Algae need info

StumpDaddy · 01/15/2010, 07:14 AM

This is a repost, with pictures of the algae:

I have recently converted a well established FO to Reef. Put LR in for the 1st time, and the tank is cycling. Are there different types of algae blooms in the cycle process? I have had a what I think is a bad Green Hair bloom, some of my LR is completly covered in about 1 inch of green hair, and now some of my rocks are starting to get red algae on them, most is like red algae that forms with the texture of the rock not slimy looking. One rock has like red stringy slime looking algae on it. I figure that is red slime but......I really have no clue. Is this all in the cycle process? I scraped a boat load og the green hair of the back glass it was like 3 inches long. There were alot of tiny pieces floating around ( I nettted all that i could) I have recently converted a well established FO to Reef. Put LR in for the 1st time, and the tank is cycling. Are there different types of algae blooms in the cycle process? I have had a what I think is a bad Green Hair bloom, some of my LR is completly covered in about 1 inch of green hair, and now some of my rocks are starting to get red algae on them, most is like red algae that forms with the texture of the rock not slimy looking. One rock has like red stringy slime looking algae on it. I figure that is red slime but......I really have no clue. Is this all in the cycle process? I scraped a boat load og the green hair of the back glass it was like 3 inches long. There were alot of tiny pieces floating around ( I nettted all that i could) please tell me that it is not gonna cause these little pieces to land and start growing every where. This is way harder than a fish only.

This is info from previous post:
I have set up a Phosban reactor running GFO about 2 days ago, and set up a Refugium with Cheato yesterday. I assume that both will help with the Phosphates to decrease the green hair algae. Is there anything else I can do to get the algae out any quicker or does it take a while. Also how long will the GFO last. I have about 3 cups in the reactor. Sorry that I ask so much.... Thanks Dave
Some info about my system.

180 DT with a 90 gal sump, Coralife PRO Series Metal Hylide HQI 3x175w 4x96w Actinics 4 Moon Lights. ASM G3 Skimmer, Rainbow QL40 UV, 20L Refugium

Lighting Schedule: Actinics are on 1 hr before HQI and stay on 3 hrs. HQI are on for 7 hrs with Actinics coming on 2 hrs before HQI's going off and stay on 1 hr more when HQI's are off.. Confusing Actincs 6 hrs a day HQI 7 hrs a day.

This is info from previous post:
I have set up a Phosban reactor running GFO about 2 days ago, and set up a Refugium with Cheato yesterday. I assume that both will help with the Phosphates to decrease the green hair algae. Is there anything else I can do to get the algae out any quicker or does it take a while. Also how long will the GFO last. I have about 3 cups in the reactor. Sorry that I ask so much.... Thanks Dave
Some info about my system.

180 DT with a 90 gal sump, Coralife PRO Series Metal Hylide HQI 3x175w 4x96w Actinics 4 Moon Lights. ASM G3 Skimmer, Rainbow QL40 UV, 20L Refugium

Lighting Schedule: Actinics are on 1 hr before HQI and stay on 3 hrs. HQI are on for 7 hrs with Actinics coming on 2 hrs before HQI's going off and stay on 1 hr more when HQI's are off.. Confusing Actincs 6 hrs a day HQI 7 hrs a day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StumpDaddy

Here are a few pics of the algae, and a few of my system. Tell me what ya think.

l

Arethe 2 above pics normal in the cycling process?

My 180

My filtration

Daimyo68 · 01/15/2010, 07:37 AM

Cyano is the red algae, the other is Green hair algae.

First and formost, some water readings would help. You Phosphates and nitrates are probably off the scale.

Cyano - Get a turkey baster or another type of siphon and siphon out as much as possible, and get some water movement across the areas where the cyano is/was and that will help. It will start to disappear.

Green hair algae - Take out any rock that you can, scrub it down and then rinse off in another bucket of fresh sw. put it back into the tank. Any rock that can't be removed you can use your hand to pull the algae off.
There are some critters that will help: Mexican Turbo snails, Foxface, Seahair.

Check you numbers on you water. The algae is part of the cycling process, but you shouldn't have seen too much of a cycle being you used established rock.

What is your total turnover rate in the tank? (GPH) I see 2 Koralia's in the tank and the 2 return lines.

Your light cycle - a bit confusing. Atinics 1 hour before halides and 1 hour after. Cut your total lighting cycle to 6-7 hours a day until you have this under control, and then you can add an hour, and work it up from there.

WC's are important, so stay on top of the weekly change. That will get rid of phosphates and Nitrates the fastest, so be religious with them, and weekly.

Feeding, cut back on feeding. If you are feeding everyday, cut back to every other day.

