Hair algae help

[jasonrusso]

I set up my Red Sea Max C-130 (32 gallon) on Thanksgiving weekend so it's about 5 months old. I went through the diatom stage and now I am in the hair algae stage and tbh it's getting very frustrating and ruining my enjoyment. I have a steve's led set to 12% white, and 50% blue. I had the white at 25% but it was torching coral.

About 2 months ago I saw some fibers. I didn't think much of it. A month ago it got really bad. I said I would let it ruin it's course, but now it is affecting my coral. My GSP is competing with it. Many of my zoas open halfway. Sps has stray algae caught and growing.

2 weeks ago, my Phosphate was at 0.36. I've been changing water and running phosguard in a media bag. I now have the Phosphate at 0.08 but it isn't dying. I think that it hits 0.08, some algae starts to die and releases Phosphate into the water and it exhausts my phosguard.

Most of the corals look happy (zoas excluded), but there is a ton of algae.

I have a biopellet reactor filled but not turned on yet. Will this help? I'm not sure if I have enough nitrate to lower the Phosphate.

I have a 210 fowler /predator tank with off the chart nitrate and Phosphate, no algae. I have a foxface, bristletooth tang, and dwarf angel, but I don't think they are cleaning the tank. I clean the glass once a week for slime, not algae. That tank is 5 years old, so much more established. I do run a big UV on that tank, but I don't think it would help because gha isn't waterborne.

Paramaters are normal.

Dkh: high 7 to low 8
Cal: low 400s
Mag: 1400
Nitrate : 5-10
Ph 7.8 to 8.2

Here are some pictures. Is this gha, turf algae or bryopsis? I don't think it is bryopsis because it is straight and thin. Bryopsis is fan like.

 

[sbash]

First, get as much out as possible by hand. Do this as required (daily, weekly, etc)...

Second, find the source of the excess nutrients. Could be over feeding, something died, unchanged sponges, and so on...

Third, if the first and second steps don't help after a few weeks, you can use fluconazole. I found I needed to run two courses back to back of the recommended dose to kill it all in my 220. For a 30 gallon, it will be dirt cheap so get enough for a few courses (and in case it comes back).

Here's a good thread on fluconazole:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bryopsis-cure-my-battle-with-bryopsis-using-fluconazole.285096/

Although it talks about fighting bryopsis, it still works with regular GHA...

 

[1WildBill]

Following. I’ll be hitting that stage shortly.

 

[mcarroll]

First, get as much out as possible by hand. Do this as required (daily, weekly, etc)...

Definitely this!! @jasonrusso don't forget you're the #1 member on the CUC.

Also, start taking the fight to the algae patches using spot treatments:
Algae Cure!! Spot Treating Algae With Peroxide

Also sounds like you could use a beefing up on your invert CUC.....how many snails, crabs, etc and what types are in there now?

Chlorophytes like your algae (and most green algae) have the ability to generate interesting chemistry...often used to make itself less palatable to snails and other grazers.

Much like humans, herbivores have been shown to be picky eaters.

In testing, the prefer prepared/processed foods like flake and pellets to whole meaty foods like mysis shrimps.

And they prefered whole meaty foods like mysis shrimps to good tasting algae

.....and good tasting algae to bad tasting.

Guess what's left...encouraged...to grow freely once that dynamic gets engaged?

Unpalatable algae.

If you can safely withhold regular feedings long enough to provoke a change in herbivore behivore/preferences someone will decide to mow this algae down just because they're hungry enough, then that's what I'd try. It's not toxic, it's just not tasty.

Just make sure you have a large enough CUC to stage a takeover when you start putting $ or effort into other "help" so that they can enforce what you do.....you don't want to be too moderate with CUC numbers during an "occasion" like this.

 

[Jose Mayo]

Here are some pictures. Is this gha, turf algae or bryopsis?

By the distribution and aspect of the clumps, these algae appear to be Derbesia sp.

If they are Derbesia sp, pruning favors them, increasing their multiplication.

They are sensitive to Fluconazole, with good eradication results.

Regards

 

[FloatinBy]

please see below, I did not realize I posted twice-----sorry

 

[FloatinBy]

My tank is a 100gal tank with 30gal sump. I'm going for mixed reef tank. Currently have only 5 fish and 14 or so corals. I've been battling gha for roughly a month and half or more now. Back glass was covered with it as well as a couple of rocks. I tried manually removing it, turning down lights and shortening their duration and even decreased feedings and nothing seemed to help much. I started feeding every 2 days and only giving nori weekly for my tang. I added 10 trochos snails and increased the amount of GFO in my media reactor. I then started dosing API algaefix marine per directions on bottle every 3 days. I have done 2 doses thus far with 20gal water changes before each dose and have noticed a huge difference. I also cut my light for 3 days. I did not cover my tank just did not have LEDs come on and just allowed the light in the room to light the tank (its in a room with a big picture window with semi dark curtains). I know I've done a lot in a relatively short time and I have no idea what has helped or if it was a combination of everything I did. It has been almost a week since I scrapped back glass and none of it has returned to the glass and its about 75% gone now on the rocks since starting to dose algaefix marine. Granted I did the 3 days of night lights but uncovered same time I did the 1st dose of algaefix and added trochos snails. my water is a clear as ever as well and I now change filter socks every 3 days and theres a lot of hair algea I'm pulling out with them were as before there really wasn't much in the socks. Finally I also increased flow by almost double. I think I had to little flow before. even with the big increase in flow, my corals are happier then ever.

