Let's Talk About ~Algae Control~

[TWallace]

I've heard of people using vodka to lower nitrates, but not to control algae (though I guess one can lead to the other. My nitrates always measure 0 and I still battle bryopsis though.

 

[thefishguy77]

Fish arn't that lucky yet

I'm not going to waste good vodka just yet. my nitrates are zero and phosphates are next to nothing as well but my algae does great. Lots of small H2O changes have stalemated it but won't go away. Snails fish and urchins seem to get sick of it quick.

If it was easy everybody would do it right?

 

[pnikiel]

I've read recommendations to "skim wet." Does that help with Green Hair Algea? I've always heard that you should set the skimmer to create a dryer foam...

 

[squash110]

trying to contorll algea

I have an algea problem on my sand. I have a 75 gallon aquarium. I have attached a picture. I have green and brown sand, that grows only on my sand.

 

[NaH2O]

I've read recommendations to "skim wet." Does that help with Green Hair Algea? I've always heard that you should set the skimmer to create a dryer foam...

There is more to algae control than just skimming, but I prefer to skim "wet". Watching your inputs is going to help....controlling phosphates, using RO/DI water, bioload, food type and amount, husbandry practices, water changes, etc. Here is a previous thread on skimming wet or dry: Wet vs. Dry Skimmate

I have an algea problem on my sand. I have a 75 gallon aquarium. I have attached a picture. I have green and brown sand, that grows only on my sand.

Your algae resembles cyano. How old is your tank? What have you tried to eliminate the algae?

 

[blind1993]

for brown alage i just scrubbed it of and a little comes back and then get snails and hermits that is it and it is working so far.

 

[con9872]

hi everyone
i am not having any algae problems at all . the only algae i have is the good stuff - coralline
growing. all water pars are good and within normal levels.. i am running 2 bio wheel filters
2 sets of t-5 lights. maxi jet 900 powerhead and a heater . keeps water at 80 degrees
do weekly water changes skim once a week . run my lights 8 hours . in my 55 gallon i have snails ,, blue legged hermits ,, 2 red legged hermits ,, brittle star,,lots of live rock,,,
live sand,,, 3 chromis ,,, 2 clownfish,,,, coral beauty angel,,, 3 small tangs for now- yeah i know 55 gal is to small for tangs, so far so good . coralline is growing all over glass. i do have the following corals
i have a pink cabbage and lots and lots of nice looking mushrooms

 

[burning2nd]

ill also update....

even tho i have the byrobsis under control i see no end to it....

I am consitering starting my new 75 and sun bakeing the rocks i have now...

I know i cant do it right now... but when the time is right i think i will move nemo and his home to a new tank

do what i can with the corals and fish and start a new tank....

 

[star rider]

I had a bryopsis problem..and you do have to be very careful when removing it.
out of frustration..I pickedup 2 lettuce sea slugs.
one ate some then went to the fuge.
the other has a big appeatite for bryopsis..it has nearly cleaned the entire tank.

 

[dixgomez]

That is great topic for me, i'm experiencing it on my tank so this thread is really a big help to me.... thanks for this,





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[burning2nd]

your welcome.... this is a great sight.... read all you can,

 

[StacyS]

Two tuxedo urchins, 4 emerald crabs and 4 large turbos where my best defense!

 

[johnmaloney]

Great thread, lots of good advice throughout. I know this has all been said before but this is my no algae routine:

1. QT - keeping the invasive macro algae species out of your tank makes everything so much easier in the long run. No bubble algae, byropsis, gelidium, etc...
2. Nutrient export via refuge, but lots of rock +phosban will work
3. Clean up Crew to eat algae that is forming
4. blast the rocks twice a week with a turkey baster to get the debris up and about. A HOB with a good prefilter pad works wonders removing it.
5. Bi-weekly 25% WCs
6. Watch my params
7. Replace bulbs as they go red
8. Toothbrush rocks and glass cleaning once a week if necessary. Usually after a few months that regimen becomes easy, and you don't really have any algae problems. Been doing just that for awhile now and other than a few spots of film algae or cyano here and there it stays under control pretty well.

 

[user 2204]

Some good info here. Suprised there hasn't been that much activity for a while. )

 

[burning2nd]

i might add that i just did a nasty large export of the algae,

 

[user 2204]

I've been fighting green hair algae for quite a while and usually just manually remove what I can during water changes.

 

[burning2nd]

its funny cause i have a smaller tank that only has hair algea.... and what a relief it is compaired to bryopsis in my large tank.

its allmost nice to have Hair algae, insted of some others

 

[clkarner]

37 gallon tank
45 lbs. Of live rock
21" Compact fluorescent lamps, 55/65 watt, 10,000K, 50% day/50%actinic bulbs
2213 Eheim canister filter
H.O.T. Magnum with micron filter
Prizm protein skimmer
Maxi jet power head
150 watt heater
Aragonite substrate

I was one step from starting the tank over from scratch because of hair algae. And the answer was too much light. I cut the lighting period to 8 hrs. I also started adding an Algone bag to the H.O.T. Magnum. Before that, the crabs, snails, shrimp, and other scavengers weren't staying alive to work on the algae.

Question: How can you tell when the bulbs are bad? You don't wait for them to be dark, do you?

Thanks,
Chuck

 

[user 2204]

I try and date my bulbs when I install them so that I know how long they have been running. Then I try and replace them every 9 months or so. I am currently running a 20H with 130w of PC lighting and a 7 gallon with 64w of PC lighting. Photoperiod is about 9 hours right now for both tanks.

I tried the Algone stuff too but it didn't sem to help me at all. So I just manually remove my hair algae for now.

Cheers,
Alex

 

[kdwal]

what is the best, most recommended, to put in refugium?


Need to change a few things on "signature" I guess:
50 gal
refugium (no skimmer)