I have a new Algea

Shawn_epicurious · Oct 7, 2020

I have a small patch of new Algea on one of my rocks. I’d like to be proactive and stop this before it can spread, but I am not sure what exactly it is. I do not think those are bubbles in it... just sediment... not sure though. That whole patch is less than 2” across right now.

Thoughts?

brandon429 · Oct 7, 2020

we usually get these after months of allowed establishment, take out the rock, kill the algae outside the tank, dont change your params there is nothing wrong with your params. algae grows on reefs, and that kind can take over.

if its in a tough spot, still do that

if your rocks are locked preventing access, unlock

find no reason to purposefully farm it another minute. do u know how many entrants into this forum would do things differently if given a chance to go back in time to a 2x2 section of work--sooo many

how to kill the algae outside the tank varies person to person, that's for sure. but it wont matter, if you are directly accessing then a plant can't beat your will. how often you have to repeat is a function of your chosen kill method

specifically do not dose chems to your tank, vibrant, fluconazole, that's opposite of above and what most have done to be part of this forum.

actually opting out of the invasion vs farming it for months is the rarest option chosen, people just have so many reasons to keep it and it grows.

brandon429 · Oct 7, 2020

did you know around 2006 we were fire burning that stuff, in the caveman days of opting out of uglies.

Opting out is using the tools of the day lol, blue jet windless flame lighters you'd think it would overheat rock but then we discover the amazing, amazing insulation abilities of live rock/ straight fire in that spot held 30 seconds heats nothing, the spot (w black algae lol) is burned but cold still. amazing. we would use curved foil padding up against corals, Ive shot fire directly at the base of several sps before lol we didnt know about peroxide then.

that illustrates the range of options, nowadays a gentleman w remove rock, set on counter, and pocket knife scrape it all out like a dentist working around gums/coral, rinsed and gone, rasping for reef plaque to unseat

then in clean spot put peroxide to burn leftover anchors, burn a few mins clean. rinse, put back

what the masses want you to do: leave it in place, begin jacking with the water. you just added sps, that was factored above.

dental approach is nicer to corals, a little air is better than param swings to starve, you want em fed not starved.

WIReefer · Oct 7, 2020

What’s your cuc look like?

Shawn_epicurious · Oct 7, 2020

brandon429 said:
we usually get these after months of allowed establishment, take out the rock, kill the algae outside the tank, dont change your params there is nothing wrong with your params. algae grows on reefs, and that kind can take over.

if its in a tough spot, still do that

if your rocks are locked preventing access, unlock

find no reason to purposefully farm it another minute. do u know how many entrants into this forum would do things differently if given a chance to go back in time to a 2x2 section of work--sooo many

how to kill the algae outside the tank varies person to person, that's for sure. but it wont matter, if you are directly accessing then a plant can't beat your will. how often you have to repeat is a function of your chosen kill method

specifically do not dose chems to your tank, vibrant, fluconazole, that's opposite of above and what most have done to be part of this forum.

actually opting out of the invasion vs farming it for months is the rarest option chosen, people just have so many reasons to keep it and it grows.

Oooooofffffff.... that is seriously like THE base rock in my entire scape! (See below) It is literally holding up the entire center of my scape : (

If that is the only way, then I’ll figure it out : (

Shawn_epicurious · Oct 7, 2020

WIReefer said:
What’s your cuc look like?

I have a very diverse CUC, but nothing I have is touching it. You tried putting 2 different types of snails directly on it last night and they left in a hurry.

WIReefer · Oct 7, 2020

Shawn_epicurious said:
I have a very diverse CUC, but nothing I have is touching it. You tried putting 2 different types of snails directly on it last night and they left in a hurry.

My turbo snails love algae not sure if you have any of them. Your tank is large do you have any tangs?

Shawn_epicurious · Oct 7, 2020

WIReefer said:
My turbo snails love algae not sure if you have any of them. Your tank is large do you have any tangs?

There are at least 20 turbo snails in there and one blue hippo tang... they are not eating it : (

WIReefer · Oct 7, 2020

Shawn_epicurious said:
There are at least 20 turbo snails in there and one blue hippo tang... they are not eating it : (

I wouldn’t stress it much my tank has way more algae in DT. You could always try and algae scrubber if your concerned. I’ll will be adding one to my new system.

brandon429 · Oct 7, 2020

Shawn meet Murphy, the law!!!

that tank is massive lol we gotta find another way. how often I can be convinced to say that/once a decade.

your whole double arch terminates on the anchor spot is that funny murphylaw

murph would never, ever put the algae on that top spire right under the right side outlet. gotta admit that was called ahead of time, we see these patterns in reefing its too wierdly recurring to be random.

Shawn_epicurious · Oct 7, 2020

Shawn_epicurious said:
There are at least 20 turbo snails in there and one blue hippo tang... they are not eating it : (

I also have a few Cerith snails. I just out one on top of it and he is still there...

Shawn_epicurious · Oct 7, 2020

brandon429 said:
Shawn meet Murphy, the law!!!

that tank is massive lol we gotta find another way. how often I can be convinced to say that/once a decade.

your whole double arch terminates on the anchor spot is that funny murphylaw

murph would never, ever put the algae on that top spire right under the right side outlet.

Irony sux lol

Shawn_epicurious · Oct 7, 2020

What if I tweeze it off while vacuuming next to it?

brandon429 · Oct 7, 2020

that in-tank work risks fragmentation.

I really think this is a job for fluconazole only given the constraints, and that the tank is not packed and filled up with waste. your sandbed cross section is cleaner than most, if you kill off a little whisker and it winds up in there its not a huge deal.

I hate using it to kill eight pounds of algae destined to decay, you r acting early in research. nice.

fluc is what to use for sure, its harmless even if it doesnt work, its about 90% likely to work in the recommended doses. it does not kill a wide range of invaders, but its rather strong on brush algae, gha cousins etc.

Shawn_epicurious · Oct 7, 2020

brandon429 said:
that in-tank work risks fragmentation.

I really think this is a job for fluconazole only given the constraints, and that the tank is not packed and filled up with waste. your sandbed cross section is cleaner than most, if you kill off a little whisker and it winds up in there its not a huge deal.

I hate using it to kill eight pounds of algae destined to decay, you r acting early in research. nice.

fluc is what to use for sure, its harmless even if it doesnt work, its about 90% likely to work in the recommended doses. it does not kill a wide range of invaders, but its rather strong on brush algae, gha cousins etc.

Googling fluconazole now

brandon429 · Oct 7, 2020

Vibrant would have been the second place choice but in scanning literally thousands of threads for ways that can beat peroxide scraping fluc is beating us in many cases, dangit. solid choice, i like it bc if it doesnt work its no harm just dont add any more. doesnt wreck the biofilter, filter feeders, or bleach corals etc/seems harmless and about 80-90% likely to kill the algae dosed per directions in about 3 weeks.