Fuge Help

GoTakeANap · Nov 11, 2020

Hello everyone. I am in need of some help. I recently started a fuge about 2 months ago. I have a Kessil H80 Flora. I have it set on the grow setting and intensity is cut up all the way as of last week. Finally getting some good growth but still fighting a hair algae. Had a explosion with the lighting from my fuge light bleeding over caused a 2 hour cleaning of my sump 4 weeks ago. I have now moved the light as pictured to directly send lighting to the Chaeto. Manually removed everything I could and cleaned my display as well. Nitrates are anywhere from 5-10 on a day to day basis and my phosphates are 0.01-0.02 the last week of testing both everyday. What am I doing wrong that would be causing the hair algae to continue to grow along with the Chaeto? Also have it set to cut on when my display is about to cut off for the day and runs until the display lights cut back on. Display lighting is 2 Hydra 32's over a WB Reef 100.3. Also attached a photo of the overflow in my display to show hair algae growing in the display. Photo of Hair Algae removed from fuge area is in the container pictured. Any info or guidance would be much appreciated.

PBnJOnWheat · Nov 11, 2020

GoTakeANap said:
Hello everyone. I am in need of some help. I recently started a fuge about 2 months ago. I have a Kessil H80 Flora. I have it set on the grow setting and intensity is cut up all the way as of last week. Finally getting some good growth but still fighting a hair algae. Had a explosion with the lighting from my fuge light bleeding over caused a 2 hour cleaning of my sump 4 weeks ago. I have now moved the light as pictured to directly send lighting to the Chaeto. Manually removed everything I could and cleaned my display as well. Nitrates are anywhere from 5-10 on a day to day basis and my phosphates are 0.01-0.02 the last week of testing both everyday. What am I doing wrong that would be causing the hair algae to continue to grow along with the Chaeto? Also have it set to cut on when my display is about to cut off for the day and runs until the display lights cut back on. Display lighting is 2 Hydra 32's over a WB Reef 100.3. Also attached a photo of the overflow in my display to show hair algae growing in the display. Photo of Hair Algae removed from fuge area is in the container pictured. Any info or guidance would be much appreciated.

I’m in the same boy except my hair algae has completely wiped out my chaeto. On one hand this means nutrient export is doing its job keeping algae out of your DT. If something ain’t wrong, don’t fix it. Then hair algae is hard to remove and not as easy to work with compared to chaeto. I recommend getting a hair eating algae specialist in there to eat the hair algae and keep it down while the chaeto can thrive. Give it an extra boost to better outcompete the hair algae! Not sure I’m about to stick a couple snails and an urchin in my fuge to destroy the hair algae but I might use it instead of chaeto

still undecided.

GoTakeANap · Nov 12, 2020

PBnJOnWheat said:
I’m in the same boy except my hair algae has completely wiped out my chaeto. On one hand this means nutrient export is doing its job keeping algae out of your DT. If something ain’t wrong, don’t fix it. Then hair algae is hard to remove and not as easy to work with compared to chaeto. I recommend getting a hair eating algae specialist in there to eat the hair algae and keep it down while the chaeto can thrive. Give it an extra boost to better outcompete the hair algae! Not sure I’m about to stick a couple snails and an urchin in my fuge to destroy the hair algae but I might use it instead of chaeto still undecided.

Yea it is working somewhat but still fighting Hair Algae in the display as well but it isnt overtaking anything. I am starting to wonder if the fuge light is strong enough to compete with my display tank lights. My fuge area in my sump is roughly 8 x 8 fuge area. Anyone else had this problem and resolved it?