Hair Algae Problems

[Betta-Chetta]

So I have a 14 gallon biocube filled with corals. I am having horrible issues with algae. I use two different types of phosphate removers over does on magnesium, have plenty of snails and hermits. I also have a lawnmower blenny and a rainfords goby that is suppose to eat hair algae and they don't do anything. I have a urchin, sally light foot crab and emerald crabs and nothing is helping with it. Its not long but its spreading. I do water changes once a week. I have done a black out on the tank to help try and kill the algae and nothing is happening. Any suggestions on what I should do?

 

[EriksOasis]

Do you use zero tds water? How heavy are you feeding? How long is your lighting schedule? You may have to do multiple water changes a week until you get it under control. Mayb manually removing as much as possible.

 

[teller]

Maybe your algae is the bryopsis type.
Can you take a little and make a photo to see if it is fern type?

 

[Betta-Chetta]

Do you use zero tds water? How heavy are you feeding? How long is your lighting schedule? You may have to do multiple water changes a week until you get it under control. Mayb manually removing as much as possible.

Tds? I feed corals once a week with reef roids. I spot feed them and i feed my teo clowns, goby and blenny pellets once every two days. Only problem of trying to remove the algae is that its in the cracks of the rock where i cant pluck it out.

 

[Betta-Chetta]

Tds? I feed corals once a week with reef roids. I spot feed them and i feed my teo clowns, goby and blenny pellets once every two days. Only problem of trying to remove the algae is that its in the cracks of the rock where i cant pluck it out.

Also lights are on 8 hrs a day

 

[Betta-Chetta]

Maybe your algae is the bryopsis type.
Can you take a little and make a photo to see if it is fern type?

I cant remove any of due to it being in the cracks of the rock but ill try and get some and take a picture of it

 

[EriksOasis]

Zero total dissolved solids Rodi water.

 

[teller]

Usually hair algae is easy to pull, as it is soft and weak.
If this one is hard to pull, strong type, it can be an additional indicator for bryopsis type.

 

[Betta-Chetta]

Zero total dissolved solids Rodi water.

Ya i never use rodi water. I use just regular tap water and out of all my years in the hobby this is the only time ive ever gotten hair algae

 

[Betta-Chetta]

Usually hair algae is easy to pull, as it is soft and weak.
If this one is hard to pull, strong type, it can be an additional indicator for bryopsis type.

Ya this is much stronger than hair algae. Its very tough to pull off

 

[EriksOasis]

Could be turf algae. How many years? You must have very clean tap water what might the tds reading be on the tap? And do you run gfo and phosphate remover?

 

[Betta-Chetta]

Ive been in the hobby for 6 years. Right now im running both gfo and phosphate remover and adding magnesium

 

[EriksOasis]

You have had good luck. My tap water is about 300 tds I could never use it in my reef tank.

 

[Betta-Chetta]

Oh wow! Ya in my 75 gallon i had gotten turf algae but it was only on the wave maker and i added phosphate remover and it got rid of it. But with my biocube its just gotten out of control. No idea what else to do. I could put a uv on it but to me itll do more harm than good.

 

[teller]

Years ago when I had my bryopsis outbreak there were no "magical potions". I increased my magnesium high and used lots of different bacteria solutions. It seems bryopsis prefer urea and the first stages of nitrogen, like ammonium. The bacteria was to outcompete this algae for such resources. With 0 nitrates, 0 phosphates this algae still laugh at you.
But was expensive.
Nowadays I would manage one of the following solutions:
1. Vibrant

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/vibrant-by-uwc-testing.276336/

2. Fluconanzole

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

Still you should use the search function to find additional threads for these two products, regarding dosing and secondary effects.
It would be my direction.

 

[ChrisOFL]

I'm thinking your problem is related to the bioload on that tank. Two clowns, a blenny, a goby, 3+crabs, snails, hermits, an urchin...that's a lot of livestock constantly putting waste into the water which is going to give algae constant source of nutrients no matter how much GFO you use. Using chemicals to "solve" an algae problem will not fix the source of nutrients.

 

[teller]

I'm thinking your problem is related to the bioload on that tank. Two clowns, a blenny, a goby, 3+crabs, snails, hermits, an urchin...that's a lot of livestock constantly putting waste into the water which is going to give algae constant source of nutrients no matter how much GFO you use. Using chemicals to "solve" an algae problem will not fix the source of nutrients.

I also don't like to put chemicals in tank to solve normal algae problems!
Did you ever have a problem with bryopsis? It's a totally different game!

 

[ChrisOFL]

I also don't like to put chemicals in tank to solve normal algae problems!
Did you ever have a problem with bryopsis? It's a totally different game!

I've had patches pop up before and I had a bad outbreak of hair algae but my tank has always had phosphates at 0.00 naturally so most turf algaes do not seem to take hold for long. I'm also not the type of person to worry about algae but instead just focus on proper water conditions and bioload and things usually work out over time. In a tank that is only 14 gallons all water nutrient issues can be solved with a large water change so that is why I believe your bioload is too large and will always be a source for your algae problem. Most people recommend the peroxide treatment for smaller tanks as well because its just easier to remove/treat the small amount of rocks. I'd also stop feeding the coral food, its not really necessary unless you have a fishless system or are running ultra low nutrient system.

 

[Jd250]

Use fluconazole works and absolute treat

 

[azreeftank]

Ive been in the hobby for 6 years. Right now im running both gfo and phosphate remover and adding magnesium

I would bet it’s your tap water. It’s possible they are adding additional things now to the water or changed lines,tanks etc. Too much time and $$$ invested to add tap water. It’s possible your weekly water changes are adding to the problem. You may have been lucky for 6 years but I would start there. Too much risk using tap do you condition water to remove chlorine?? I would add milk to my tank before I ever add tap water, in Phx my tap is 565 TDS.