What really does eat green turf Algae

[peterm]

Here's the long history: A long while ago, I introduced Ich into my system (no QT - I've since learnt my lesson). As it was just FOWLR I decided to use Hypo as a first attemp at treatment, rather than move my very sick Kole Tang and his two tankmates to a brand new small QT. After 8 weeks of Hypo, I gradually brought salinity back and everything seems to have been fine now for the past 10 months. I'm sure its still in there but with good parameters I hope to maintain the balance. If not, my QT's canister filter has been going long enough and the fish are healthy enough to treat properly should any signs reappear. Anyway.......

However, following return to normal salinity I had a major outbreak of Cyano, followed by a perpetual green turf algae problem. I believe this to have come from all of the micro organisms in the sand/rock that died as a result of the Hypo creating a mass of nutrients. I have since begun to rebuild this with various new snail/micro hermit/pod and other IPSF additions. However even with RO/DI water, skimming, regular water changes and a reported zero nitrates/phosphates and minimal feeding, my turf Algae remains. I expect the zero readings are due to nutrients being eaten up by algae as soon as they are produced.

Are there any snails/fish out there that really do as claimed and help to keep this under control ? My larger snails (trocus, nerite and turbo) seem to prefer the glass (my glass is spotless) and the smaller strombus snails whilst reproducing like rabbits are not making a dent.

 

[NYreefNoob]

algea

get a sea hare, for the cyano ive used red slime removed, just make sure to turn skimmer off

 

[Tonyscoots84]

do not use any chemicals to get rid of anything. find out your cause of the problem and eliminate that ... chemicals are like bandages for your reef and will continue to keep coming back until u eliminate the problem at hand...

also when you say 0 nitrates and phosphates what did you use to test it....

 

[peterm]

My test kits are Salifert & Seachem. I understand the problems with testing for Nutrients as I mentioned in my post.

 

[NYreefNoob]

algea

i should of added, increase water change's with a few large one's. check and change water flow. siphon what you can of sand bed, get more sand sifting critter's. what all equiptment do you use. not reccomending red slime, but i used it and with doing what was wrong to correct problem it helped speed it up. more info eqiuptment corals rock ect or picture's would help

 

[Bob 1000]

To answer your question...A toothbrush in a bucket full of water, Preferably just changed old water...

 

[peterm]

Thanks, Bob......that's the answer I was dreading. I'll try and get some photos up tomorrow to show you why.

My setup is
90G FOWLR
Satellite 2 x 65w Fl. light
Mag 7 return
2 x Seio Powerheads
10G lighted fuge/sump with mud
ETSS Reef Devil driven by Mag 7
Current UV
110lb rock
80lbs sand
2 x Ocellaris
1 x Kole Tang
25 x Turbo snails (20 recently added)
5 x Trocus snails (breeding!)
100s of Strombus snails (really breeding)
10 x blue legged micro hermits
1 x fighting Conch
Various additional pods/worms/snails etc.
Macro Algae in Fuge - recently added
phosban in the sump but not in reactor.

I feed the Ocellaris 5 x a week, alternating Brine Shrimp Plus with Mysis. I hand feed about 1/4 of a frozen cube after thawing in a small cup of tank water to wash. Because I hand feed, VERY rarely does any food not get eaten.

I feed the Tang dried Seaweed 5 x a week on a clip plus frozen Formula 2 or Spirulina 3 times a week. I feed less than 1/10 of a cube of this.

I change 10% every 2 weeks with RO/DI water . RO/DI water registers 0ppm with my TDS meter. When lazy I buy distilled water. I siphon the sand when doing water changes and scoop out any cyano.

I add 20ml 2 part B-IONIC Alk/Calc. to maintain Alk at 8.0. Usually 3 x week but depends upon testing.


I did used to put the seaweed in the fridge which made it go soggy and it would break up in the tank after a while. I no longer do that and it holds together. I remove any uneaten seaweed after a few hours. I also had a friend feed seaweed at weekends whilst away but this no longer happens.

 

[philippo]

The problem could be as simple as too much light. How long do you keep your lights on in a day?

 

[peterm]

9 hours. The lights are not that powerful.

 

[e.muehlbauer]

The only thing I have ever seen that actually eats hair algae (and I have a sea hare....doesn't do much) is the dragon sleeper, AKA banded bullet goby, Amblygobius phalaena. Many years ago, when my tank was younger, and I had a major hair outbreak, I got one. It ate hair algae every waking minute of its day. There was so much hair algae that it didn't make a dent. Oh....and it slowly wasted away, dying of starvation as it ate. I guess that's why nothing eats hair algae..........Take care, Eric

 

[peterm]

Thanks Eric, so how did you eventually get rid of the Algae ?

 

[Davidl919]

If the lights are regular flourescents 9 hours too long if temp is above 78
If the lights are good quality but older than a year and a half, same as florescent. I have flo's right now and started seeing green carpet algae got a few snails, crabs and a tang they didn't do much and then i used the light for no more than 6 hours problem at least paused no more growth but carpet algae still there hopefully the gang will take of it.

 

[Bob 1000]

A toothbrush..... I'm drunk...

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Without pics it is almost impossible to help you out. do you have cyano, bryopsis, valonia problems? Pics will help out much more than all this talk. Noob asked for pics in post #5 and nothing yet and that was a few days ago.

 

[e.muehlbauer]

My first outbreak lasted well over a year, despite weekly scrubbing with a toothbrush and frequent water changes. I'm not sure why it disappeared, other than my paying closer attention to alkalinity...it was so many years ago. I think it was also a matter of my tank maturing. I curently have a minor outbreak, I believe caused by my not changing my PC bulbs on time. This one is different though...the hair algae is only in a few patches which come off very easily, even though they grow back. It has a softer texture, and doesn't grow as long...and is not spreading beyond the locations it is in. Doen't ruin the appearance of the tank either...the first time, all my rock looked like cousin itt......Take care, Eric

 

[NYreefNoob]

algea

i am currently battling algea myself right now. did the pull rock out and clean it, bought a ton of cleanup crew. alot of mexican snails i think they are the mexican. the large snails, they do a great job. it really boils down to finding out what is causing it. part of mine was from light's. over feeding will feed into it also. sufficiant water flow. change direction of flow and ect