Green hair algae?

[Hiachi20]

Newly cycled. Couple damsels and an eel. Is this green hair algae? I'd say it looks more brown than green but of course that could be light. It's very minimal and I can just remove it for the most part I think. Thanks!

 

[jsker]

This is part of the cycle of a new tank. Do you have a clean up crew in place? Also check you nutrients

 

[Hiachi20]

Bryopsis it looks like as well. Yeah all of the nitrogen just all got handled. I keep accidentally feeding a lot so there's that. I'll just let the fish be hungry and work harder for their food. I only have a few hermits. Snails don't seem to do alright in my tank for some reason but I'm working on the water quality

 

[jsker]

For a new system, 1 clean up crew per gallon check your phosphates and nitrates with good kits to be sure.

 

[chris k.]

is a good guide

 

[Eggpaul]

For a new system, 1 clean up crew per gallon check your phosphates and nitrates with good kits to be sure.

I only have 25 in my 150. not enough?

 

[Hiachi20]

I only have 25 in my 150. not enough?

It's an arbitrary number. It literally depends on your system. If your system is nutrient sterile and no food at all and no livestock, then there's nothing to clean. Rule of thumbs are bad. Consider how much the crew can even do for one, and how much they have to clean. I wouldn't have any algae right now if my skimmer pump didn't break so I'm dosing phosphate remover, have little or no nitrate, and not feeding nearly at all since I have no fish. My crew is doing a decent job cleaning up. But once it's all gone I'll have to feed them so they have something to eat. I don't think crabs do much to be honest lol

 

[Eggpaul]

It's an arbitrary number. It literally depends on your system. If your system is nutrient sterile and no food at all and no livestock, then there's nothing to clean. Rule of thumbs are bad. Consider how much the crew can even do for one, and how much they have to clean. I wouldn't have any algae right now if my skimmer pump didn't break so I'm dosing phosphate remover, have little or no nitrate, and not feeding nearly at all since I have no fish. My crew is doing a decent job cleaning up. But once it's all gone I'll have to feed them so they have something to eat. I don't think crabs do much to be honest lol

I have lots of green hair algae right now, and the CUC is hard at work. Even the crabs are helping a lot.

 

[jsker]

I only have 25 in my 150. not enough?

How does you system look? Give up a picture please

 

[jsker]

I have lots of green hair algae right now, and the CUC is hard at work. Even the crabs are helping a lot.

Bump it up to 75 then and see where you are at. As you system matures you will need less of a clean up crew.

 

[Hiachi20]

I have lots of green hair algae right now, and the CUC is hard at work. Even the crabs are helping a lot.

This video explains it very well

 

[Eggpaul]

How does you system look? Give up a picture please

So here it is when I was adding the CUC last week. Brown diatoms. They started cleaning quickly and I started seeing the original rock color again. But now a lot of it in the middle turned green and long. Will have a picture when I'm home.

 

[Eggpaul]

Bump it up to 75 then and see where you are at. As you system matures you will need less of a clean up crew.

I'll have a picture tonight, but the green algae is longest in the middle of the tank, not sure why.

 

[Eggpaul]

This video explains it very well

Seen it, great video!

 

[Hiachi20]

I'll have a picture tonight, but the green algae is longest in the middle of the tank, not sure why.

Nitrate, phosphate, flow, and lighting. Best for less algae is high flow, least nitrate and least phosphate, least light possible. I've been wanting to black out my tank to let it all die but it doesn't matter until I handle the problem first

 

[jsker]

I'll have a picture tonight, but the green algae is longest in the middle of the tank, not sure why.

That is were your lighting is most intense. Not to back track, if you are buy your clean up crew local, and 25 more and see where you are at.

Be patient and let the cycle complete. FYI the tank will go through its ups and down for up to a year.

 

[Hiachi20]

That is were your lighting is most intense. Not to back track, if you are buy your clean up crew local, and 25 more and see where you are at.

Be patient and let the cycle complete. FYI the tank will go through its ups and down for up to a year.

You just made me realize I should probably just put my LEDs back in the display from the sump so I'm not feeding algae since my corals are practically nonexistant. Like duh lol

 

[Eggpaul]

Nitrate, phosphate, flow, and lighting. Best for less algae is high flow, least nitrate and least phosphate, least light possible. I've been wanting to black out my tank to let it all die but it doesn't matter until I handle the problem first

I do have 2 MP40s, so I can increase the flow, but the little clowns get thrown around at times if they try to cross through the middle, lol

 

[Eggpaul]

That is were your lighting is most intense. Not to back track, if you are buy your clean up crew local, and 25 more and see where you are at.

Be patient and let the cycle complete. FYI the tank will go through its ups and down for up to a year.

Okay great. I do have a foxface in QT. Little guy, but he should start helping with the GHA right?

 

[Hiachi20]

I do have 2 MP40s, so I can increase the flow, but the little clowns get thrown around at times if they try to cross through the middle, lol

Hahaha. I have one little powerhead on one side so I try to make my return do the work and aim it in the dead spots. Daily I'll mix things up by moving the powerhead around and hitting every spot some or wave my hand to get flow. If you can make them do a high mode every once in a while like 30min a day or manually, that's even great to do, as to not annoy the clowns. I'm not a pro on how flow affects algae though. My inverts can even get thrown around if it's sudden but if they know the flow is high they hold on and do just fine