How do I tackle this algae?
- Thread starter 1Clown
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AnneO
Community Member
The water levels are good and depending on how long they have been there / stay stable from here it shouldnt get much worse. Do you have a cleanup crew? A small amount of GHA is normal without some critters to take care of them. I especially recommend a tuxedo urchin
SMSREEF
Valuable Member
It does not look like the problem algae is on everything right?
You could take the affected pieces out one at a time, scrub off what you can, then put a little peroxide on it, rinse in some clean saltwater and put back in tank.
when I use the peroxide, I do it with the rock upside down so the peroxide doesn’t drip through the whole rock, but only gets on the area with algae. This way I don’t kill all the beneficial bacteria.
You could try a test piece and see if this works for you. You should see it clear on that piece in a few days
your nitrate and phosphate are good. I wouldn’t mess with any tank additives that kills algae and lowers nutrients, because that’s the recipe for something much worse, Dino’s
You could take the affected pieces out one at a time, scrub off what you can, then put a little peroxide on it, rinse in some clean saltwater and put back in tank.
when I use the peroxide, I do it with the rock upside down so the peroxide doesn’t drip through the whole rock, but only gets on the area with algae. This way I don’t kill all the beneficial bacteria.
You could try a test piece and see if this works for you. You should see it clear on that piece in a few days
your nitrate and phosphate are good. I wouldn’t mess with any tank additives that kills algae and lowers nutrients, because that’s the recipe for something much worse, Dino’s
I will take them out and scrub them but not sure about the peroxide as I've never used it before but if it comes back again at the same rate I'll give that a shot. I have like 15+ snails who keep breeding, no crabs or fish other than a Flame Angel who may eat algae but I've never seen it. My concern is once I start putting corals in I don't want to be in a position where I'll take the rock out to clean it. Another annoyance is bubble algae spreading everywhere.
SMSREEF
Valuable Member
Oh no. Bubble Algae too?
That stuff is no joke.
I like what @AnneO suggested about a cleanup crew.
emerald crabs eat bubble algae, but not the big ones. For these, again you wanna take out of tank to get rid of it because if you try to remove in the tank and one busts open, it spreads like a wildfire.
Urchins are rock stars with removing algae, but mine carries anything not fully glued down around with him. Plus quite a few kinds will eat your coralline algae too.
my Astrea and Trochus snails do a good job on algae, but not the overgrown stuff.
How big is your tank?
How long has it been set up?
Do you have a sand?
What Fish/inverts do you currently have in the tank?
What kind of lighting are you using?
Do you have a full tank shot? That usually helps @brandon429 in these situations. Linking him because hopefully he can help.
That stuff is no joke.
I like what @AnneO suggested about a cleanup crew.
emerald crabs eat bubble algae, but not the big ones. For these, again you wanna take out of tank to get rid of it because if you try to remove in the tank and one busts open, it spreads like a wildfire.
Urchins are rock stars with removing algae, but mine carries anything not fully glued down around with him. Plus quite a few kinds will eat your coralline algae too.
my Astrea and Trochus snails do a good job on algae, but not the overgrown stuff.
How big is your tank?
How long has it been set up?
Do you have a sand?
What Fish/inverts do you currently have in the tank?
What kind of lighting are you using?
Do you have a full tank shot? That usually helps @brandon429 in these situations. Linking him because hopefully he can help.
I don't think I'll ever be able to sort out the bubble algae, it's spread like crazy in thr last week or so in to every crevice imaginable.
All the rock excluding the one with the 2 BTA's is new. No sand, 3 foot long. 2 Kessil A360's and 1 Ptime HD for Mangroves, no sand.
1 x Flame Angel
2 x Bangaii Cardinal
2 x Clown fish
1 x Blood shrimp
15+ Snails
SMSREEF
Valuable Member
Absolutely gorgeous tank!
I would definitely try some manual removal (out of the tank for bubble algea) and would get 1 or 2 emerald crabs.
That moss like algae should come off pretty easy too. Once that happens the snails and crabs should be able to keep up with it.
Others have had ok luck using Vibrant. I’ve never used it so have no first have experience. Plus I’m not sure your mangrove would fare too well with it.
I would definitely try some manual removal (out of the tank for bubble algea) and would get 1 or 2 emerald crabs.
That moss like algae should come off pretty easy too. Once that happens the snails and crabs should be able to keep up with it.
Others have had ok luck using Vibrant. I’ve never used it so have no first have experience. Plus I’m not sure your mangrove would fare too well with it.
