Hair algea?!!!

[Griff]

how is this possible! My levels are at 0 I'm actually trying to get them up a little. I also have some of this brown slime algea. Diatoms maybe or some form of cyano. I don't think it's Dinos but could be. Had Dinos once before in another tank and didn't look like this.

 

[reeferfoxx]

The brown stuff could just be some kind of nutrient mulm. If cyano is present and hair algae, might have some elevated no3 and po4. Not sure which one was zero? But with the presence of algae, they will consume the nutrients and possibly give false test results. If the tank is new or within 8 months of age, it's all a normal part of the tank stabilizing. Sand vacuuming and bi-weekly water changes will help reduce excess nutrients. Also make sure you have enough snails and clean up crew. Should do 1 snail per 2 or 3 gallons of water.

 

[Griff]

All that's been done with appropriate cuc. I know sometimes you can get false readings like that but I don't think that's the case. I'm running a fuge Carbon reactor, over sized skimmer and change filter socks regularly.

Is it possible that it's feeding off nutrients in the rock that are just now starting to dissolve. Then the feeding of corals the algea is picking that up too.

Thoughts?

 

[reeferfoxx]

All that's been done with appropriate cuc. I know sometimes you can get false readings like that but I don't think that's the case. I'm running a fuge Carbon reactor, over sized skimmer and change filter socks regularly.

Is it possible that it's feeding off nutrients in the rock that are just now starting to dissolve. Then the feeding of corals the algea is picking that up too.

Thoughts?

You are growing macros in your fuge?

 

[Griff]

You are growing macros in your fuge?

It's a small fuge but has a cheato ball the size of a baseball

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

All that's been done with appropriate cuc. I know sometimes you can get false readings like that but I don't think that's the case. I'm running a fuge Carbon reactor, over sized skimmer and change filter socks regularly.

Is it possible that it's feeding off nutrients in the rock that are just now starting to dissolve. Then the feeding of corals the algea is picking that up too.

Thoughts?

All the above. Ugly phase.

And don't over skim. There not that much bacteria in the tank right now or doc and it's reducing your nutrients. And likely bacterial population.

Yes the gha is stealing nutrients. It can pretty much live in nothing but dissolved rock , co2 and a tiny amount of light.
It gets in on corals live rock and Chato.

Get a tooth brush. You can and should remove the nusacnce algae manually and add competing organisms. Like bacteria or coral. A massively large bacterial population or several smaller higher life form.

Every tank is different when it starts.

Also keep feeding the tank.

Is your Coraline coming in yet? That'll help. Those are massive colonies.

This is the hard part.

After this is the harder part


Sorry, Insomnia.