Scraping algae off rocks?

[laezur]

Got a really annoying algae problem at the moment I mentioned in another thread, so thought I’d just ask some questions in a new thread regarding removing it.

I’m thinking of using a new toothbrush and just scraping all the algae off while it’s in the tank (I have corals and stuff so taking rock out is hard) would it be bad to just leave the algae in the water column until it gets picked up by the overflow? If not, I can try and turkey baste it while it’s floating. It should be okay leaving the rocks in there and scraping it though right?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

If you have to do it in the tank, I would do it before a water change, and suck the biggest clumps out, leave the little pieces to mechanical filtration.

 

[neonreef3d]

use a tooth brush, and put a new filter floss so it can pic it all up, then remove it and install a new filter.

 

[Dbichler]

I scrape the algae off with syphoning water back down into my filter socks and change out the socks when done no need for a water change then

 

[Dburr1014]

Got a really annoying algae problem at the moment I mentioned in another thread, so thought I’d just ask some questions in a new thread regarding removing it.

I’m thinking of using a new toothbrush and just scraping all the algae off while it’s in the tank (I have corals and stuff so taking rock out is hard) would it be bad to just leave the algae in the water column until it gets picked up by the overflow? If not, I can try and turkey baste it while it’s floating. It should be okay leaving the rocks in there and scraping it though right?

1) are you sure it's algae(not dinos)

2)not in tank, if it floats around it'll get caught on another rock and grow. Now you have doubled your problem.
Get a small container of tap water. Pinch algae with your fingers and dip in tap water and let go. Falls right off your fingers. Dump the tap water outside when done. Do this 2/3 times a week.

3)what are your water perameters? (what kicked off the algae bloom in the first place?)

 

[laezur]

1) are you sure it's algae(not dinos)

2)not in tank, if it floats around it'll get caught on another rock and grow. Now you have doubled your problem.
Get a small container of tap water. Pinch algae with your fingers and dip in tap water and let go. Falls right off your fingers. Dump the tap water outside when done. Do this 2/3 times a week.

3)what are your water perameters? (what kicked off the algae bloom in the first place?)

Green hair algae, yes.

high phosphates 0.25ppm, nitrates bottoming out

 

[Dburr1014]

Green hair algae, yes.

high phosphates 0.25ppm, nitrates bottoming out

Okay, need to work on phosphates.
Gfo, lanthanum chloride, nopox(or vinagar). The latter you would also have to dose nitrates. This is what I'm doing. Not the best way but I didn't like gfo and lanthanum will be my last effort.

What does your cuc look like? Have any urchins or Mexican turbo snails? They love hair algae.

 

[laezur]

Okay, need to work on phosphates.
Gfo, lanthanum chloride, nopox(or vinagar). The latter you would also have to dose nitrates. This is what I'm doing. Not the best way but I didn't like gfo and lanthanum will be my last effort.

What does your cuc look like? Have any urchins or Mexican turbo snails? They love hair algae.

Emerald crab, cleaner shrimp, 5 turbo snails. I had two hermit crabs, but I’ve just got to look at the tank and noticed one has been… eaten? I have no idea what could have eaten it, really strange.

 

[Dburr1014]

Emerald crab, cleaner shrimp, 5 turbo snails. I had two hermit crabs, but I’ve just got to look at the tank and noticed one has been… eaten? I have no idea what could have eaten it, really strange.

Probably the other hermit crab.

Nothing will eat it when it's long. So if you can get in there two or three times a week and rip it out like I described and work on getting phosphates down should be good. You'll notice when phosphates go down the algae is actually easy to rip off the rocks.