Brown Hair Algae? Wait it out or attack?

[alyee5]

Tank spec's:
100 gallon, 25 gallon sump with Bubble Magus Curve 7 skimmer, 1 lg block of medipure
Dry rock, dry sand, cycled using ammonia 9 months ago
2 Kessil A360we's, Waveline 10000ii return, Tunze ATO, BRS 6 stage RO/DI, 2 MP40's

Tank parameters
Calcium= 385 (Red Sea)
Alk= 7.7 (Hanna)
Mg=1360 (Red Sea)
SG=1.025 (Refractometer)
Temp=78.5
Ammonia=0 (API)
Nitrate=5 (Salifert)
Phosphate= 0 (Hannah ULR)
0 TDS RO/DI (BRS inline meter)

Livestock
2 Clarkii clowns
1 Foxface lo
2 Firefish
1 Royal Gramma (in sump)
1 Blood red fire fish
6 Nassarius snails
5 Cerite snails
5 Nerite snails

Corals (all put in 3 months ago)
1 Duncan
1 War coral
1 Hammer
1 Favia
1 Xenia
1 GSP

Algae for 3 weeks, growing on rocks exposed to light, some on sandbed
Looks like this

I think this is Brown hair algae?

Should I just wait it out and just perform regular sand stirring, filter sock changes, 10% weekly water changes and 2-3x rock scrubbing?

Or should I act?
>I do have a dual canister BRS media reactor with ROX GAC and GFO that I have not used yet.
>I do have Dr. Tim's Waste away that I have not used yet.

thx!

 

[Nick92515]

Hard to see with those lights, do you have actual pictures?

Almost looks like cyano or diatoms

How old is tank?

 

[Esquire805]

May

Tank spec's:
100 gallon, 25 gallon sump with Bubble Magus Curve 7 skimmer, 1 lg block of medipure
Dry rock, dry sand, cycled using ammonia 9 months ago
2 Kessil A360we's, Waveline 10000ii return, Tunze ATO, BRS 6 stage RO/DI, 2 MP40's

Tank parameters
Calcium= 385 (Red Sea)
Alk= 7.7 (Hanna)
Mg=1360 (Red Sea)
SG=1.025 (Refractometer)
Temp=78.5
Ammonia=0 (API)
Nitrate=5 (Salifert)
Phosphate= 0 (Hannah ULR)
0 TDS RO/DI (BRS inline meter)

Livestock
2 Clarkii clowns
1 Foxface lo
2 Firefish
1 Royal Gramma (in sump)
1 Blood red fire fish
6 Nassarius snails
5 Cerite snails
5 Nerite snails

Corals (all put in 3 months ago)
1 Duncan
1 War coral
1 Hammer
1 Favia
1 Xenia
1 GSP

Algae for 3 weeks, growing on rocks exposed to light, some on sandbed
Looks like this

I think this is Brown hair algae?

Should I just wait it out and just perform regular sand stirring, filter sock changes, 10% weekly water changes and 2-3x rock scrubbing?

Or should I act?
>I do have a dual canister BRS media reactor with ROX GAC and GFO that I have not used yet.
>I do have Dr. Tim's Waste away that I have not used yet.

thx!

If anyrhung might be diatoms but I wouuld do a water change and may cut the light period how long are your lights on

 

[alyee5]

Here's some "better" pictures. I tried to zoom in to show the hairy like appearance....I was thinking diatoms, but thought they were more "dusty" vs "hairy"...

Tank has been cycled for 9 months...
Light schedule is
0-50% power and color, ramp up for 3.5 hours
50%/50% power and color for 3 hours
50%-0% power and color, ramp down for 3.5 hours

 

[alyee5]

Bump

 

[dragon99]

I've got a similar looking algae. It was taking off, but my hermits and snails (trocus and nerites mostly) have started mowing through it. Mine seems to like growing in spots with higher flow.

 

[alyee5]

I would like to get some Trocus...inverts but can't seem to find them at any LFS...

I've got a similar looking algae. It was taking off, but my hermits and snails (trocus and nerites mostly) have started mowing through it. Mine seems to like growing in spots with higher flow.

 

[dragon99]

Trocus snails are great. They do seem harder to find right now though.
Before (3 days ago)

And today

It's not gone (they haven't even touched the back glass), but they are doing some damage.

 

[alyee5]

Thanks for the pictures...your CUC are doing a nice job....

 

[Husker]

I have the exact same stuff. I don't see it talked about much. My snails are mowing through it, but it is slow moving. This makes me think I just need some more snails. I have no detectable nitrates or phosphates in my system despite my best efforts. I think the small amounts that get by my skimmer are getting soaked up by the algae. Glad I stumbled upon this!

 

[alyee5]

I am going to go to a few LFS's this week to ask about Trochus snails.

I installed my BRS dual reactor yesterday with a reduced amount of GFO and GAC to start with. Also running it 12 hrs per day at the beginning.

I also reduced my light intensity to 30% vs 50% just so I can stay ahead of the manual rock scrubbing.

Thx!

 

[Husker]

For what its worth, the astrea snails are doing pretty well on the stuff also. The turbos eat it, but they seem to leave the rocks and head to the glass even if I keep moving them to the rocks.