muzikalmatt
Valuable Member
Welcome to Reef2Reef!
As others have mentioned, ChaetoGro is a good option as a lot of times chaeto strips trace elements from your water that it needs to grow and water changes aren't enough to replenish them. Other aspects needed for chaeto to grow well are good lighting (with the right spectrum) and decent flow so it doesn't get all slimy and nasty.
As others have mentioned, ChaetoGro is a good option as a lot of times chaeto strips trace elements from your water that it needs to grow and water changes aren't enough to replenish them. Other aspects needed for chaeto to grow well are good lighting (with the right spectrum) and decent flow so it doesn't get all slimy and nasty.
welcome to R2R
Fish Think Pink
5000 Club Member
Welcome! Glad you joined. @NS Mike D post #14 was only one to not just answer your question but share info.... If you listen to everyone who is trying to help you grow chaeto, your green hair algae is going to benefit MORE... Is this what you want?
You have no nitrate, no phosphate, so where the green hair algae is located is getting great light. It needs those three fuels... if you ADD nitrate and phosphate (or chaeto grow) then you are giving rocket fuel to your green hair algae... You aren't going to like my answer, but I've been fighting green hair algae more on than off for year. #1 thing, get in there and scrub it off and siphon it out. Its messy, short term it spreads it more, I hated doing it. Every week, scrub. Scrub, scrub, scrub. My room where reef tank is located - gorgeous, southern facing, wall of windows looking over pool... and letting in light (FUEL) for hair algae... finally added wide slat blinds that stay closed (except the window at far end of room where my desk is located, but blind is open only as high as file cabinet. Room is still the brightest in house. Continued scrubbing. Scrub, scrub, scrub and siphon out that green green water...
A Simple Guide To Common Problematic Algae And The Means To Control It..
As we all know algae is inevitable in both Marine and fresh water aquariums and if not watched and without proper procedures for removal can quickly turn a beautiful aquarium in to something that resembles a scene out of a old Swamp thing episode. Some are easy to control some are a non stop...
www.reef2reef.com
My war #1 - won! (but note I numbered my war...) Vibrant does work, BUT it will first wipe out every other algae and macro algae, and when those die they release their phosphate and nitrates which the hair algae loves... green hair algae is toughest and was last to go, in my case about 2-3 months into treatment but apparently we didn't kill ALL of it... either only killed 99.9% or it snuck back in on/with something else... either way, back to scrub, scrub, scrub varied with pull and always with siphon. Water changes became algae removal changes LOL. It was SO nice for a few months before return of green hair algae in our tank.
Given your phosphate and nitrates so low, guessing your main tank has the green hair algae and has white light, either sunlight or lights - light spectrums got to go... Go blue. Go with lights for corals. Eliminate whites. Also don't believe green hair algae is the only problem with your tank as likely the green hair algae is eating your nitrates and phosphates (which otherwise wouldn't be at 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate), so don't be surprised to see those numbers rise in your tank when you finally start winning battles and war with green hair algae. Know you can do it. I tell myself I'm tougher and smarter than green hair algae <wink> We're doing it, we dented it with Vibrant, but this time going about it with a lot less white light, reducing nitrates and phosphates with reactors and biodigest (and some Red Sea NoPoX). This time realizing its going to come back, either because I can not reach true 100% eradication or it will sneak back another future time, so I've got to get controls in place. With lots of scrub and siphon, nitrate and phophate controls, and yes macroalgae (though not chaeto) caulpera doing awesome in refugium on 5k spectrum LED 60w running 23 hours, plus dragon tongue and red sea grape (doing okay). You will find your way too. It may not be same path, but your path needs to include scrub and remove.
In the jungle, do you outcompete the lion using a gazelle? In the alley, do you take gun or knife to fight? If your objective is reduce green hair algae, which is tougher, you can't outcompete with lesser weapon...
I'm almost ready to declare victory in war #2 with green hair algae. I know you will find your way. You can be tougher than green hair algae! Hope you keep us posted.
Have you considered starting your build thread? I found its a great place to document my tank's evolution for myself. I started tank first then joined, so I'm still finding myself going back collecting pictures & updating historically as well as current state. Once you create your first post in your thread and link it to your account, they will give you build badge (look left, under my ID)
This is a good reference book type online article I still review:
The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium
This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is no...
www.reef2reef.com
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