urgent!!!! Help with the algae , please help

[danieltang246]

hi, All the brothers and sisters who are experience. I am a student and also a reef keeper in Hong Kong. My tank is currently with the algae problem, I cannot tackle it. I restarted the tank before because of the issue, but after few months, the problems come again. Is anyone can help, much thanks. It really frustrated me and my lovely coral.
I heard the Mexico Turbo snails may help, but I cannot buy it in Hong Kong.

Spec. of my Tank:
Size: 24'Lx16'Wx13'h ( 100 Litres)
Light: Ai hydra 52 ( but with several channels down)
Skimmer: H & S 110
ATS Box (Currently added, before are running bio-pellets )
Wave maker: RW-4
Return pump: eheim 3000+ ( just turn about 2000 litres)

 

[jsker]

Welcome to R2R. I have the same issue, there is the nuke option of using chem-clean or finding the source of the problem. I am dosing H2O2 and backing off of the lighting to see if this will take care of the algae with using. The tank look really nice, it just takes some tweaking. What light are you using and what are you feeding?

 

[danieltang246]

Welcome to R2R. I have the same issue, there is the nuke option of using chem-clean or finding the source of the problem. I am dosing H2O2 and backing off of the lighting to see if this will take care of the algae with using. The tank look really nice, it just takes some tweaking. What light are you using and what are you feeding?

Thanks for answering, can I know the usage of the H2O2? Will it affect the effectiveness the ATS? I am using AI hydra 52, just feed the pellets made it italty, called PRODAC biogram small. Thanks

 

[brandon429]

http://reef2reef.com/threads/reef2reef-pest-algae-challenge-thread-hydrogen-peroxide.187042/

for this tank here, you wouldn't dose the water, you'd lift out the rocks and hit it direct, so easy. your tank w look fully fixed in about six days after

that's a lot of pages to read, but it will make you never have algae again as well so its worth it.

 

[ludnix]

Here's an article on the type of algae I think you have:
Cotton Candy Algae:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/nftt/index.php

I would consider some more algae eaters if you can. Maybe some more hermit crabs and other snails, they don't have to mexican turbos, just creatures that won't eat your soft corals. It doesn't look like Cyanobacteria to me, so chemi-clean will not work in my opinion.

 

[danieltang246]

http://reef2reef.com/threads/reef2reef-pest-algae-challenge-thread-hydrogen-peroxide.187042/

for this tank here, you wouldn't dose the water, you'd lift out the rocks and hit it direct, so easy. your tank w look fully fixed in about six days after

that's a lot of pages to read, but it will make you never have algae again as well so its worth it.

Thanks, I will take some time to read it carefully. Do you use this methods for the problem? How's your dosage ?

 

[danieltang246]

Here's an article on the type of algae I think you have:
Cotton Candy Algae:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/nftt/index.php

I would consider some more algae eaters if you can. Maybe some more hermit crabs and other snails, they don't have to mexican turbos, just creatures that won't eat your soft corals. It doesn't look like Cyanobacteria to me, so chemi-clean will not work in my opinion.

Thanks, I am still considering who method I should use, since some of the snails or crabs are hard to buy, or I don't know their name in Chinese, so I can use or buy it easily, it that algae called Cotton Candy Algae, which eaters would you suggest me to use?

 

[danieltang246]

http://reef2reef.com/threads/reef2reef-pest-algae-challenge-thread-hydrogen-peroxide.187042/

for this tank here, you wouldn't dose the water, you'd lift out the rocks and hit it direct, so easy. your tank w look fully fixed in about six days after

that's a lot of pages to read, but it will make you never have algae again as well so its worth it.

I would like to know what you mean of "wouldn't dose the water" ? You mean I need to take out the rock and take it with H2O2? Can you tell me step by step? Sorry for lots of questions, because these problems really frustrate me a lot. Thanks a lot.

 

[Carlos martinez]

Get a cleaning crew.and feed very Lil every other day

 

[jsker]

Thanks for answering, can I know the usage of the H2O2? Will it affect the effectiveness the ATS? I am using AI hydra 52, just feed the pellets made it italty, called PRODAC biogram small. Thanks

I answer your question directly 1 ml per 10 gallons twice a day when the lights are off

 

[kgeig001]

How long has your tank been up and running?
What are calc, alc, mag, phosphate, nitrate levels?

 

[danieltang246]

How long has your tank been up and running?
What are calc, alc, mag, phosphate, nitrate levels?

My tank run for 8 months.
Just checked, the dKH 5.7 , ca 380, I have no other test kit, but I am wondering why my tank have no other type of green algae, but all are those in red? It is the reason why the red algae grow so fast because there are no other type of green algae? since I got a ATS box, should I put some green algae in the ATS box, let it to absorb the Po4 and No3?

 

[brandon429]

The reason why you have it is from not quarantining additions to your tank (most of us don't) it doesn't require bad nutrient parameters to express and take over. It only requires us to allow it to take over, vs the kill methods we detailed in that peroxide link I sent ya

The algae you have must hitchhike into the tank on substrates, frag plugs etc and if you move it into any system that doesn't have green algae problems it will slowly begin to take over substrate just the same.

The reason you don't have green algae problems is because your nutrients are in good standing, or you would. Green algae get into our tanks in ways beyond simple substrate imports from hard surfaces, things we could easily quarantine for a while to see what expresses (then we kill it before adding to the display tank)

so the only reason you have the red algae is because it rode in, and the kill method wasn't readily apparent until yesterday. This will be an easy fix, w take a week or two but it's not hard to beat. Many forms of green algae problems would be worse.

 

[danieltang246]

The reason why you have it is from not quarantining additions to your tank (most of us don't) it doesn't require bad nutrient parameters to express and take over. It only requires us to allow it to take over, vs the kill methods we detailed in that peroxide link I sent ya

The algae you have must hitchhike into the tank on substrates, frag plugs etc and if you move it into any system that doesn't have green algae problems it will slowly begin to take over substrate just the same.

The reason you don't have green algae problems is because your nutrients are in good standing, or you would. Green algae get into our tanks in ways beyond simple substrate imports from hard surfaces, things we could easily quarantine for a while to see what expresses (then we kill it before adding to the display tank)

so the only reason you have the red algae is because it rode in, and the kill method wasn't readily apparent until yesterday. This will be an easy fix, w take a week or two but it's not hard to beat. Many forms of green algae problems would be worse.

Thanks brother, I would like to know which type of H2O2 should I buy?

 

[brandon429]

Yes the right stuff is the 3% from a grocery store, or pharmacy, intended for human wound care. There are some kinds for hair care, or hydroponics but we want the medical kind.

 

[danieltang246]

Yes the right stuff is the 3% from a grocery store, or pharmacy, intended for human wound care. There are some kinds for hair care, or hydroponics but we want the medical kind.

ok, I will check it out tomorrow, should I mix it with salt water for dip the rock or just directly use it to dip for 4 minutes ?

 

[brandon429]

I can only recommend what the thread shows, we haven't dipped a single rock in all those pages we only treat outside the tank, applying peroxide directly to the algae full strength, contacting no corals or non algae surfaces ideally. Per the last two pages of the thread, we've made a strong case for pre-scraping off all the algae with a metal tool thoroughly, then treating the cleaned areas outside the tank with peroxide it's all got several examples those last two pages.