A Simple Guide To Common Problematic Algae And The Means To Control It..

[ryecoon]

Nice article. Can anyone identify what this is? its sprouting out the chaeto And on the glass of my refugium

 

[SantaMonica]

Well I saw this thread after I posted about nutrients.

So here is a link:
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-aquarium-discussion/152188-nutrient-export.html

 

[Reef Fever]

Anyone got an id on this annoying macro? Grows on a vine

 

[brutuscz]

If you have red slime on the sand bed, get a bullet goby. Problem solved ASAP!! Just also use a rowaphos type product. Once he eats the red slime, the nutrients will cause a bloom of green hair algae.

 

[MikeAndrews]

Anyone try Nualgi?

 

[cazieric]

Thank you for the information! I have some questions about green hair algae. I'm having some trouble with them, I've been scrubbing but some places are nearly impossible to get to. I've bought more snails and they don't seem to even bother to eat them. Are there any other recommendation to get rid of them? And as for the caulerpa, what do you mean by prune them? Any response would be greatly appreciated!

 

[SantaMonica]

Nutrient Export

What do all algae (and cyano too) need to survive? Nutrients. What are nutrients? Ammonia/ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and urea are the major ones. Which ones cause most of the algae in your tank? These same ones. Why can't you just remove these nutrients and eliminate all the algae in your tank? Because these nutrients are the result of the animals you keep.

So how do your animals "make" these nutrients? Well a large part the nutrients come from pee (urea). Pee is very high in urea and ammonia, and these are a favorite food of algae and some bacteria. This is why your glass will always need cleaning; because the pee hits the glass before anything else, and algae on the glass consume the ammonia and urea immediately (using photosynthesis) and grow more. In the ocean and lakes, phytoplankton consume the ammonia and urea in open water, and seaweed consume it in shallow areas, but in a tank you don't have enough space or water volume for this, and, your other filters or animals often remove or kill the phytoplankton or seaweed anyway. So, the nutrients stay in your tank.

Then the ammonia/ammonium hits your rocks, and the periphyton on them consumes more ammonia and urea. Periphyton is both algae and animals, and is the reason your rocks change color after a few weeks. Then the ammonia goes inside the rock, or hits your sand, and bacteria there convert it into nitrite and nitrate. However, the nutrients are still in your tank.

Also let's not forget phosphate, which comes from solid organic food particles. When these particles are eaten by microbes and clean up crew, the organic phosphorus in them is converted into phosphate. However, the nutrients are still in your tank.

So whenever you have algae "problems", you simply have not exported enough nutrients compared to how much you have been feeding (note: live rock can absorb phosphate for up to a year, making it seem like there was never a problem. Then, there is a problem).

So just increase your nutrient exports. You could also reduce feeding, and this has the same effect, but it's certainly not fun when you want to feed your animals

 

[Jaycalwholesale]

I had same problem before I used this Easy-Life® Excital Cyano Stain Remover

 

[Jaycalwholesale]

Turn skimmer off first 24 also turn lights off for 48 hours when you turn the lights back on do a 25% water change then do a 10% water change a week later that should do it works for me when I get good luck hope you get ride of that nightmare happy reefing

 

[chefsreef]

What about dinoflagellates

 

[Jaycalwholesale]

Won't do any thing to it

 

[reggaedrummin]

Thanks! This is great info

 

[EdansClownHouse]

Nutrient Export

What do all algae (and cyano too) need to survive? Nutrients. What are nutrients? Ammonia/ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and urea are the major ones. Which ones cause most of the algae in your tank? These same ones. Why can't you just remove these nutrients and eliminate all the algae in your tank? Because these nutrients are the result of the animals you keep.

So how do your animals "make" these nutrients? Well a large part the nutrients come from pee (urea). Pee is very high in urea and ammonia, and these are a favorite food of algae and some bacteria. This is why your glass will always need cleaning; because the pee hits the glass before anything else, and algae on the glass consume the ammonia and urea immediately (using photosynthesis) and grow more. In the ocean and lakes, phytoplankton consume the ammonia and urea in open water, and seaweed consume it in shallow areas, but in a tank you don't have enough space or water volume for this, and, your other filters or animals often remove or kill the phytoplankton or seaweed anyway. So, the nutrients stay in your tank.

Then the ammonia/ammonium hits your rocks, and the periphyton on them consumes more ammonia and urea. Periphyton is both algae and animals, and is the reason your rocks change color after a few weeks. Then the ammonia goes inside the rock, or hits your sand, and bacteria there convert it into nitrite and nitrate. However, the nutrients are still in your tank.

Also let's not forget phosphate, which comes from solid organic food particles. When these particles are eaten by microbes and clean up crew, the organic phosphorus in them is converted into phosphate. However, the nutrients are still in your tank.

So whenever you have algae "problems", you simply have not exported enough nutrients compared to how much you have been feeding (note: live rock can absorb phosphate for up to a year, making it seem like there was never a problem. Then, there is a problem).

So just increase your nutrient exports. You could also reduce feeding, and this has the same effect, but it's certainly not fun when you want to feed your animals

AWESOME!!!! Thank you for this explanation. I have heard all the algae reasons and solutions...but I have not heard of your explanation before. Many thanks

 

[SantaMonica]

Glad you think it is useful.

It's fun when you spend some time reading research studies, and you start finding answers which are basic to them, but unheard of to us

 

[rhayes]

Any clue what this is? It's white and doesn't pluck off. I've taken the rock out, scrubbed with a tooth brush, dipped in peroxide water, and it comes right back within a week.

 

[SantaMonica]

Simple diatoms or dino's, although the blue makes it hard to tell.

If so, they will be the first to go, once you increase your exports.

 

[rhayes]

Sorry for the blue pictures. Not sure if these are any better. But what ever it is, it's clear.

 

[AJsTank]

What about Green Turf. NO ONE can solve that one. I've posted in every forum I can think of and NOTHING works on that low nutrient algae.

 

[AJsTank]

Any clue what this is? It's white and doesn't pluck off. I've taken the rock out, scrubbed with a tooth brush, dipped in peroxide water, and it comes right back within a week.

That looks like a bacterial infection. I had clear algae like stuff all over my rocks for months. The entire time I thought it was algae and come to find out it was a bacterial infection from excessive carbon dosing from my bio-pellets.

 

[harleynewfie]

any ideas on this I think it is dino but not sure how to get rid of.