Could someone please help me identify this algae, the cause, and the solution?

[sdubler]

Here it is — if anyone has any questions — let me know.
Thanks,
sdubler

 

[Pistol Peet]

Green hair algee the cause can be a number of things need to know more parameters alkalinity calcium Magnesium phosphate ammonia nitrates as far as ways to combat it you can cut back on lighting you cut back on feeding you can add gfo to a reactor and you can manually take it out by scraping or brushing It Off The Rock and siphoning at the same time

 

[Pistol Peet]

And welcome we're happy to have you here at reef2reef

 

[Pistol Peet]

It looks like the start of green hair algae though there are several different ways to try and combat it

 

[sdubler]

Green hair algee the cause can be a number of things need to know more parameters alkalinity calcium Magnesium phosphate ammonia nitrates as far as ways to combat it you can cut back on lighting you cut back on feeding you can add gfo to a reactor and you can manually take it out by scraping or brushing It Off The Rock and siphoning at the same time

I have a water box cube 20 — I was thinking of doing a refugium in my second chamber with chaetomorpha — I think I’ll add a gfo reactor as well — I saw coralfish12g’s video. Thank you for the great info!

 

[Pistol Peet]

I have a water box cube 20 — I was thinking of doing a refugium in my second chamber with chaetomorpha — I think I’ll add a gfo reactor as well — I saw coralfish12g’s video. Thank you for the great info!

No problem I think a refugium is the right path to choose as it's all natural does a phenomenal job the only time I would actually add gfo to refugium is if you have a fowlr Predator Tank which is a tank that I do have a side from my reef tank these tanks and these kinds of fish produce way more waste than your typical reef tank fish and sometimes it can take both to keep everything in balance

 

[sdubler]

No problem I think a refugium is the right path to choose as it's all natural does a phenomenal job the only time I would actually add gfo to refugium is if you have a fowlr Predator Tank which is a tank that I do have a side from my reef tank these tanks and these kinds of fish produce way more waste than your typical reef tank fish and sometimes it can take both to keep everything in balance

Ok, so should I just stick with the refugium — and just in case add a bag or more of gfo rather than a reactor?

 

[Pistol Peet]

Ok, so should I just stick with refugium — and maybe add some bags of gfo, just in case, than a reactor?

I would start with the refugium you have a tank that is not super large the refugium should do everything you needed to do without the gfo if and only if the refugium doesn't keep everything in check and is set up right only then would I add gfo to that

 

[sdubler]

I would start with the refugium you have a tank that is not super large the refugium should do everything you needed to do without the gfo if and only if the refugium doesn't keep everything in check and is set up right only then would I add gfo to that

Ok! thank you so much for the great information — how long do you think it will take for the refugium to combat the algae and phosphates — just an estimate? days, weeks?

 

[Pistol Peet]

I would start with the refugium you have a tank that is not super large the refugium should do everything you needed to do without the gfo if and only if the refugium doesn't keep everything in check and is set up right only then would I add gfo to that

Both refugium and gfo do an amazing job at keeping phosphates in check you do not want to have absolute zero phosphates in your tank you want to have about 0.02 to 0.03 parts per million of phosphates anything less than this and you can consider it starving the coral of the nutrients it needs this is why would not try both of them in the tank the size of yours unless one or the other is not working

 

[daybreaksky]

how old is this tank? are you talking about the brown stuff? cause that just looks like diatom bloom

 

[Pistol Peet]

They say nothing good in this hobby happens fast and I would stick to that I would say that you're looking at weeks before it completely eliminates and takes up all the nutrients in beats out the algae

 

[sdubler]

ok, I am adding coral to the aquarium on Saturday — I already have a hobby and a shrimp — I’ll be fine right? I am setting up the fuge monday — also side note — wouldn’t the corals also reduce the phosphates as well? Sorry for all the questions; I am twelve

 

[sdubler]

how old is this tank? are you talking about the brown stuff? cause that just looks like diatom bloom

It might be — this tank is only a couple months old, will a refugium combat the diatom bloom as well? is it easy to beat?

 

[daybreaksky]

its just a natural tank progression. did you add any livestock or start feeding more recently?

 

[vetteguy53081]

These are simply diatoms associated with new tanks and silicates in the bedding.
You can. Blow loose with a turkey Baxter or a light siphoning.
Reducing white light intensity a little will help

 

[daybreaksky]

refugium, great idea any time but this will resolve itself, corals will probably be fine too, i wouldn't suggest adding expensive ones or SPS but a few softies or LPS should be fine if other parameters are stable. Nothing to stress about

 

[sdubler]

refugium, great idea any time but this will resolve itself, corals will probably be fine too, i wouldn't suggest adding expensive ones or SPS but a few softies or LPS should be fine if other parameters are stable. Nothing to stress about

Phew! Thank you so much! Any recommendations on how to cope with it though and keep it under control? I know reduce white light and feeding; but do you think my upcoming refugium will help? (putting in monday)

 

[daybreaksky]

Phew! Thank you so much! Any recommendations on how to cope with it though and keep it under control? I know reduce white light and feeding; but do you think my upcoming refugium will help? (putting in monday)

No problem. No need to do anything. They will burn through whatever nutrients they need and never come back. Just part of the tank maturity progress. They don't last long if parameters are in check

 

[daybreaksky]

Sometimes in reef tank, the best thing is to keep your hands out of it and let its biosphere go through it's thing
Refugium with macro algae is a good addition though and would allow you to properly feed things without unwanted parameter spokes in the future.