Green Hair Algae Bloom

cgw0008 · 11/27/2017, 05:44 PM

My tank is three months old. For the last two or three weeks, I have had a green hair algae bloom that has taken over my tank. It is on the rocks, sand, everything. I have a 20 gallon FOWLR with 1 ocellaris, 3 dwarf red leg hermits (2 of which hide and do nothing), 2 trochus snails, and a medium sized Botryocladia macro. My parameters are:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
pH: 8.2
SG: 1.023

I mostly use RO/DI for changes and top off, but have used some distilled. I have been doing that this whole time though.

My kit does not have a test for phosphates, so I assumed that was the problem and added API Phos-Zorb 1 week ago and it has actually gotten worse. When I did my water change last week, I scrubbed it off the live-rock with an old toothbrush into the old water. Since it hit the sand, I manually turn the sand over every other day.

Is this a phase that it will grow out of? I first had a lot of diatoms, but they started to go away on their own and the snails eat them up now. If not, what should I do? I am not running a skimmer or a sump. Sump is not really an option. I know the nitrates can cause blooms, but that is what they have been about since I added the ocellaris two months ago and there were not any problems. And from what I've read, a lot of small FOWLR tanks run at about that.

Thanks for your help.

SAT · 11/27/2017, 06:50 PM

The tank is young enough that this could still be a phase. I suggest getting a good phosphate test kit.

With no skimmer or sump, you don't have any apparent method of nutrient export, particularly for phosphates. Over the long term, nutrients in need to equal nutrients out or you get an accumulation which will feed undesirable growths of various sorts.

Take a look at Chaeto reactors. They can be a good choice for nutrient export.

cgw0008 · 11/27/2017, 07:14 PM

Thanks so much! I'll order a phosphate test kit. I was looking at making an algae scrubber to stick in the corner, would that be as effective?

jonto · 11/27/2017, 07:40 PM

My tank is about 4 mos old and I had the green algae start at about 3 mos. My Phosphate was testing 0 so I assume the algae was pulling it from my Pukani rock. I got a Foxface and a Lawnmower Blenny waiting for the cycle to die off.
The algae is now getting very sparse. The folks here said to have patience and it will pass and they were right.
If you want an algae eating machine get a Lawnmower Blenny. He goes nonstop just eating algae. He's amazing to watch.

Uncle99 · 11/27/2017, 08:40 PM

Your nitrate and phosphate should be zero.
You can carbon dose with Red Sea No Pox which will improve your filtration but this takes time. Your phosphate us probably still high so once you test you can lower it daily by 1 ppm using Agent Green or another LC product.

Pull off as much as possible and turn your lights out for a few days and long term make sure your photoperiod is not to long nor too intense.

Bulk reef supply has some good videos on this on You tube....helped me a lot but your tank is still quite young

SAT · 11/27/2017, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgw0008

Thanks so much! I'll order a phosphate test kit. I was looking at making an algae scrubber to stick in the corner, would that be as effective?

Certainly worth a try!

Uncle99 · 11/27/2017, 08:43 PM

BTW....your source water is RODI right....tap water or crappy filtered water....or LFS water are major contributors to algae blooms...

Uncle99 · 11/27/2017, 08:47 PM

I have no algae and have no sump, no scrubber, just a gang on filter and a hang on skimmer......I spend my $ on having great source water and good salt mix...10% weekly change....and carbon dose.

ReefKeeper64 · 11/27/2017, 08:51 PM

Fluconazole will get rid of all the algae in about 10 days. Dose 200mg per 10 gallons of water and it will go away quick. To keep it gone, you'll have to get the nutrients under control of course.

sde1500 · 11/29/2017, 02:44 PM

Full disclosure, I dosed Fluconazole a week ago. But I wouldn't advocate it for a 4 month old tank. I dosed it to my tank that is almost 2 years old because life got in the way and the tank went a little south. GHA in a 4 month old tank is expected. And with a new tank and keeper, I would advocate maintain proper parameters and keeping the tank clean the good old fashioned way first. Learn proper care first, you should be fine.

crawlerman · 11/29/2017, 02:59 PM

Most likely your live rock has bound up phosphates. The algae is consuming it and will continue to until the phosphates are gone. If you test you will most likely get zero phosphates on the kit because the algae is consuming it. algae scrubber would be a good option. You need some way to export the phosphates. Manually removing the algae from the tank is actually exporting nutrients, but not really a preferred method.

