Algae Question

clowningaround · 11-09-2002, 03:53 PM

My tank is approaching it's one year birthday. I have noticed an increase of green dime size circles groing on the black spill overs in my 120 gal. tank. They look like coraline algae but they are not purple. Any idea what they are and are they okay to leave in the tank. Next I've started to notice a small patch of what looks like grass growing on a small section of my LR is this possibly that dreaded green hair algae. If so how should I get rid of it.

ShirleyM · 11-09-2002, 04:34 PM

Hello,
The stuff on your rock is quite possibly hair algae. Pull it off and check your nitrates. I'm not sure about the circles on your overflows...is it hard and calcerous? If so, I wouldn't worry about it, personally.

hth,
Shirley

Junkzoo · 11-09-2002, 04:44 PM

Hmmm,,,any chance on posting a picture of it ?

clowningaround · 11-09-2002, 04:47 PM

Nope sorry, it is dark green in color with short hair.

Junkzoo · 11-09-2002, 04:58 PM

well, probably hair algae,,, best to yank it ,or find a fish to eat it ,,,

clowningaround · 11-09-2002, 05:01 PM

what type of fish?

ShirleyM · 11-09-2002, 05:07 PM

For one, a Lawnmower Blenny. I got one a week ago. So far, he seems more interested in food other than hair algae, but he stays hidden a lot, and that's where the algae is that I can't see/reach, so who knows...

Shirley

Junkzoo · 11-09-2002, 05:07 PM

in my experience, i have yellow and blue hippo tangs, lawnmower blennie,and a foxface,,all seem to love eating algae, they graze all day looking for food, used to have a nice "crop" of caulurpa maco algae 'til i put the hippo's in the tank,,,,,,

any others want to chime in on green grazers?

Junkzoo · 11-09-2002, 05:09 PM

give it time Shirley,,,mine leaves "lipmarks" on the glass if i'm a bit late on clean the glass,,,think i'll call him "Mick" LOL

Spanky · 11-09-2002, 06:48 PM

clowningaround

Nice to see another Floridian! but not one with hair algae.

Tell you what I just did. I got a little complacent with the tank (ok a lot) and let the algae eaters dwindle down in number. Also, I was pushing the tank to see how much food I could get away with. As a result, I now have hair algae. Even though there's no testable/measurable phosphates in the water (the algae, rocks, etc are locking it up too fast) my rocks have now become saturated with enough phosphate that it's beginning to leak back out (called a nutrient sink). That's what's feeding my hair algae, probably yours too.

First thing I did was crank up the skimmer to where it's giving a wetter foam, I'm getting about 2 gallons of dark tea skimmate a day now. Cleaning it every two days too. Cut back on the amount of food I was feeding, also started rinsing the "blender mush" in a strainer before I fed it to the tank (removes a lot of phosphate that way). Then added tons of herbivores - 1000 blue leg hermits, 40 scarlet hermits, 50 astrea snails, about two cups of nerite snails, and a red lip blenny for fun!

That was two weeks ago, now I have no hair algae (and a lot of critters that have to be thinned out

)

If you're feeding prepared foods, they are high in phosphate. You might want to aggressively get on this because it can rapidly become a much bigger problem.

HTH
Spanks

Mrs Smith · 11-09-2002, 07:23 PM

Quote:

1000 blue leg hermits

Now, that is the stuff of nightmares! 'Course, we have no place to put them when they're done munching... That's why it's taken us a year to squelch our hair algae problem.

And yes, we have had to be aggressive for a long time due to the nutrient sink issue.

I'd just rip out the little clump and add some snails or hermits. Fish, IMHO, are a gamble. We once had a yellow tang and a lawnmower blenny who wouldn't touch the stuff, and we now have a separate yellow tang and lawnmower blenny who love it.

Good luck,
Danielle

Alice · 11-09-2002, 08:13 PM

Quote:

I'm getting about 2 gallons of dark tea skimmate a day now.

Yowza! How big is that skimmer, Jerel?

Now be nice to the little crabbies and put them back where you found them.

tdwyatt · 11-10-2002, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Spanky
. Even though there's no testable/measurable phosphates in the water (the algae, rocks, etc are locking it up too fast) my rocks have now become saturated with enough phosphate that it's beginning to leak back out (called a nutrient sink)... ...First thing I did was crank up the skimmer to where it's giving a wetter foam, I'm getting about 2 gallons of dark tea skimmate a day now. Cleaning it every two days too...

Jeeze...

Heck, I figured that the Spankster would have a semi-open system running 24/7 with fresh seawater flushing at this point, but then again, that close to shroe would be just as bad as the heavy feeding...

Heh!!! I'd be crying if I had to crank my skimmer up to that rate, but then again, I am thingking of doing just that on the prop system, just starting to see some cyano patches on the new substrate additions... (but then again, it IS new territory for the cyanobacteria...)

So start pulling a plankton net behind the boat, forget the mush for a few weeks! While you're at it, (please) look at the anemone thread...