You should add some more live rock also with the amount of fish you have in there. Then you bacteria colony will be greater.

drparker · 01/15/2010, 07:48 AM

Also you don't mention it if you have an RO/DI filter for water change and top-off source water. Flake food will add a lot of phosphates. Use a high quality food like Rod's or make your own.

What are the chains for? They're plastic right?

Nice rock crawler, I wheel a Rubicon.

StumpDaddy · 01/15/2010, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drparker

Also you don't mention it if you have an RO/DI filter for water change and top-off source water. Flake food will add a lot of phosphates. Use a high quality food like Rod's or make your own.

What are the chains for? They're plastic right?

Nice rock crawler, I wheel a Rubicon.

I make RO but no DI Filter..... I plan on getting one soon. Is DI Necessary?
They are plastic Chains, I put sheet Algae on them on rare occasions, for the Tangs and the Swallow Tail.
Do you go to Badlands with your Rubi? I race my Cherokee in TREC there, also I will be competing in a rock crawling series there this year.

Jstdv8 · 01/15/2010, 03:09 PM

Ive had really good luck with getting rid of the cyano by increasing the flow. doubled my powerhead flow and it went away quick. hair algae, not so much.

drparker · 01/15/2010, 04:21 PM

It's been so long since I did the research I can't remember what it removes. But when I measure TDS, Total Dissolved Solids, my RO only feed reads around 7 and RO/DI feed reads zero. Rod is in DeKalb and makes some great food, I won't feed anything else, check out his food if you get a chance.

The Bad Lands is the best place around here, 4+ hour drive for me so I do a lot more wheeling at Cliff's Extreme. Hoping to scape to together enough money for trip to Moab this fall. Good luck with the competition!

reefer321 · 01/15/2010, 07:08 PM

A little off subject but Nice setup!

StumpDaddy · 01/15/2010, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefer321

A little off subject but Nice setup!

Thanks

engineeronh2o · 01/15/2010, 09:00 PM

Need a serious cleanup crew. Emerald crabs, and much more. Cut back on feeding or lighting.

StumpDaddy · 01/16/2010, 07:55 AM

Thanks for all the info.... I will let ya know how it goes.

iwishtofish · 01/16/2010, 08:19 AM

StumpDaddy, I'm definitely curious as to what your water parameters read. Can you post some test results? I hope your fish aren't having to endure a cycle from the addition of the live rock. Was it fully cured when you added it, and if so, how long was it out of water?

An effective cleanup crew would be a big help. You definitely don't just want to throw in 200 hermits and snails. When the food source is gone, there will be mayhem and death. I'd also focus on animals that are known to take a serious dent in algae, such as certain urchins (choose reef safe). Have a new home lined up for them in advance for when the tank gets to the point where their food source disappears.

How's your flow? You might want to beef it up to keep detritus in circulation, so you can skim/siphon it out of there. A lot of uneaten food and fish waste may be settling in the live rock, where it will rot and pollute. Maybe you want to blow the rocks clean with a powerhead on a regular basis. You'll be surprised what comes out of there!

Yes, you have a very nice setup! I hope I have something like that one day. Good luck!

sagecx · 01/16/2010, 08:28 AM

chemiclean can also get rid of the cyano fairly quick if you cant get a handle on it.But your skimmer will go nuts and it really should only be used as a last resort. Kind of way to get you back to a more manageable state so you can address nutritien or other issues.

Also you do have a very nice setup

iwishtofish · 01/16/2010, 08:55 AM

Also, your GFO may exhaust rather quickly if your phosphates are high, and if your rock leaches phosphate slowly over time. A lot of that depends on where you got the rock, I imagine. You may have to change the GFO often for a while, and then cut back later on.

Daimyo68 · 01/16/2010, 09:02 AM

Getting the Di cartridge for the unit would get you TDS down to 0. opposite of everyhting else in the world, les is better

01/15/2010, 07:37 AM	#2
Daimyo68 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: North Palm Beach, FL Posts: 2,270	Cyano is the red algae, the other is Green hair algae. First and formost, some water readings would help. You Phosphates and nitrates are probably off the scale. Cyano - Get a turkey baster or another type of siphon and siphon out as much as possible, and get some water movement across the areas where the cyano is/was and that will help. It will start to disappear. Green hair algae - Take out any rock that you can, scrub it down and then rinse off in another bucket of fresh sw. put it back into the tank. Any rock that can't be removed you can use your hand to pull the algae off. There are some critters that will help: Mexican Turbo snails, Foxface, Seahair. Check you numbers on you water. The algae is part of the cycling process, but you shouldn't have seen too much of a cycle being you used established rock. What is your total turnover rate in the tank? (GPH) I see 2 Koralia's in the tank and the 2 return lines. Your light cycle - a bit confusing. Atinics 1 hour before halides and 1 hour after. Cut your total lighting cycle to 6-7 hours a day until you have this under control, and then you can add an hour, and work it up from there. WC's are important, so stay on top of the weekly change. That will get rid of phosphates and Nitrates the fastest, so be religious with them, and weekly. Feeding, cut back on feeding. If you are feeding everyday, cut back to every other day. You should add some more live rock also with the amount of fish you have in there. Then you bacteria colony will be greater. __________________ 120g, 50g Sump, SRO XP2000i, MP40W x2, DIY Hybrid LED/T5 Fixture, Apex PBMAS VP 2010-11 PBMAS 2017 President

