Hair Algae Outgrowing Chaeto in Refugium

[Andy G]

Hi all,

About 3 weeks ago I installed a Kessil H380 in the refugium.

The chaeto is not growing as fast as the Hair Algae. I'm afraid the HA is getting all the nutrients. The Chaeto is getting a white where the light hits it.

I just cleaned my sump 3 days ago and take a look at picture, all that HA grew in just 3 days!!!

Any suggestions would be really appreciated!

I started running the H380 for 14hrs, I recently lowered to 12hrs, and today I lowered it to 10.

I took off the filter socks last week, could that have created the HA?

I started dosing Iron today.

NO3 and PO4 are zero
Ph 7.85 - 8
Cal 450
Mag 1500
Salt 35
Temp 78

 

[EriksOasis]

Continue to manually remove the hair algae is what I would say. How’s your display tank look? As long as the algae isn’t in there I would be happy.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Its a clear indicator that you current refugium support GHA much better than chaeto. No worries, GHA is good at nutrients uptake, probably better than chaeto itself. If i were you, i would prefer GHA in there, as long as it remains and sucking up nutrients. Remove some when necessary.

 

[Andy G]

Continue to manually remove the hair algae is what I would say. How’s your display tank look? As long as the algae isn’t in there I would be happy.

No HA in DT. I just hate the looks of the sump like this.

I'm preparing my tank for Triton, i wonder if most Refugiums have to have HA...

 

[TbyZ]

Any chance of removing some of this GHA & getting a close up photo against a white back ground Andy?

 

[Andy G]

Its a clear indicator that you current refugium support GHA much better than chaeto. No worries, GHA is good at nutrients uptake, probably better than chaeto itself. If i were you, i would prefer GHA in there, as long as it remains and sucking up nutrients. Remove some when necessary.

What could be reason of my refugium supporting HA? Could it be flow or the skimmer?

I get the point that is reducing nutrients, the problems is it creates a big mess.

Is there a way to support the Cheato outgrowing the HA?

 

[Andy G]

Any chance of removing some of this GHA & getting a close up photo against a white back ground Andy?

Here are a few pictures, and thanks for helping!

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

I am in a similar boat - although I have some Green and Brown in the DT as well -- manually removing every other day, but it is prolific.

My Chaeto is growing well still though...so following for any tidbits here!

 

[reefpaddy]

Same situation here, luckily my fuge 20G long is separate to my sump so not too concerned. I don’t have any clean up crew in there so that maybe a contributing factor. My cheato is still growing also but even the HA grows on that too. DT is free of any algea which is good as I only have the fuge running about a month and my DT rocks did look fuzzy previously. I’m running an 150W HPS bulb for 12 hours on the fuge.

 

[TbyZ]

What could be reason if my refugium supporting HA? Could it be flow or the skimmer?

I get the point that is reducing nutrients, the problems is it creates a big mess.

Is there a way to support the Cheato outgrowing the HA?

you've got a filamentous macro algae growing >>naturally<< in an ideal enviroment for algae you have created (your refugium), simply put.
this is always a possibility when illuminating a fuge for chaeto. The chaeto (introduced species) is battling another macro that appeared naturally from your system.
This is how an algae scrubber works. But in a scrubbers case, the macro is growing on a screen in its own housing, & easily maintained.

All you can do is continue removing as much of the GHA away as possible until the chaeto matures into your system takes over.
Perhaps you could look at a way of directing the light more directly onto the cheato rather than flooding the entire sump/fuge.

 

[Andy G]

you've got a filamentous macro algae growing >>naturally<< in an ideal enviroment for algae you have created (your refugium), simply put.
this is always a possibility when illuminating a fuge for chaeto. The chaeto (introduced species) is battling another macro that appeared naturally from your system.
This is how an algae scrubber works. But in a scrubbers case, the macro is growing on a screen in its own housing, & easily maintained.

All you can do is continue removing as much of the GHA away as possible until the chaeto matures into your system takes over.
Perhaps you could look at a way of directing the light more directly onto the cheato rather than flooding the entire sump/fuge.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate the help!

 

[EriksOasis]

Also possibly adding a few snail or hermits can help maintain the hair algae as well or a fish that can help out would make sense imo

 

[sghera64]

Hi all,

About 3 weeks ago I installed a Kessil H380 in the refugium.

The chaeto is not growing as fast as the Hair Algae. I'm afraid the HA is getting all the nutrients. The Chaeto is getting a white where the light hits it.

Is your chaeto ball tumbling? Do you have water movement in the 'fuge?

I recently started with ulva algae in my sump. The algae was mostly static and started to collect and grow GHA. Lighting was a 100W LED grow light.

I since moved the ulva to a separate 20 gallon tote with a power head to tumble the macro algae. I no longer have GHA.

Maybe that's a coincidence, but it might be worth a try.

 

[Andy G]

Is your chaeto ball tumbling? Do you have water movement in the 'fuge?

I recently started with ulva algae in my sump. The algae was mostly static and started to collect and grow GHA. Lighting was a 100W LED grow light.

I since moved the ulva to a separate 20 gallon tote with a power head to tumble the macro algae. I no longer have GHA.

Maybe that's a coincidence, but it might be worth a try.

Is not tumbling. I have a spare power head, I'll give it a try. Thanks!

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Most probably a flow issue. I am not a guru in macro algae nutrients removal, but i do have a 2' algae through (drainage pipe) in my canopy and GHA grows faster than dragon breath. Kind of slow flow in that through. Whatever grows in there, i don't care at all. My DT is free of algae.

 

[LV3]

I have the Kessil H350 in my refugium and for a brief time I had the same issue where it seemed the GHA was outcompteting the chaeto. I cleaned the GHA out of the sump a couple times and it went away as the chaeto ball got much larger. I’m willing to bet it goes away as your chaeto grows more. I run my light for 10 hrs reverse cycle as well and the height looks about the same as where mine is.

I agree that so long as it’s not in the DT then that’s a win.

 

[QuixoticReefer]

somehow shade your protein skimmer area so only the fuge area gets light, add some snails and hermits to keep the glass clean I have mine on 24/7 with the H380 using triton method and it is going well

 

[Andy G]

I have the Kessil H350 in my refugium and for a brief time I had the same issue where it seemed the GHA was outcompteting the chaeto. I cleaned the GHA out of the sump a couple times and it went away as the chaeto ball got much larger. I’m willing to bet it goes away as your chaeto grows more. I run my light for 10 hrs reverse cycle as well and the height looks about the same as where mine is.

I agree that so long as it’s not in the DT then that’s a win.

This makes a lot of sense. I'll give it a try. And thanks so much for the input.

 

[cracker]

I have the same issue & agree the Ha is a great nutrient sink. However it's a pain to remove compared to 1/2 a ball of Chaeto !

 

[lion king]

Looks like too much red and blue spectrum lighting. I tried a kessil in my refugium, what a mess. I now use a par38 I got from home depot, all's well.