Hope this helps

 

[jasonrusso]

Definitely this!! @jasonrusso don't forget you're the #1 member on the CUC.

Also, start taking the fight to the algae patches using spot treatments:
Algae Cure!! Spot Treating Algae With Peroxide

Also sounds like you could use a beefing up on your invert CUC.....how many snails, crabs, etc and what types are in there now?

Chlorophytes like your algae (and most green algae) have the ability to generate interesting chemistry...often used to make itself less palatable to snails and other grazers.

Much like humans, herbivores have been shown to be picky eaters.

In testing, the prefer prepared/processed foods like flake and pellets to whole meaty foods like mysis shrimps.

And they prefered whole meaty foods like mysis shrimps to good tasting algae

.....and good tasting algae to bad tasting.

Guess what's left...encouraged...to grow freely once that dynamic gets engaged?

Unpalatable algae.

If you can safely withhold regular feedings long enough to provoke a change in herbivore behivore/preferences someone will decide to mow this algae down just because they're hungry enough, then that's what I'd try. It's not toxic, it's just not tasty.

Just make sure you have a large enough CUC to stage a takeover when you start putting $ or effort into other "help" so that they can enforce what you do.....you don't want to be too moderate with CUC numbers during an "occasion" like this.

Right now, just some snails, a couple of emerald crabs and peppermint shrimp, some grass shrimp, hermit crabs.

 

[jasonrusso]

By the distribution and aspect of the clumps, these algae appear to be Derbesia sp.

If they are Derbesia sp, pruning favors them, increasing their multiplication.

They are sensitive to Fluconazole, with good eradication results.

Regards

Does Fluconazole affect coral? I'll have to do some research.

 

[FloatinBy]

No it's considered relatively reef safe. It, however, may kill off good algae such as cheato if you have a refugium or algae reactor from my understanding.

 

[jasonrusso]

No it's considered relatively reef safe. It, however, may kill off good algae such as cheato if you have a refugium or algae reactor from my understanding.

It's an all in one. No room for a fuge

 

[jasonrusso]

No it's considered relatively reef safe. It, however, may kill off good algae such as cheato if you have a refugium or algae reactor from my understanding.

I also have an anemome. Any issues with those?

 

[higorc]

Get a Sea Hare, if it's hair algae it will clean your tank in no time.

If it doesn't eat it, then it might be bryopsis in which case flunacozon will help as stated before.

Good luck

 

[mcarroll]

Right now, just some snails, a couple of emerald crabs and peppermint shrimp, some grass shrimp, hermit crabs.

I'd consider doubling the number of your snails and hermits and giving the spot treatment system a shot...along with increasing your current efforts of removal.

I dunno if you mentioned it or if it was another thread, but yes UV would be likely to help slow the spread and give you the upper hand.

 

[mcarroll]

Just based on counting posted comments on the big thread LOTS of folks have to treat and re-treat for their algae when they go for the quick fix. So it is what it is.

Regardless of whether you go that route in the future, right now I'd focus pretty hard on fixing the issues that are keeping the tank friendly toward the algae in the first place.

Once those measures are in place and the algae has taken a back seat in your tank you can ponder miracle cures at your leisure. ;Headphone

 

[NCreefguy]

It looks like someone needs to brush up on their counting skills just based on the comments on the big thread.

You know it looks like the "Fluconazole Doubter" would learn that this treatment is here to stay but it doesn't seem to be sinking in. Lot's of folks are NOT having to retreat their tanks for Bryopsis as compaired to the people who have treated their tanks once for it.But some like to link this statement in where ever someone mentions Fluconazole for treating GHA. GHA is a part of reefing when you have excess nutrients combined with our systems. Bryopsis is NOT a part of reefing that's tied to nutrient levels. It is introduced into our systems. It doesn't just spontaneously grow like GHA. Once you remove the meds from your system GHA can regrow if you don't address this issues that casued its growth in the first place. Nothing wrong with having to retreat your tank for GHA though or if you prefer you can run a continuous low dose for fluconazole to keep the GHA from returning.

 

[michael giordano]

Got some hair algae’s as well in my 30 gallon maybe I will try the Flu