01/15/2010, 07:08 PM	#7
reefer321 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 94	A little off subject but Nice setup! __________________ 95g Wave Tank with 29g Sump 2 250 MH 4 36w Actinic Mixed Reef / 75g with 20g long Sump FOWLR / 40g breader Mixed Reef with pc lights Current Tank Info: 95g Wave with a 29g Sump, 75 g with a 20 g sump

01/16/2010, 07:55 AM	#10
StumpDaddy Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Champaign Posts: 74	Thanks for all the info.... I will let ya know how it goes. __________________ "It takes only one drink to get me drunk. The trouble is, I can't remember if it's the thirteenth or the fourteenth." Current Tank Info: 180 DT with a 90 gal sump, Coralife PRO Series Metal Halide 10,000k HQI 3x150w 4x96w Actinics 4 Moon Lights. ASM G3 Skimmer, Rainbow QL40 UV, 20L Refugium

01/16/2010, 09:02 AM	#14
Daimyo68 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: North Palm Beach, FL Posts: 2,270	Getting the Di cartridge for the unit would get you TDS down to 0. opposite of everyhting else in the world, les is better __________________ 120g, 50g Sump, SRO XP2000i, MP40W x2, DIY Hybrid LED/T5 Fixture, Apex PBMAS VP 2010-11 PBMAS 2017 President

01/15/2010, 07:48 AM	#3
drparker Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Palatine, IL Posts: 2,652	Also you don't mention it if you have an RO/DI filter for water change and top-off source water. Flake food will add a lot of phosphates. Use a high quality food like Rod's or make your own. What are the chains for? They're plastic right? Nice rock crawler, I wheel a Rubicon.

01/15/2010, 03:09 PM	#5
Jstdv8 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Wasilla, Alaska Posts: 1,420	Ive had really good luck with getting rid of the cyano by increasing the flow. doubled my powerhead flow and it went away quick. hair algae, not so much.

01/15/2010, 04:21 PM	#6
drparker Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Palatine, IL Posts: 2,652	It's been so long since I did the research I can't remember what it removes. But when I measure TDS, Total Dissolved Solids, my RO only feed reads around 7 and RO/DI feed reads zero. Rod is in DeKalb and makes some great food, I won't feed anything else, check out his food if you get a chance. The Bad Lands is the best place around here, 4+ hour drive for me so I do a lot more wheeling at Cliff's Extreme. Hoping to scape to together enough money for trip to Moab this fall. Good luck with the competition!

01/15/2010, 09:00 PM	#9
engineeronh2o Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Panama City, FL Posts: 84	Need a serious cleanup crew. Emerald crabs, and much more. Cut back on feeding or lighting.

01/16/2010, 08:19 AM	#11
iwishtofish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Southern Maryland Posts: 4,949	StumpDaddy, I'm definitely curious as to what your water parameters read. Can you post some test results? I hope your fish aren't having to endure a cycle from the addition of the live rock. Was it fully cured when you added it, and if so, how long was it out of water? An effective cleanup crew would be a big help. You definitely don't just want to throw in 200 hermits and snails. When the food source is gone, there will be mayhem and death. I'd also focus on animals that are known to take a serious dent in algae, such as certain urchins (choose reef safe). Have a new home lined up for them in advance for when the tank gets to the point where their food source disappears. How's your flow? You might want to beef it up to keep detritus in circulation, so you can skim/siphon it out of there. A lot of uneaten food and fish waste may be settling in the live rock, where it will rot and pollute. Maybe you want to blow the rocks clean with a powerhead on a regular basis. You'll be surprised what comes out of there! Yes, you have a very nice setup! I hope I have something like that one day. Good luck!

01/16/2010, 08:28 AM	#12
sagecx Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Boston Posts: 72	chemiclean can also get rid of the cyano fairly quick if you cant get a handle on it.But your skimmer will go nuts and it really should only be used as a last resort. Kind of way to get you back to a more manageable state so you can address nutritien or other issues. Also you do have a very nice setup

01/16/2010, 08:55 AM	#13
iwishtofish Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Southern Maryland Posts: 4,949	Also, your GFO may exhaust rather quickly if your phosphates are high, and if your rock leaches phosphate slowly over time. A lot of that depends on where you got the rock, I imagine. You may have to change the GFO often for a while, and then cut back later on.