Algae

[reefnut]

Once you find the unwanted green, how do you long term keep it out?

Neutrient export of coarse is high on the list but with some you have to get in there and pluck that sucka out! and in the process leave, a nice little area for it to grow back in.

What do you do?

Reefnut

[canadawest]

Here are some words of wisdom that I wrote to a fellow reefkeeper inquiring about that nuisance hair algae, but I suspect that the principles involved would help you with just about any type of algae:

Hey Manny, thanks for writing.

I too am battling hair algae. I don't know a quick solution for you as it will take time for this to be dealt with. Let me try to address some of your comments.

In regards to the snails, they are very sensitive to salinity changes. If they were not acclimated slowly, they will die. Also they are preyed upon by the hermit crabs, so that will diminish their numbers as well. I have many snails and hermits as well, and they really don't make any difference with hair algae. Hair algae is not the main diet of most snails and hermit crabs.

Here is what I know about hair algae. Like any living thing, it requires a food source to survive. Algae utilizes nitrates, phosphates, dissolved organics and light as food. You must eliminate these things in order to fight it. Of course eliminating the light is out of the question, as it would also kill your corals, but you can reduce your photoperiod in order to slow the hair algae down. Also frequent water changes, fewer feedings, and heavy protein skimming are needed to reduce the nitrates, phosphates and dissolved organics. Having a refugium with macro algae in it to compete is a good idea. The macro algaes, like caulerpa also feed on the same things as the hair algae. By having the caulerpa taking those nutrients from the water, they effectively starve out the hair algae. Chances are if your protein skimmer is not up to the task, you have an abundance of dissolved organics in your water, and plenty of food for the hair algae. I've recently upgraded my protein skimmer in order to help with this. Also by removing the hair algae by hand you are removing the nutrients from the water that the hair algae has consumed.

So test your nitrates and phosphates, and remove them from your system somehow. Water changes, caulerpa, or phosphate sponges will all help. Make sure you are using RO or RO/DI water so that you are not adding any unwanted nutrients with your change or makeup water. Also dosing Kalkwasser will help, as the Kalk precipitates phosphates right out of the water, which are then removed by your protein skimmer. Also if your lights are getting old, change them. Sometimes algae will outbreak due to old lights shifting spectrum. Some people have said that they have gotten rid of algae outbreaks simply by changing their lights for new ones.

So here is what I've done to help fight my hair algae, which has been a problem for over 4 months now:

Reduced photoperiod from 12 hours to 8 hours
Upgraded protein skimmer
Reduced feedings from once per day to 3-4 times per week
Added a 10gal refugium with caulerpa and deep sand bed
Pull out by hand as much hair algae as possible once per week
Dosing Kalkwasser 2-3 times per week
All makeup and change water is RO/DI

My hair algae hasn't gotten any better, but at least it hasn't gotten any worse. I suspect eventually it will run it's course and I'll be rid of it as I continue to do things to compete against it. It is one of the most annoying things in this hobby to deal with as their is no quick fix or perfect solution. Stick with it, and I'm sure you'll beat it.

[Greg Moore]

Reefnut.
I am going to make this a longer one because it is probably the most asked question of any hobbiest, especially but not just newer ones.

Export is key, comsumption is the second key and starvation is the final key.

Export:
Skimming removes spores (baby algae) and nutrients so it covers export and starvation to some degree. It not only is _not_ the only thing required, but is often not required at all on some tanks.

The only other decent export is manual and is not required on a good system but definatly is during a problem time. Too many people scrape it off the sides and leave it float around, useless effort, scrape it off and out.

Consumption:
IMO the biggest 'miss' by many reefers. You simply must maintain cleanup crew levels that are usefull. My preference is scarlet hermits (bigger then blues and tend to live longer). Blues are also excellent and cheaper. Snails of various types are the 3rd part. Other critters work, but the 3 above are exceptional. Problem is they are actually expensive when used right. Go for 1 blue per gallon, 1 scarlet per 2-3 gallons and 1 snail per 2 gallons. Actually amounts to a lot of critters. Especially since they will slowly die off and need replacement.

Other crabs are emeralds for bubble algae (look for a red mark on their claw joint to make sure it is emerald and then still keep an eye on it, it may pull at smaller polyps). Many people use urchins and they eat a ton of algae, problem is they also knock over rock work if it is even close to loose. Cumcumbers can do as much too but can poison the tank upon death. 1 Tang has a place in any tank from 50 up but they are selective eaters usually avoiding hair types and never cleaning right down to bare rock. Plus they will need to be maintain with Nori or similer as tank becomes cleaner.

