gunky green color, yes it's smelly too.

We do a 15 gal water change once a month. Normally, but we have been doing around 10 gallons every two weeks since the algea has gotten so bad. Our Ca is testing low, but we have had some coraline growth on the glass even with our hair algea problem. It's all very confusing to me. Do you think we should increase our water changes? And could our VHO's being older have anything to do with it in your opinions?

 

[Anonymous]

Do you think we should increase our water changes? And could our VHO's being older have anything to do with it in your opinions?

Yes and yes.

How old are your VHO's?

 

[Michelle50]

9 months old

I forgot to add in my occupants my cleaner shrimp and blue linkia.

 

[Clark]

You most likely have a phosphate problem..which would also help to explain the low calcium..the phosphate will bond with the calcium keeping levels in the tank low. If you have any type of filter media on your powerheads or pump for sump you should remove them and clean them, or just remove them all together..I still feel like you may be overfeeding a bit. You can keep feeding the same amount but, I would suggest maybe getting some kind of additional clean up crew maybe a brittle star or cucumber. There is something managing to decay in the tank raising the phosphate level..I have also noticed that when I feed frozen brine that my hair algae tends to make a return visit. I think the frozen brine might be causing a phosphate spike..you might try feeding mysis shrimp instead..higher in protien which seems to produce less fish waste. Working to raise the Ca level and keeping it high will help keep the phospate under control..That 2 part ESV works really well..Begin to implement some water changes like 10% a week for the next month or so(make sure the new water is made with good RO/DI, no tapwater) and cut back on the feeding ,(like a half a cube every 2 days) that will drop the PO4 level somewhat..

 

[Michelle50]

I forgot to add in my occupants a cleaner shrimp and a blue linkia, just FYI.

 

[Clark]

MAN!! All the post while I was typing my novel!!

VHO are getting old but nine mos are not really that big a problem, in the next couple of months start working to change those out..change them out one at a time maybe one a month..

I'm done now..I think?

 

[esmithiii]

Dosing kalkwasser is your best bet for Ca additions and it will cause phosphates to precipitate. I had hair algae until I started dosing kalkwasser. Which Kent Marine calcium products are you using?

Also, you might want to add another inch or two to your sand bed. What kind of sand do you have?

Ernie

 

[Basssa]

I had a similar problem with Hair Algae. I agree with cleaning and filter media. Believe it or not I think the hair algae is thriving on your lighting. The way I rid my tank of Hair algae was to drastically lower the lighting hours daily. Your inverts may not like it too much, but they should survive. Cut back to 50% of hours daily, and see if there is any improvement. If so, I had my lighting on for as little as 1-2hrs a day for about 2-3 weeks...it worked. I even had it off for a few days. Think of stormy weather over the tropics that lasts for 3 days, they will be OK without direct lighting. Make sure you are giving the tank all benefit of doubt by cleaning well before hand.
Maybe worth a try for a couple of days???

 

[Enzo]

hi, I have a question, does live rock need light??? I have way way to much hair algae in my tank, I am doing something about it(upgrading all my stuff and getting new live sand, old stuff stank) And what if the lighting in the room is on almost all day. My tank is in my computer room and they are turned on almost all the time,,,
Thanks
John