What kind of algae is this and what should be done??

btw just bought a tribal blenny. he's a monster on the hair algea but not the larger tufts of hair.

 

Just my opinion....

My preference is to defeat the root cause of the problem, not control the problem. You can get hermits that eat algae, tangs, lawnmower blenny's, etc. and beat the problem down, but the problem is still there.

The root cause for diatoms and GHA is excess nutrients in the water column. It is normal during cycling, but I feel you should nip it in the bud and kill the root cause. Thus, I am a huge proponent of all things that reduce phosphate, nitrate input to the system and increase exporting them from the system.

Therefore, RO/DI minimizes input. Not overfeeding minimizes input. Refugiums, GFO, EcoBak maximize export. Keep the nutrients down and there is minimal algae in the first place.

M

 

I also have to add an experience of mine. I had horrible algae for the first 6 months. About a month ago, I got a ball of chaeto from Dingo. The algae started growing a bit slower, then a bit slower still.

Then blam, in 4 days, all the cyano disappeared (it covered my whole sandbed within 2 days of me pulling it all out), all the film (I think, it was kinda tough) algae all over my glass disappeared (it was the back wall and sides of the tank; a solid sheet of the stuff), diatom-like easy-to-scrape algae takes doubly long to grow half as thick on the front glass (less glass cleaning), coralline is growing all over like wildfire (doubled in area covered in the last week), both bunches of bryopsis aren't even growing anymore, and my tank generally looks amazing compared to a month ago.

The point: a small amount of macroalgae in a refugium can do seriously amazing things for your tank's health, and for any algae problem. This isn't even in a refugium yet; I haven't gotten a chance to install the overflow box and sump. It's just algae in a little acrylic container in the back of my tank.

 

Blackraven's experience is why I like refugiums so much....

M

 

Ph=8.2
ammonia=0
nitrite=0
Nitrate=20

Give me a sec on phosphorous

 

Phosphates often lie. They may show zero, but they are there.

Advice...

look into a refugium for the reasons Blackraven stated.

look into a Bulk Reef Supply GFO/Carbon reactor. Run Carbon/Warner Marnie EcoBak or GFO/Carbon.

Don't add new live stock to your tank for a few months to let the cycle complete and let the bacteria catch up.

M

 

Alright, so some of this is just part of the cycle?

 

Yes, especially when you consider that algae prefer ammonia over nitrate as their nitrogen source.

 

Ok and as for the refugium did you build this or buy it, wouldn't mind if you could elaborate a little.

Thanks!

 

Like I said, I don't even have a refugium yet - that's in the works. Currently, the chaeto is sitting in a approx. 6"x2"x5" acrylic box with a couple holes in the sides, and suction cups to hold it onto the back of the tank.