How to get algae of a plug?

[154162]

I’m currently dealing with a case of the ugly stage, while I’m also running fallow, been feeding the tank (and the shrimp and snails) so nutrients don’t bottom out, p04 was 0ppm for a while and now at 0.02ppm. Nitrate went from 10ppm and there after dropped to zero, I’m now dealing with a this nuisance algae that originally came on this plug, but is spreading around where the plug was (I moved the plug, so it wouldn’t get even more covered)
I think I’ve been feeding the tank too much getting worried I would get Dino’s now this algae is getting stronger. I know nitrate is being used up as I dosed 2ppm 2 days ago and it’s back down to zero as of last night!
I will stop feeding the tank and I’m even thinking about a blackout... but I would want to manually remove some of this algae on the rock, and the plug... the algae is so slippy I’m considering pulling out the rock and spraying hydrogen peroxide... can I spray the plug too? Or do I need to carefully remove the algae of the plug ? It’s really hard to grab the algae and pull on it.
In my filter im running filter floss, carbon (will be pulling it out soon) and seachem matrix... I’m not running GFO as my po4 are where I want them... I have vibrant on hand but I really want to try getting rid of this without using it for now...

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

In the past I have pulled the algae out manually when I do water changes. I would use the small end of the hose and let the water suck it in and then pinch and pull the algae out, this really helps. then later, if you have some help and the room, you can take a toothbrush and scrub the area where the algae is and suck it up during the water change as well. just make sure you have someone or something holding the hose in the container, because it may come out of the bucket...…. the reason you may have seen your nitrates drop is because the little nitrate that you have in the tank is now being taken up by the algae growth.

as far as the plug, you can do a coral dip and while you do that scrape the algae off the plug with a steak knife and then use peroxide drops on the rooted areas. I usually do this and then let it sit in some saltwater and let it fizz off. place back in the tank when done. it may not all come off on the first dip, but every couple days you can repeat the process.

 

[154162]

Thank you! Yes was going to do the whole grip with the side of the tube during the water change too!

 

[Palegic]

You can manually rip off and suck out as much as possible. Then additionally you can spot treat with a brush and hydrogen peroxide. Just make sure not to get it on your coral. Let it sit for a couple of minutes do a fresh water dip and put it back in the tank. The algae will completely dissapear off areas you treat.

 

[kartrsu]

Sucking it out helps, but be careful around the corals. I’ve sucked up heads of zoas and palys and ticked them off. They make it through the attempted abduction though. Definitely do not recommend around any euphyllia if you have them. Easy way to start brown jelly disease. Personally I find peroxide to be very effective. Have dipped acans, zoas, gsp, goniopora in it and they all look great now.

 

[154162]

Should I dilute the peroxide ? Or just use drops of it on to the rock or the plug?

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

no need to dilute it.... its mostly water based anyway..

make sure to post before and after pictures... we love seeing those

 

[154162]

Will do!
Now I was planning on doing a water change tonight, and get some algae out with the syphon (like you guys said with the algae with the tube) and vacuum the sand bed too, and was thinking of doing a 3 day blackout and then peroxide treat what was left after the blackout... is the blackout necessary in this case?
Full tank pic:

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

what does your lighting schedule look like? maybe you can cut back on the lighting for a bit and some large water changes to get the nutrients in check... I know your tests are coming in with good numbers but you have to remember that the algae is uptaking it. the black out would help but you don't want to do that for more than a couple days seeing that you have coral in there and they will need photosynthesis to live, and on that note I don't know if the 2 day black out would have an effect on the algae at the stage that its currently in, if that makes sense.
if it were me I would do some 20-25% water changes weekly, and grab some microbacter7 to drop in to help out (it has worked well for me in the past) and siphon out as much of the algae as possible. Vibrant will tank your nutrients and the possibility of dinos will be higher (ask me how I know.... my 29g had it bad after vibrant) .

it took time for the algae to get to where it is, and it will take time to get out of it too.... sometimes it a long road, and sometimes its not... every tank is different, but I don't recommend rushing it, because it will cause more issues after you accomplish what you are trying to do.

Barnabie

 

[154162]

Well I think I got in this whole mess because I was scared of Dino’s and my nutrients were low 0ppm for po4 and no3... so I basically been feeding this algae, hahaha...
Lights are on 10-8, I run actinic 10-8 but full whites and actinic 12-6, they all ramp up and down too.
I’m just going to do my water change and pluck at it and take it from there... the hydrogen peroxide will get here this weekend, so will have to wait for that... if my algae is eating up my nitrates, and lets say I stop feeding the tank, the algae will eat the up whatever is left of nitrates and then starve right? But then I have zero nitrates and open the door for Dino’s?
Thanks for all the help

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

I would turn down the whites for sure, for the time being at least, blues don't have quite the same effect on algae as the whites do. if it were me I would use just actinic until its under control, I would still feed the tank, but way less.... seeing that you're running fallow, I would spot feed the coral once a week, the day before a water change. if you want to feed twice a week, I would do a very light feeding one day and a little less than normal feeding the day before the WC. this will help you kick the algae, and should help you from tanking your NO3 and PO4 halting the Dinos.

 

[154162]

Thanks for all the advice! Will let you know how it goes!

 

[154162]

no need to dilute it.... its mostly water based anyway..

make sure to post before and after pictures... we love seeing those

Alright so before:

After:

So I dipped the plug with 4 parts saltwater to 1 part hydrogen peroxide (3% usp)
For about 2 minutes
This was more of a test, small dose for a small amount of time to see the result... I haven’t dipped the rock yet will probably do that this weekend, but I’m really happy with the plug... although maybe you can see it in the new pic, I discovered some aptaisia
So I’m thinking dropping a little lemon juice on it, but will that affect the Zoa???

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

Looks great! Amazing what it does to algea, right? As far as the rock, I would try to spot treat the algea on the rock first. it might take a few rounds to get it done, but I think its just safer that way..... pick out what you can with a pointy steak knife and then place a few drops of undiluted hydrogen peroxide on it and watch it fizzle away.

I have never heard of the lemon juice trick for aptaisia, maybe someone will chime in if its safe for the zoa...

 

[154162]

Here is before and after for the rock, this time the algae didn’t just disappear, it’s turned grey/white and I plucked it off with the syphon a couple of days after when it was time for water change
As you can see in the after pic my bta decided it was a good spot to start living there.... hmmmm this was supposed to be my Zoa garden

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

Here is before and after for the rock, this time the algae didn’t just disappear, it’s turned grey/white and I plucked it off with the syphon a couple of days after when it was time for water change
As you can see in the after pic my bta decided it was a good spot to start living there.... hmmmm this was supposed to be my Zoa garden

Looks great! I would advise to hit it with another round of removal, but your Nem looks really comfortable there.... keep working around the tank to get that algae out of there!

 

[154162]

Yah the nem is happy now, don’t want to move it hahaha I had a stressful week watching it move around my tank and moving corals as it did!
Re: the remaining algae on the rock:
Get this, Last night I saw one of my trochus snail grazing On that patch of dead algae. Woke up this morning the algae was pretty much gone, will post a picture tonight when I get from work!
I’ve always found, especially in fW that algae eaters and so on, seam to eat up dead algae more than the real thick alive stuff.

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

My theory there (which is basically my opinion) is algae eaters tend to not eat up the thick green stuff because maybe its rooted too well on the rock making it hard for them to eat it. when its dying, it pulls off the surface easier, think back when you have manually taken it off.....

 

[154162]

this after the trochus went at it