clownfish + breeding = hair algae??

[Chichas01]

Wondering if anyone else has had issues with hair algae outbreaks when their clownfish started spawing. My clowns started breeding about 4-6 weeks ago and since then I have had a major outbreak.
This might be just a coincidence as the other suspected changes i've made have been a new bucket of salt I purchased (IO Reef Crystals - been using this brand for well over a year with no issues) and a new rubbermaid container I bought for mixing water which may have had some sort of residue in it that I didn't get washed out well enough.

 

[Nana Chloropsis]

I do notice a small algae bloom on my rocks the week following the hatch day. Took me a year to figure that one out. My phosphate level rises a bit and there you go. If I catch the babies, no phosphate (no "excess food") but if I let the hatch go, I have had problems. Adding more CUC has helped me tremendously.

 

[WA coral]

most of the time my clowns spawned when the tank was dirty they seem to like excess food/nutrients maybe a security thing that there will be enough food to maintain them as spawning takes lots of energy and food for fry, so it may no be because of spawning but why they are spawning (excess nutrients)=alge. how big is the tank?

 

[Chichas01]

my display is 80 gallons. total system is around 105-110 probably. I suppose they're breeding because they're happy horny little fish and not because there is algae present. There was never a shred of HA ever in this tank and no other major nusiance algae problems until after the 3 recent changes that I noted in the OP. I have since scrubbed out my water mixing can and I will probably just start doing an extra water change after each hatch to see what happens. Also will add some extra hermits and turbos this weekend probably.

 

[Nana Chloropsis]

I thought it was everything from soap residue on my arms getting into the tank, to my granddaughter sneaking into the tank room and giving the parents some snacks. I don't know about you, but I get pretty huge spawns, and with only a 29 and two fish in a FOWLER, I think 400-500 live snacks in one sitting is considered overfeeding. If it happens after spawning rather than hatching, then you have one mighty male!

Check your phosphate level a little more often than usual in that tank, especially pre and post spawn. I would recommend also checking for phosphate in your water change water. At least it would rule out a couple of culprits. I found that if I have algae, I have slightly elevated phosphate. For me, more CUC and running a phosphate sponge post spawn has helped, but with your larger system perhaps there is more you can do. ( I don't have a sump system and I know there are so many people on here that can speak of reactors and whatnot you can add if your parameters are out of whack)

Hope that helped! What kind of clowns do you have, btw?

 

[Chichas01]

I guess I'm slightly skeptical that the breeding/spawing is the issue since this would seem to amount to about 1 extra moderate feeding every couple of weeks. I run rowaphos reactor, carbon reactor,skimmer works great, and my fuge is loaded with chaeto and caulerpa. I noticed that there was a pretty good slick of 'muck' growing on the side of my water mixing can when I first got it but since scrubbing it out and using a paint mixer to mix my salt and water before adding it to the can, this seems to have subsided and the new water actually does look clearer than it did a month ago.

The clowns are A. Ocellaris. Female is proably 5 years old and the male about 4. My wife is considering trying to raise the fry, but that would be all her if she wants to do it since she works at home. I'm to busy now pulling out HA :lol:

 

[FreakinReefin]

I have noticed HA growing right around where the eggs were laid now that I think about it. It quickly goes away since I am running an ULNS but somehow it still sneeks by.

 

[Chichas01]

what is ULNS???

 

[FreakinReefin]

Ultra Low Nutrient System often associated with the use of Bio Pellets