Generic algae question

[ineedhelp1234]

Hello. Just tested my parameters on my 40 gallon:

Nitrates: 0ppm
Phosohates: 0ppm

Undetectable on both. I have a lawnmower blenny, clown pair, astrea snails and cerith snails. I have a refugium with chaeto.

Attached a file of what it looks like. Looks brown and dead, but won't come off with a toothbrush. What do I do?

 

[P-Dub]

Hello. Just tested my parameters on my 40 gallon:

Nitrates: 0ppm
Phosohates: 0ppm

Undetectable on both. I have a lawnmower blenny, clown pair, astrea snails and cerith snails. I have a refugium with chaeto.

Attached a file of what it looks like. Looks brown and dead, but won't come off with a toothbrush. What do I do?

What are you using to test? As well, you may get these readings as all available nutrients are being consumed to keep your, what looks to be hair algae, thriving.
Lots you can do. Decrease feeding, run Rowaphos, decrease white light/lighting schedule, manual removal, etc.
Read the following...
A Simple Guide To Common Problematic Algae And The Means To Control It..

 

[ineedhelp1234]

What are you using to test? As well, you may get these readings as all available nutrients are being consumed to keep your, what looks to be hair algae, thriving.
Lots you can do. Decrease feeding, run Rowaphos, decrease white light/lighting schedule, manual removal, etc.
Read the following...
A Simple Guide To Common Problematic Algae And The Means To Control It..

Red sea for nitrate and phosphate... api. Lol.

Manual removal didnt work, since i cant remove it. Some parts came off fine and some just wont. My light is 19 inches above my tank rim and on 1% light for a few hours per day. Blue light 50% for the rest, i believe around 7hrs total of photoperiod.

 

[P-Dub]

Again, hit this thread up...
A Simple Guide To Common Problematic Algae And The Means To Control It..

 

[ineedhelp1234]

Again, hit this thread up...
A Simple Guide To Common Problematic Algae And The Means To Control It..

Yeah I did, but I had a skimmer on and it did not help at all. Like, it pulled stuff out, but it didnt help with algae. It broke tho after.

 

[mermaid_life]

i would try vibrant. It really helped me out with GHA.

 

[P-Dub]

Yeah I did, but I had a skimmer on and it did not help at all. Like, it pulled stuff out, but it didnt help with algae. It broke tho after.

Well, a skimmer is just another tool in the available arsenal. They are highly effective at removing solids that break down into the nutrients that are used to grow algae. They are not used to remove algae but to help control the nutrients used to grow it. Reduced feedings or the amount of food helps, Water changes help. Using RO/DI helps. Using GFO to reduce phosphate help. Using NO3O4-X helps. Etc. And, Vibrant, especially with the use of Flucanosol, helps but you have to control for the nutrients that allow for growth in the first place, otherwise it will just come back. Again, tools. For an analogy, a cabinet maker does not expect to make a cabinet with a saw alone but requires a variety of tools to make that happen.

Reefing, if it were easy everyone would be doing it.

​

 

[Rjmul]

Pull it out with your fingers. Never toothbrush. You wouldn't tooth brush your butthole and call it a day would you ?

but seriously. There's going to be 900 comments about how your tests are showing zero because the algae is taking them up. Maybe yes maybe no. Either way. Manual removal. Fish and snails won't eat long algae. They only eat groom short algae, this much I know.

MANUAL REMOVAL

tuxedo urchins will occasionally go for the long stuff. But also don't overlook a trio of mollies as good grazers in a 40 breeder

 

[Rjmul]

i would try vibrant. It really helped me out with GHA.

I wouldn't do that. Then he's risking dinos.

 

[mermaid_life]

I wouldn't do that. Then he's risking dinos.

I'm not an expert, but it wasn't a problem for me. From my understanding dinos happen because you use vibrant until you rock bottom on nutrients. After vibrant demolishes the GHA, there's still the underlying problem of nutrients that you have to address. I only used vibrant to weaken the GHA and then toothbrush scrubbed it off the rocks when it got weak - which I think is the challenge with manual removal now? I completely sympathize with the non stop manual removal with no end in sight.

 

[Rjmul]

I'm not an expert, but it wasn't a problem for me. From my understanding dinos happen because you use vibrant until you rock bottom on nutrients. After vibrant demolishes the GHA, there's still the underlying problem of nutrients that you have to address. I only used vibrant to weaken the GHA and then toothbrush scrubbed it off the rocks when it got weak - which I think is the challenge with manual removal now? I completely sympathize with the non stop manual removal with no end in sight.

I can sympathize, but it does end. As far as vibrant I think it's a predatory product. I remember having to special order it through my LFS at its peak of popularity. Every day of delayed shipping felt like a punch to the gut as my tank got worse and worse. 30 dollars or whatever it costs was a lot of money for me that year. It fixed nothing.

his water column has zero nutrients. Vibrant is nutrient eating bacteria.

dinos. I'd bet on it.

get creative with manual removal. With tufts like that, just pull at the base. It'll come.

 

[ineedhelp1234]

I can sympathize, but it does end. As far as vibrant I think it's a predatory product. I remember having to special order it through my LFS at its peak of popularity. Every day of delayed shipping felt like a punch to the gut as my tank got worse and worse. 30 dollars or whatever it costs was a lot of money for me that year. It fixed nothing.

his water column has zero nutrients. Vibrant is nutrient eating bacteria.

dinos. I'd bet on it.

get creative with manual removal. With tufts like that, just pull at the base. It'll come.

I will try pulling and let you know how it goes.