Green hair algea next?

[Rabidbeast666]

I just went thru a diatom phase a couple of weeks ago. Short and not bad. Now my rocks are turning green. Am I about to go thru a green hair algea cycle? Tanks about 2mnths old now.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

It's possible. The Pic is blurry, but I don't see any hairy parts coming off yet. Keep an eye on your phosphates and make sure you're using RODI water, which I'm sure you are.

ALL reef aquariums will get algae. My full SPS system has a breakout of GHA right now and I don't have a good idea as to why. My phosphates are never over 0.1 and if it's that high, it's only for a couple of days. Of course, I overfeed A LOT and I guess it's catching up to me.

Yeah, algae happens. There are methods to destroy it, but your tank is young and I wouldn't recommend anything drastic. Overfeeding can be a cause too, as I said above.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I just went thru a diatom phase a couple of weeks ago. Short and not bad. Now my rocks are turning green. Am I about to go thru a green hair algea cycle? Tanks about 2mnths old now.

While possible maty be cyano which is yellow-green-purple-red and brown
To reverse, verify your nitrate and Phos has not become elevated, you are not getting indirect/direct light from a nearby window and performing regular maintenance. If you have no snails, add a few consisting of astrea-cerith-nerite-trochus-and nassarius

 

[slogan315]

Watch nutrients (don’t let them bottom out), and get an appropriately size cuc to stay ahead of the problem, and ride it out.

I had 6 Trochus snails and 5 hermits. Wasnt nearly enough.

Mix of GHA and lime green Cyano slime

Early March -> 2 weeks later -> late april

 

[Rabidbeast666]

Watch nutrients (don’t let them bottom out), and get an appropriately size cuc to stay ahead of the problem, and ride it out.

I had 6 Trochus snails and 5 hermits. Wasnt nearly enough.

Mix of GHA and lime green Cyano slime

Early March -> 2 weeks later -> late april

I've got like 10 snails of various kinds and about 8 hermits red & blue leg. My nitrates are low with no detectable phosphates. The drapes are heavy with black out screens so I don't think ambient lights a problem. Maybe I'll cut back on my light intensity and duration. I do a 40% water change weekly as well.

 

[slogan315]

I've got like 10 snails of various kinds and about 8 hermits red & blue leg. My nitrates are low with no detectable phosphates. The drapes are heavy with black out screens so I don't think ambient lights a problem. Maybe I'll cut back on my light intensity and duration. I do a 40% water change weekly as well.

40% is too aggressive unless you’re trying to fix something that’s really wrong. I wouldn’t do more than 20% weekly on a regular basis. 10% is more standard.

in this situation, I think some nutrients are good. Algae will grow but your cuc should eat it. If your nutrients bottom out, it opens the door for Cyano and Dinos. So of the 3, you want the algae to grow and the cuc to take care of it. You’re just riding it out until your microbiome develops on the rocks and system stabilizes.

 

[blecki]

20% weekly is more than you need. Neon green is a normal stage for the rock. Stick a new rock in an old tank and it will turn neon green for a bit. It's good and the algae that causes it is not a pest.

 

[Rabidbeast666]

Actually my math was off. I change 3 gals a week on a total volume of 12.2 so it's about a 25% water change. I have 3 gal jugs so it's easiest to drain a jug then add one back.

 

[Zestfullyclean]

Not sure I would recommend water changes at all at this point. Just went through same thing on my tank and with your phosphate bottomed out I’d try to get that up before you may get Dino’s. I wish I could have gone back to the GHA phase on my new tank and not have dealt with Dino’s coming on. Just finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with the Dino’s but for me the key was getting phosphates up to a detectable level.