taking out all rocks and scrubbing them?

[theitalianczech]

ok i have been battleing hair and cyno for over a year now.....i have been remoiving it my hand and doing weekly water changes with RODI water........my nitrate/nitrtite/ ammonia phosphate are undetechtable......this stuff grows so fast it will cover my tank in a weeks time and is now starting to impact my corals negatively.....i have scrubbed all my rocks in my seahorse tank due to the same problem but there were no fish present in the tank just a few snails pods and worms.....it hasnt come back yet and i have been treating the tank with hyposalinity.....i want to do this with my reef tank and am wondering what the negatives are on taking out all of the rocks and scrubbing all the hair and cyno off them and then reaquascapinfg the whole tank......thanks

 

[hillbilly]

I think it would be very helpful if you could read
"Marine Algae Control Secrets" by Bob Goemans.
It costs about $10, and is widely available. Lots of
information in a small package.

 

[Len]

If you can do all this scrubbing submerged, the biggest tradeoff is that you'll likely reduce the biodiversity of your tank. I have mixed feelings about this last resort. If your tank is fairly new, it could simply be the natural break-in period that most tanks experience. What other means of algae removal have you tried, and how old is your tank?

 

[theitalianczech]

the tank has been recently converted from fish only to reef about 9 months ago........i had moved my 30 gallon into my 65 gallon........i have cut lighting back weekly water changes......cut back on feeding.......skimmer cup fills about every other day.......

 

[Anonymous]

I have nearly the same problem you do Czech..only with brown diatoms...Ive done most of the same things you have and we have had the tank up about the same time...Im gonna let the browns kill themselves off by starving them... I too dont know what else to do??

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Get snails if you do have very many of them.
Minh

 

[Anonymous]

Get snails if you do have very many of them.
Minh

Any preference with the types of snails??

 

[Minh Nguyen]

To control algae, you need to have animals that eat them, in addition to control nutrients. I would use variety of different ones to keep your tank clean. Trocus snails are my favorite because they eat a lot, but tey also get fairly large. OK for my large tank but in a small tank you may want smaller snails.
Minh

 

[hillbilly]

I would try to fix the cause of the problem, rather
than treat the symptoms. Ripping out clumps of
algae, or trying to get snails to eat it, is not going
to solve the problem once and for all. Finding the
source of the nutrients will.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

I would try to fix the cause of the problem, rather
than treat the symptoms. Ripping out clumps of
algae, or trying to get snails to eat it, is not going
to solve the problem once and for all. Finding the
source of the nutrients will.

There is no way to keep algae from growing. Even in the wild, the way nature control algal grows is though herbivores. If theitalianczech does not have enough snails, he should add them to his tank. Of course he should not overload his tank, and not to over feed also.
Minh

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I agree with the above. If you little enough nutrients that no algae will grow, probably corals won't do well either.

In my 120, I have astreas, ceriths, margaritas, trochus, turbos, and queen conchs. I like the last 3 best. Also a long-spine and tuxedo urchin.

 

[hillbilly]

Yes I agree that algae is natural, and snails can
control it. But this guy's tank is constantly being
overgrown. All I'm saying is something's upsetting
the balance. I don't have to rip clumps of hair
algae constantly out my tanks, Do you?

 

[Anonymous]

exactly, hillbilly.

spray the fire extinguisher at the BASE of the fire.

 

[Minh Nguyen]

I don't think he have any herbivores in the tank.
Do you theitalianczech?
Minh

 

[theitalianczech]

fish wise no herbavores..i have about 6 scarlet hermits, 8 turbo snails and abour 6 astrea snails, about 30 nassarius snails and a queen conch and blood shrimp..i plan on adding about 2 astrea and 8 more turbos.......