Green Hair Algae

[JORDANBE]

I have been fighting green hair algae for about a 5 months know. I wasn't keeping up on my husbandry and my clean up crew was slowly dying off like most reef tanks. I wasn't getting any new clean up crew either. It was a very depressing time for me in the hobby I didn't have the money to put into the tank as i had no job. So 3 weeks ago when i got a new job, i told my self its either i sell the tank or kick it into gear. All the work and money i put into it grew me attached to the thank as a whole. So i decided to give it another try.
It is a 75 gallon display with a 20 gallon sump. I have been dosing NO+PO+X daily, weekly water changes(removing as mush algae and detritus as possible), changing filter socks ever 2-3 days, blowing the detritus off the rocks daily, cleaned the refugium and put new chato in it, and got a bigger clean up crew finally.
Know i have 2 sand shifting star, 2 serpent/brittle star, 12 snail, 1 chonch, and about 30 hermits.
there are 4 fish a purple tang, blue tank, filefish, and sandsifting goby. I have a 4 bulb t5 light fixture. For flow all i have is 2 hydro power heads about 500 gph(had a 1k gyro but it stopped pushing water). In the sump i am running a octopus aq1000s skimmer,filter socks, in the refugium there is a wave point light(the small oneand on a 12 hr cycle), and i cant remember the return pump.
Should i keep doing what im doing or change something? I am gonig to invest in new power head next what would you comment with price in thought?

 

[glb]

If this is before/after pics it does look a lot better. What are your No3 and po4 readings?

 

[Sley1]

Physically remove as much of the algae as possible, looks like you could quite easily get a nice bit of it out by scraping or wiping the side and back panels, I've seen people use polyfilter pad so that it holds the algae in the pad and doesn't float into the water column when you wipe the glass. It does seem better in the second picture, and a lot of the things you listed you were doing will all have a Cumulative effect in eliminating the Algae. Nitrate and phosphate numbers may give us more of a clue. Don't give up you can get things back in good shape over time..

 

[JORDANBE]

ok i might try that.
NO3 is at 0 ppm
PO4 is at 0.01 ppm
i just ordered a new NO3 testing kit to get a more accurate reading

 

[JORDANBE]

yes these picture are before and after about a week apart

 

[Sley1]

ok i might try that.
NO3 is at 0 ppm
PO4 is at 0.01 ppm
i just ordered a new NO3 testing kit to get a more accurate reading

Even with low numbers like that the algae is probably consuming all the excess, leaving you with zero. Stay the course on physically removing as much as you can and as you do all that extra nitrate and phosphate that was in the tank will be removed in the form of algae. Then you can start to rebalance your nutrients from there. How’s the tank looking now??

 

[GoatmealJones]

I would try a phosban reactor with gfo/carbon mix. That helped my algae bloom I just had after cycling my LR.

 

[cracker]

Good Job You have already put a dent in the green nasty ! I also have algae issues so don't feel alone !

 

[Mikedawg]

As a no cost method for controlling/managing water parameters, I would also suggest you carefully monitor your feeding regimen.

 

[JORDANBE]

Even with low numbers like that the algae is probably consuming all the excess, leaving you with zero. Stay the course on physically removing as much as you can and as you do all that extra nitrate and phosphate that was in the tank will be removed in the form of algae. Then you can start to rebalance your nutrients from there. How’s the tank looking now??

Yea thats what im working on rn. I let it grow for about 2 weeks them remove as much algae as possible. Just cleaned the glass, its crazy how much ditritus was sitting in the algae as will and here is a picture of it know.

 

[JORDANBE]

Good Job You have already put a dent in the green nasty ! I also have algae issues so don't feel alone !

Ik it sucks!! Its my first time with algae problems and i didnt know how to combat it so it just kept getting worse, but after doing lots of research i think i got it.

 

[JORDANBE]

I would try a phosban reactor with gfo/carbon mix. That helped my algae bloom I just had after cycling my LR.

I run carbon in a bag in my filter sock. Ive heard mixed reviews about GFO so i just dose Phosphate-E when needed easier to control. Thanks for the recommendation tho i might try it later down the road

 

[JORDANBE]

As a no cost method for controlling/managing water parameters, I would also suggest you carefully monitor your feeding regimen.

I Have been for the most part. I really only feed like a cube and a half of mysis a day.

 

[Kalibur2]

I run carbon in a bag in my filter sock. Ive heard mixed reviews about GFO so i just dose Phosphate-E when needed easier to control. Thanks for the recommendation tho i might try it later down the road

How is the phosphate e working out? How much u dose and have you seen a difference

 

[Sley1]

Yea thats what im working on rn. I let it grow for about 2 weeks them remove as much algae as possible. Just cleaned the glass, its crazy how much ditritus was sitting in the algae as will and here is a picture of it know.

Looks like your getting some good results, for clearing off the rock work, have you tried holding a small diameter tubing in your hand when doing your water change and just grabbing the algae with your fingers and then let the siphon in the tubing carry it out into a bucket? If your rocks are not attached together you could remove one or two at a time and scrub them with a stiff toothbrush or similar brush while holding them in your old water change bucket and then rinse them off in new salt water and place them back into the tank. Also as you limit the supply of nutrients the algaes hold on the rocks will weaken and will come off much easier. In addition as others have already stated, limit food, keep the phosphate e going. I think in a couple of weeks you may have things back to where you want them. Good work JORDANBE!!

 

[JORDANBE]

Looks like your getting some good results, for clearing off the rock work, have you tried holding a small diameter tubing in your hand when doing your water change and just grabbing the algae with your fingers and then let the siphon in the tubing carry it out into a bucket? If your rocks are not attached together you could remove one or two at a time and scrub them with a stiff toothbrush or similar brush while holding them in your old water change bucket and then rinse them off in new salt water and place them back into the tank. Also as you limit the supply of nutrients the algaes hold on the rocks will weaken and will come off much easier. In addition as others have already stated, limit food, keep the phosphate e going. I think in a couple of weeks you may have things back to where you want them. Good work JORDANBE!!

How is the phosphate e working out? How much u dose and have you seen a difference

Thany you. I havent dosed phosphate-E yet is it ok to dose it with my phosphates already down? i have some corals that i dont want to hurt

 

[Sley1]

Thany you. I havent dosed phosphate-E yet is it ok to dose it with my phosphates already down? i have some corals that i dont want to hurt

Just my thoughts here:
Removing the phosphate with phosphate E or gfo will remove the nutrients from the water before any remaining algae can use it to grow. I bet your phosphates read low simply because the algae grabs it from the water before you get a chance to pick it up in a test. Once the algae is gone (week or two) you could stop any phosphate removing media and then slowly allow your phosphates to rise back up to where you want them for coral growth and then use your media or other nutrient removal methods as needed to keep it at ideal levels.

 

[JORDANBE]

Just my thoughts here:
Removing the phosphate with phosphate E or gfo will remove the nutrients from the water before any remaining algae can use it to grow. I bet your phosphates read low simply because the algae grabs it from the water before you get a chance to pick it up in a test. Once the algae is gone (week or two) you could stop any phosphate removing media and then slowly allow your phosphates to rise back up to where you want them for coral growth and then use your media or other nutrient removal methods as needed to keep it at ideal levels.

Okay im try dosing it then.