Starvation:
The other biggie.. Light and food starvation is a huge one and the lack of it is usually the bases for a massive bloom. Light starvation requires proper lighting levels, quality, timing and colour.

Levels need to match inhabitants, high light for high light users, they will consume some of the nutrients, high light without those consumers opens doors for lesser plant life.

Quality means don't keep that old bulb even if it looks ok by eye, it will have produced more red range light, near useless to corals, excellent for plants. Cheap department store bulbs do not belong over a reef. People will spend $1K-$2K on corals and try to keep them happy under $50 worth of lamps.

Timing:
12-14hrs per day, period. Don't shorten the time to try and kill algae, most of your corals will grow algae internally for food and they will be adversly effected too. Don't leave lighting longer then that either, living critters need their dark time to ballance out. Lastly, try to make light times (and temp too) as stable and consitant as possible.

Colour: Never drop below 6500K unless the tank has exceptionaly high skimming, consumers and water quality, even then why save a few bucks on 4800K or 5500K lighting anyway. Supliment with actinics, they almost produce no green growths but do aid most things that reduce green growths (such as coraline growth).

The other starvation is food source. Obviously clean water is crittical. If you see phosphate or nitrate levels climb, take care of it right away or greens will follow. If you already have green problems, those tests are almost useless as phosphate is consumed by algae almost as quick as it is produced. Tests in a green tank are almost always low do to consumption. The critters above will consume most of the base food sources and clean water will reduce the others. Skimming will help remove it as it begins. Another excellent alternative is a higher form of algae like calupera, either grown in a corner or a seperate refugium. It consumes the phosphate as quickly as produced and doesn't let hair etc start.

It is really a complete package. Algae _will_ happen in a newer tank so be ready, how badly it happens is in direct proportion to how prepared you are for it. Also, once you have it, do _all_ the right things in large quantities (tons of crabs, snails etc) and then be extreemly patient. I am currently fighting a neglected 90G that ran rampant with hair based algae. Laziness, almost total lack of janitors and bad timing let it happen (4 yr old tank). It is now 5 weeks into a turn around, probably that many more to go (at least) before it is back on track. It sneaks up on you (and me :) sometimes..

Greg Moore

[reefnut]

Hi canadawest,

Well I wasn't thinking hair algae but an excellent post non the less with alot of good information :)

I was thinking of bubble and byropsis (sp?)

and capping the spot (were the sucka was) with 2 part epoxy? in small amounts spread out over a few days or more if need be.


Reefnut

[reefnut]

Hi Greg and good to have you here:)

Bravo :thumbsup: a well thought out post with a ton of goodies inside and one I will bookmark for future ref :)

"crabs are emeralds for bubble algae" Yup got one

But nadda he won't go near it,

Aptasia (sp?) is another one I would love to cap and forget, I have 2 peps in the tank now, nadda but to be honest I have to go check to see if they have made a dent.

Be right back:)
Reefnut

[Brian L]

Bubble algae (Valonia) and aiptasia are not related to the algaes which result from poor water conditions and lighting.

Valonia, in it's early stages, may be consumed by Emeralds, but it's not harmful to the tank. IMO, it means you're buying some decent LR. I've had some golf-ball-sized that didn't hurt a thing.

Aiptaisia, different story. I'd Kalk 'em, but not glue 'em. Gluing them only supresses them for a period of time. They WILL find an alternate route.

Good advice in the posts. Perhaps you need to be more concerned with hitchikers than algae. Both valonia and aiptasia are with the rock you buy. if it's good.

[reefnut]

Hi Brian,

Hmm well I know what you mean by you want the life on the LR but I have seen Valonia spread before so I thought I could cap em, "Valonia, in it's early stages" I have a emerald crab but he is eating the wrong algae lol well at least it isn't the one I would like him to eat and the algae is in the early stages:(

Aptasia,
I have read posts were people have kalked em but they come back so I thought cap em and be gone but you make a good point, nature will find a way, (hey wasn't that in a movie)

"I'd Kalk 'em, but not glue 'em" I will give it a go and see what happens, I can still take the LR out but I don't want to wait to much longer b/c as the rock matures and critters set up house, I don't like getting in there a fiddling with it.


Reefnut

[reefnut]

Yes I also agree Brian great post by 2 top notch moderators :thumbsup:

While I am thinking about it are decorator crabs a good guy or a bad guy? I found one the other day and you mentioned unwanted hitchhickers.