Did you by chance start off with dry Pukani rock? It's known to have high phosphate levels.

allendehl · 11/29/2017, 03:04 PM

Mine is only 1 1/2 months since cycled and I had a GHA bloom about 2-3 weeks ago. I have a bunch of nerite snails that weren't doing much.
I decided to get a tuxedo urchin and helped it scrubbing some of the algae with a tooth brush with my WC, didn't get it all, not even close as it was coming of the holes in the rocks very hard to get.
The urchin has done an incredible job, rock and walls are now GHA free. Adding a Kole tang helped as well, I did see him going after the algae on the rocks and the walls but in a 20G, I don't believe is an option.

ReefKeeper64 · 11/29/2017, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sde1500

Full disclosure, I dosed Fluconazole a week ago. But I wouldn't advocate it for a 4 month old tank. I dosed it to my tank that is almost 2 years old because life got in the way and the tank went a little south. GHA in a 4 month old tank is expected. And with a new tank and keeper, I would advocate maintain proper parameters and keeping the tank clean the good old fashioned way first. Learn proper care first, you should be fine.

I won’t say thanks for the dis. I will suggest that your post offers nothing he doesn’t already know. Welcome to the hobby.

sde1500 · 11/29/2017, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReefKeeper64

I won’t say thanks for the dis. I will suggest that your post offers nothing he doesn’t already know. Welcome to the hobby.

Sorry what is your problem? You took something I said as an insult? I can't figure out what at all. I offered a differing opinion that resorting to chemical solutions in a brand new tank is not ideal.

Uncle99 · 11/29/2017, 06:21 PM

Sde1500 is absolutely right.
We can use chemicals in the short term, but his advice works long term.

cgw0008 · 02/20/2018, 09:19 AM

Hey, thanks for the advice on chaeto reactors. The bloom went away on its own, and I've had the reactor for about a month now (made one on my own, only cost about $50). My nitrates went to 0 in like 3 days. Thanks!

OldReefGuy · 02/20/2018, 04:53 PM

+1 Sde1500

11/27/2017, 05:44 PM	#1
cgw0008 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 8	Green Hair Algae Bloom My tank is three months old. For the last two or three weeks, I have had a green hair algae bloom that has taken over my tank. It is on the rocks, sand, everything. I have a 20 gallon FOWLR with 1 ocellaris, 3 dwarf red leg hermits (2 of which hide and do nothing), 2 trochus snails, and a medium sized Botryocladia macro. My parameters are: Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 10 pH: 8.2 SG: 1.023 I mostly use RO/DI for changes and top off, but have used some distilled. I have been doing that this whole time though. My kit does not have a test for phosphates, so I assumed that was the problem and added API Phos-Zorb 1 week ago and it has actually gotten worse. When I did my water change last week, I scrubbed it off the live-rock with an old toothbrush into the old water. Since it hit the sand, I manually turn the sand over every other day. Is this a phase that it will grow out of? I first had a lot of diatoms, but they started to go away on their own and the snails eat them up now. If not, what should I do? I am not running a skimmer or a sump. Sump is not really an option. I know the nitrates can cause blooms, but that is what they have been about since I added the ocellaris two months ago and there were not any problems. And from what I've read, a lot of small FOWLR tanks run at about that. Thanks for your help.

11/27/2017, 06:50 PM	#2
SAT Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Berwyn, PA Posts: 4,073 Blog Entries: 1	The tank is young enough that this could still be a phase. I suggest getting a good phosphate test kit. With no skimmer or sump, you don't have any apparent method of nutrient export, particularly for phosphates. Over the long term, nutrients in need to equal nutrients out or you get an accumulation which will feed undesirable growths of various sorts. Take a look at Chaeto reactors. They can be a good choice for nutrient export. __________________ Stuart Current Tank Info: 300G Caribbean biotype reef set up in 2003.

