Which algae is this?

yakfishin · 01/26/2007, 10:21 AM

I don't have a working digital camera at the current time, so I will have to give it my best decription. My tank, 215G, is just a week shy of being two months old, before setting up my main display I cured about 180Lbs of live rock in seperate containers until fully cured. Since setting up the main display I have added a foxface and maroon clown. In the After setting up my display about two weeks later I got what I figure was a diatom bloom which lasted about a week. Currently I have a greenish powdery film that builds up enough to be visible on the glass every other day. Some of my live rock, not all of it but just certain pieces, develope a dull greenish brown very fine and wispy algae that grows to about 3/4" long, the foxface doesn't seem to touch it. My sand bed develops a stringy, brown algae that takes 3-4 days to develop. Nothing is all that bad, but it is bad enough to make me have to clean my tank every few days. My water parameters keep checking to 0 for nitrates & phosphates. PH and alkalinity are where they are supposed to be, but I can't remember exact figures. I think I need a larger clean up crew, I only purchase about half of what was suggested originally for my size tank, but the snails and hermits that I currently have don't really seem to eat what is growing. I use RO for makeup and change waters. I don't think I'm overfeeding. Perhaps the algae is still growing because it is still a fairly new setup?

kfowler · 01/26/2007, 10:33 AM

Sounds like typical progression. My new tank is going through the same thing. It should pass. Try reducing your photo period.

cmart28 · 01/26/2007, 10:34 AM

I have a similiar problem, my tank is almost 3 months old. I already had a diatom bloom, but now all of a sudden my glass gets the same greenish film and my rocks are turning the same color, I don't have hair algae which is what it seems you are describing. My atnics are on on 12 hours a day and my 250W Metal Halide is on 9 hours a day. Also my nitrates are 1 and phosphates are .0015.

yakfishin · 01/26/2007, 10:41 AM

I think I will reduce my photo period for awhile and also increase my cleanup crew to the recommended numbers. I have a fighting conch, and he really cleans the sand very well in his immediate area, my tank is probably big enough for another one or two of them as well. Glad to hear that I'm not the only one in this boat!

GuyAFA · 01/26/2007, 02:50 PM

Hey Yak:

I've got the same problem. Hair algea growing on the sand and the now on the rock. I'm going to do a 20% water change for the first time tomorrow. My LFS tells me this is all part of the initial cycling process and will eventually go away. The only thing in my tank that seems to eat it is the conch and there's way too much of it for it to eat.

FullPull · 01/26/2007, 03:56 PM

I would suggest running a Phosban Reactor as well, if you have a large amount of it. I fought the stuff for weeks, and was getting nowhere. I tried a Lettuce Nudibranch which didn't touch the stuff, 4 Emearald crabs were trying to take care of it. I've been running Phosban to try to lower my phosphate for a couple of weeks now and I think it's showing signs of subsiding. I even hand scrubbed all my rock twice....this stuff is a major PITA.

01/26/2007, 10:21 AM	#1
yakfishin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 696	Which algae is this? I don't have a working digital camera at the current time, so I will have to give it my best decription. My tank, 215G, is just a week shy of being two months old, before setting up my main display I cured about 180Lbs of live rock in seperate containers until fully cured. Since setting up the main display I have added a foxface and maroon clown. In the After setting up my display about two weeks later I got what I figure was a diatom bloom which lasted about a week. Currently I have a greenish powdery film that builds up enough to be visible on the glass every other day. Some of my live rock, not all of it but just certain pieces, develope a dull greenish brown very fine and wispy algae that grows to about 3/4" long, the foxface doesn't seem to touch it. My sand bed develops a stringy, brown algae that takes 3-4 days to develop. Nothing is all that bad, but it is bad enough to make me have to clean my tank every few days. My water parameters keep checking to 0 for nitrates & phosphates. PH and alkalinity are where they are supposed to be, but I can't remember exact figures. I think I need a larger clean up crew, I only purchase about half of what was suggested originally for my size tank, but the snails and hermits that I currently have don't really seem to eat what is growing. I use RO for makeup and change waters. I don't think I'm overfeeding. Perhaps the algae is still growing because it is still a fairly new setup?

01/26/2007, 10:33 AM	#2
kfowler Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,095	Sounds like typical progression. My new tank is going through the same thing. It should pass. Try reducing your photo period. __________________ Kevin "You cannot achieve what you are not willing to pursue." Current Tank Info: 20g Mixed Reef

01/26/2007, 03:56 PM	#6
FullPull Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hawthorn PA Posts: 216	I would suggest running a Phosban Reactor as well, if you have a large amount of it. I fought the stuff for weeks, and was getting nowhere. I tried a Lettuce Nudibranch which didn't touch the stuff, 4 Emearald crabs were trying to take care of it. I've been running Phosban to try to lower my phosphate for a couple of weeks now and I think it's showing signs of subsiding. I even hand scrubbed all my rock twice....this stuff is a major PITA. __________________ If Duct Tape wasn't meant to fix everything...Why can you get in so many @%#$@ colors !!!! Current Tank Info: 55 gl, 20 gl sump, GU10 Led, Reef Keeper lite, Modded CSS 125 Skimmer, Phosban Reactor, Mag 7 Return Pump, DIY Refugium

01/26/2007, 10:34 AM	#3
cmart28 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 269	I have a similiar problem, my tank is almost 3 months old. I already had a diatom bloom, but now all of a sudden my glass gets the same greenish film and my rocks are turning the same color, I don't have hair algae which is what it seems you are describing. My atnics are on on 12 hours a day and my 250W Metal Halide is on 9 hours a day. Also my nitrates are 1 and phosphates are .0015.

01/26/2007, 10:41 AM	#4
yakfishin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 696	I think I will reduce my photo period for awhile and also increase my cleanup crew to the recommended numbers. I have a fighting conch, and he really cleans the sand very well in his immediate area, my tank is probably big enough for another one or two of them as well. Glad to hear that I'm not the only one in this boat!

01/26/2007, 02:50 PM	#5
GuyAFA Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Orlando Posts: 16	Hey Yak: I've got the same problem. Hair algea growing on the sand and the now on the rock. I'm going to do a 20% water change for the first time tomorrow. My LFS tells me this is all part of the initial cycling process and will eventually go away. The only thing in my tank that seems to eat it is the conch and there's way too much of it for it to eat.