Is that one?

Reefnut

[Flatlander]

Hey Greg & Andrew, Great posts on algae control.

I disagree,just a little bit though, :D,with Greg on lighting spectrum. There is a huge diffeence in the 43 & 55K bulbs. Any high intensity light will promote algae growth, when the nutrients are present. However if one already has an algae problem, it will love the spectrum from a lower temp bulb and from aged bulbs, as mentioned by Greg.

The use of the snails & crabs quoted by Greg, are bang on the money though. That is the best way to help control it.

I can remember when I had some algae problems. One thing that helped was using C-Balance. It grew so much coraline, the hair algae receded.

Another time, the addition of my Euroreef skimmer, made such a difference, it was unbelievable:D

As for bubble algae, :) hand pickin :).

[Brian L]

HeHe,

Love the hand pickin'. Reminds me of the time I tried to pick a big one off. It broke and squirted me right in the face. Tastes bad, and stings the eyes. Some recommend picking it off outside of the tank, like during a water change.

Anyway, yes, valonia does spread, but mine spread slowly. I'd let a couple get big enough to pick off, or just turn that piece of rock around. I, too tried an Emerald, but it didn't go away. I gave up and concluded that my tank had valonia... not a big deal. Also, most crabs are not reef safe so I cut my loss.

The success rate Kalking Aiptasia is not 100%, but if you keep at it, you may be a winner over time. I used a kalk paste heated in the microwave. I'd put it in a 5 ml syringe and try to blast it straight into the mouth of the sucker, trying to get them before they hide.

I myself prefer snails over for crabs for algae control. More peaceful, and they only live in one home!:D

Good luck.

[Greg Moore]

For aps I have found both kalk (make it like milk shake) and vinager both effective. Both done with a needle, try to pierce the thing.

In most cases I use vinager (has never had any impact on tank params) and then try kalk on those that didn't pop. The vinager seems to disapate very fast, good if something is close by, the kalk will 'snow' out right there making it last longer, but puts more pressure on you to be accurate if a coral is near..


Greg Moore


ps. my only success with velonia is picking, emerald looked neat but didn't do much, have a net in the tank to scoop them as they pull off, try to not break them though..

[maplereef]

Hi guys!!!!!!!!
some awsome advice here and def. worth book marking :)
I battled Bryopsis for 2 darn years and i have finally got rid of it :-D. I agree that it takes a complete package to get rid of many hair problems.
1 thing i did come across by accident and i have also read it somewhere...Red slime algae can be taken care of by turning the lights of for a few days.. I know some Corals might not like it to much but it won't hurt them. It worked for me.
The Broypsis is a real pain to get rid of cause nuttin eats it. The lettuce nubi does but thats about it and they eat pretty slow if you have a big tank and lots of it. I think the biggest thing that helped me is a better skimmer. I ran 2 in my sump for a while. I am waiting on my Klaes... and a 20 gal refugium.
Old lights are a bad thing to have as mentioned with regaurds to the red spectrum.. We all ways try to find a short cut in regaurds to MONEY but this is not one place to do that
:rolleyes:
cutting back on feeding is IMO is a great easy place to start.. The nutrients come from somewhere and if you are using good water then it seems to stem back to what we put into the tank ourselves... Food or dirty hands ect..
One thing about beating these types of Algaes is that it feels good for a change to see something dying in the tank
Excellent posts guys
Have a good one
Leo:thumbsup:

[reefnut]

Hi all

Well I am only feeding every other day and the lights are new but I am going to cut back a little on the photo period and this weekend I declare war on Valonia and Aptasia.

oh and the Byropsis too.

Thanks everyone for your input:)
keep ya posted:cheers:

Reefnut

[leaky]

read this
this was my solution.....

solution..... (http://www.nano-reef.com/cgi-bin/forums/topic.cgi?forum=1&topic=1809)

[reefnut]

Hi Leaky,

I take it you found some macro, Ya I through some in some time ago but I haven't been dosing Iron yet, to really get it to grow.

I am in the midst of putting together what will be a sump and fudge combo either in glass or acrylic then the macro will be in a place that I can put the Iron into and let the macro flourish.

I have been reading alot lately on mud bottom fudges with a lite dusting of sand over it, I may give this a go with some MM.

I also have some laterite that I may use in conjunction with the mud, I believe it is a Iron based substance.

Anybody got any ideas on the last part? would it be worth doing if I had it lying around?

Thanks for the reply:)
Reefnut