Turf Algae

[Pass]

I am still a beginner and the algae is out of control in my tank. What causes it and how do you get rid of it?

 

[condor]

pic?....

 

[swannyson7]

Depends on the type of algae really. Is your tank still cycling or does it already have livestock in it? If you have livestock, tell us a bit about your feeding schedule. What type of lights and how long are you running them? Do you have a test kit? If so, list some of your parameters. Algae usually comes down to an excessive amoount of nutrients in the water (elevated PO4 and NO3 for example). If you aren't feeding anything and the tank is still cycling, then it's part of the cycle as your parameters spike. If you already have livestock, do some 10% waterchanges twice a week for the next two weeks and cut back on your feeding. It's important not to complete a huge water change because any rapid swing in any water chemistry will have bad results. You can also try reducing your light cycle to eradicate algae. If the tank is still cycling, I would invest in a couple snails/hermits and let the algae take its course.

 

[Pass]

Here a picture. Sorry, took me a minute to figure out how to upload it.

 

[condor]

ahhhh, hair algae. it tends to pop up when there is an imbalance in water chemistry/quality. po4 and no3 feed it. but what happens is your coraline growth stops and allows nuisance algae to move in and fight for real estate . you need to figure out where the inbalance is and get your coraline growing again. and snails, hermits, and emeralds will help in the clean up. you can also scrub it off with a tooth brush to knock it back while the balance is being returned. and low flow areas tend to have more hair algae due to nutrient pockets. good luck, youll beat it
also what is your magnesium level? po4 level? no3 level? ca? etc......

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Emerald crabs destroyed my hair algae in my prop tanks.