11/29/2017, 02:44 PM	#10
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	Full disclosure, I dosed Fluconazole a week ago. But I wouldn't advocate it for a 4 month old tank. I dosed it to my tank that is almost 2 years old because life got in the way and the tank went a little south. GHA in a 4 month old tank is expected. And with a new tank and keeper, I would advocate maintain proper parameters and keeping the tank clean the good old fashioned way first. Learn proper care first, you should be fine. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.

11/29/2017, 03:04 PM	#12
allendehl Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 692	Mine is only 1 1/2 months since cycled and I had a GHA bloom about 2-3 weeks ago. I have a bunch of nerite snails that weren't doing much. I decided to get a tuxedo urchin and helped it scrubbing some of the algae with a tooth brush with my WC, didn't get it all, not even close as it was coming of the holes in the rocks very hard to get. The urchin has done an incredible job, rock and walls are now GHA free. Adding a Kole tang helped as well, I did see him going after the algae on the rocks and the walls but in a 20G, I don't believe is an option. __________________ [Newbie here so please take my opinions carefully] Current Tank Info: Red Sea Reefer 350 (72G) \| Jebao DCT 4000 (1056 GPH Max) \| Reef Octopus 152-S \| 2 X Jebao PP8 (2100 GPH Max)

11/27/2017, 07:14 PM	#3
cgw0008 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 8	Thanks so much! I'll order a phosphate test kit. I was looking at making an algae scrubber to stick in the corner, would that be as effective?

11/27/2017, 07:40 PM	#4
jonto Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Porterville, Ca. Posts: 110	My tank is about 4 mos old and I had the green algae start at about 3 mos. My Phosphate was testing 0 so I assume the algae was pulling it from my Pukani rock. I got a Foxface and a Lawnmower Blenny waiting for the cycle to die off. The algae is now getting very sparse. The folks here said to have patience and it will pass and they were right. If you want an algae eating machine get a Lawnmower Blenny. He goes nonstop just eating algae. He's amazing to watch.

11/27/2017, 08:40 PM	#5
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Your nitrate and phosphate should be zero. You can carbon dose with Red Sea No Pox which will improve your filtration but this takes time. Your phosphate us probably still high so once you test you can lower it daily by 1 ppm using Agent Green or another LC product. Pull off as much as possible and turn your lights out for a few days and long term make sure your photoperiod is not to long nor too intense. Bulk reef supply has some good videos on this on You tube....helped me a lot but your tank is still quite young

11/27/2017, 08:43 PM	#7
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	BTW....your source water is RODI right....tap water or crappy filtered water....or LFS water are major contributors to algae blooms...

11/27/2017, 08:47 PM	#8
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	I have no algae and have no sump, no scrubber, just a gang on filter and a hang on skimmer......I spend my $ on having great source water and good salt mix...10% weekly change....and carbon dose.

11/27/2017, 08:51 PM	#9
ReefKeeper64 Wanna be a reefkeeper Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Tampa Posts: 1,158	Fluconazole will get rid of all the algae in about 10 days. Dose 200mg per 10 gallons of water and it will go away quick. To keep it gone, you'll have to get the nutrients under control of course.

11/29/2017, 02:59 PM	#11
crawlerman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 503	Most likely your live rock has bound up phosphates. The algae is consuming it and will continue to until the phosphates are gone. If you test you will most likely get zero phosphates on the kit because the algae is consuming it. algae scrubber would be a good option. You need some way to export the phosphates. Manually removing the algae from the tank is actually exporting nutrients, but not really a preferred method. Did you by chance start off with dry Pukani rock? It's known to have high phosphate levels.

11/29/2017, 06:21 PM	#15
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Sde1500 is absolutely right. We can use chemicals in the short term, but his advice works long term.

02/20/2018, 09:19 AM	#16
cgw0008 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 8	Hey, thanks for the advice on chaeto reactors. The bloom went away on its own, and I've had the reactor for about a month now (made one on my own, only cost about $50). My nitrates went to 0 in like 3 days. Thanks!

02/20/2018, 04:53 PM	#17
OldReefGuy Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 542	+1 Sde1500