Algae Outbreaks: What's your BEST defense against it?

[Gianluca]

My main way of dealing with algae is tons of snails. they keep my algae in check rather well and stop it from harming my corals, and i have Coraline algae in the tank which helps the bad not grow

 

[Jeeperz]

Well, I have only corals, few snails, few crabs, urchin, small brittle star in my rsr350 and I only feed the star, I have a massive gha issue

 

[DxMarinefish]

If anyone knows of a specific flow rate through a UV to target Bubble algae, they would be my hero.

@DxMarinefish
Flow rate thru UV for algae is much less than flow rate for parasite. With that said, slow flow rate will kill everything. Many different algae produce spores. Just as in a garden, weeds will grow if nothing is there and nobody eats it.

I thought is was the opposite, that slower flow rates is best for parasites and faster flow for algae.

 

[Hermie]

I've been in a state of perpetual war with hair algae for probably a year and a half in my nano tank.

Manual removal is time consuming and difficult, probably exacerbated by my relatively vertical aquascape. I've considered rescaping but don't want flow to suffer, so I'm left with a difficult rockscape.

Also, I procrastinate really bad when the algae needs to be trimmed, and it usually comes down to a late night/early morning overnighter w/ music playing in the background. Removal involves curved shears and a DIY algae catcher (pvc siphon+ball valve), and I will spend anywhere from 2 to 4 hours trimming the algae and moving things around. In the end, I'm exhausted and the tank looks marginally better, but the algae grows back in a few weeks.

I've tried adding more snails, and more snails, and more snails. But after spending 300+ dollars in clean up crew, I still don't have a sufficient crew. That's where I'm at right now, 3 huge snails in QT (sourced from the LFS) that I want to move to the display, but first I have to prep the rockwork for snails to navigate.

Probably what's going to happen is I get the algae trimmed down, I move some more snails into the display and then in a few weeks the snails will be dead and the algae will have grown back.


Thus is life... reefkeeping as the fate of sisyphus... Wish me luck

 

[Subsea]

I thought is was the opposite, that slower flow rates is best for parasites and faster flow for algae.

My bad. It might have been the second margarita.

 

[vlangel]

If anyone knows of a specific flow rate through a UV to target Bubble algae, they would be my hero.

LOL, I do not struggle with algae problems but like you Patrick, I have never been able to eradicate bubble algae. I am about to the place to say, "live and let live" and just occasionally I go on a rampage and remove portions of it, kind of like pruning my macro algae but using a syphon hose instead of scissors!

 

[Jax15]

Lots of flow, and good filtration. I think the refugium and UV in conjunction have made algae a rare issue in my tank. Have had to clear out cyano a few times, but no GHA thank my stars.

 

[LittleFidel]

LOL, I do not struggle with algae problems but like you Patrick, I have never been able to eradicate bubble algae. I am about to the place to say, "live and let live" and just occasionally I go on a rampage and remove portions of it, kind of like pruning my macro algae but using a syphon hose instead of scissors!

The bubble algae I have encountered is rigid enough that it can be removed with tweezers. I am able to pick it off the rock in one piece with minimal breakage. Thankfully all of my rock is removable so I can perform this process easily without risking the spread of spores in the display.

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Algae is the kryptonite that keeps our aquarium super powers from becoming to powerful for our own good! - author unknown (ok it was me)

But really is nuisance algae just something that we will always have to battle from time to time each year or can it be very rare to non existent in some reef tanks? For those that rarely deal with nuisance algae what do you think your best defense is against it? Let's moan and complain a little and see what comes up!

PS. I hate algae

1. How many times a year do you have to do battle with nuisance algae?

2. If you rarely deal with nuisance algae what do you think is your best defense against it?


image via @Chiefmaster30

I dont really deal with algae, ever. I get it on the occasional plug but having treated my tank steadily with Lanthanum, my rocks have leached all PO4 and i now have to add a little daily. I had sand and that caused really bad cyano with my po4 being that low so i tossed it out. Nutrients Begone!! Lol

 

[Frogg]

ALGAE SRCUBBER
i run a skimmer and the scrubber only no chemical filtration because the scrubber outcompetes almost all algae in my dt i only run it at night to boost ph and my no3 would get too low if i ran it all day these things are beasts it removes more nutrients than my skimmer easily plus its impossible to overdose and no changing expensive media just lots of light and flow mine is diy only cost me about 60 bucks has worked magic since

What plans did you have. I'll loke to build one. But I have an aio tank, 40 gallons

 

[David Gaskins]

I have finally gotten past algae issues under control.

Took a managed approach of increased water changes, managed and measured use of N0P04 (testing for and adjusting for any imbalances between N03 and P04 to reduce chance of more aggressive bacteria and dino's), and a decent sized clean-up crew including resident tangs, hermits, snails, and pincushion urchins. Sometimes due to hidden nature of small patches, I still have to get into tank with small toothbrush and manually remove. Decent sized Reef Octopus Skimmer and every 2 day filter sock replacement also in use, not using carbon or p04 reactors at moment. All in all I have found much better success (including color and growth) with SPS with this approach.

Sincerely,
David

 

[FriedReef TV]

What plans did you have. I'll loke to build one. But I have an aio tank, 40 gallons

take an aquaclear 110 put a grow light on the side and boom you got an algae scrubber and/or refugium. mine is stuffed with chaeto i empty it every week. had to stop emptying it actually i got dinos from too low of nutrients lol

 

[Jilly92]

Algae is the kryptonite that keeps our aquarium super powers from becoming to powerful for our own good! - author unknown (ok it was me)

But really is nuisance algae just something that we will always have to battle from time to time each year or can it be very rare to non existent in some reef tanks? For those that rarely deal with nuisance algae what do you think your best defense is against it? Let's moan and complain a little and see what comes up!

PS. I hate algae

1. How many times a year do you have to do battle with nuisance algae?

2. If you rarely deal with nuisance algae what do you think is your best defense against it?


image via @Chiefmaster30

My best defense is help from guys on this forum haha