I have just had it!

[physicslord]

Originally posted by rizkeeper
let it grow...sooner or later it will absorb it's food sorce and die off....

Food source? You mean light?

Phosphate maybe ... and where will the phosphate go when it dies off?


Back into the water. D'oh.

[anthworks]

I thought cooking the rock was suppose to take care of these things?

[Znut Reefer]

Get a rabbit fish. I don't mean the foxface. I have both and they make sure no algae grows in my tank. It was the best $$ I spent.

[gillies]

Wait it out. Algae is natural. Pretend it isn't there.

[rizkeeper]

Food source? You mean light?

well I didn't think I'd have to take my suggestion a step further, but after this responce I have too.

It takes more than light to have algea grow...there is somthing else in his tank, (rock) feeding this algea. It does appear to be in the rock. THe rest of his set up and habits seem to be real good, so he's not adding more, Phos etc into the water. Sooner or later, the algea will use up all the food source (not including the light) than it will be gone....

I would how ever continue to suck it out, cut it down etc until it is gone.

tHis is the easiest thing to do, it tanks time, but not a long as cooking the rock.....

this guy has everything else under control, it will go a way soon enough.

[Znut Reefer]

This is the rabbit fish I was referring to. It will eat just about any type algae.


http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...fm?pCatId=1449

[physicslord]

Originally posted by rizkeeper
well I didn't think I'd have to take my suggestion a step further, but after this responce I have too.

It takes more than light to have algea grow...there is somthing else in his tank, (rock) feeding this algea. It does appear to be in the rock. THe rest of his set up and habits seem to be real good, so he's not adding more, Phos etc into the water. Sooner or later, the algea will use up all the food source (not including the light) than it will be gone....

I would how ever continue to suck it out, cut it down etc until it is gone.

tHis is the easiest thing to do, it tanks time, but not a long as cooking the rock.....

this guy has everything else under control, it will go a way soon enough.

Actually, I don't see any algae growing on any surface but the rocks.
If that is a current picture of his tank, then you're probably right that the phosphate is coming from the rocks. I was just being a smart-$#!

I stand by my brushing it off reccomendation. That way the next generation will have even less phosphate to work with.

[johnnstacy]

Originally posted by physicslord
Have you considered a phosphate absorber? Have you tested your phosphate level?

Otherwise, it really doesn't make sense to scrub it.
But if you are using Phosban it will be worth it because it will take a heck of a long time to grow back and it wont be nearly as thick.

I've been using a phosban reactor. Even before I added the reactor, PO4 tested zero.

[cristhiam]

dont feed the corals every day, and try to cut to once a day for the fish.

[eshraghi]

I had a similar problem from phosphate and silicate leaching from some live rock which was cooked in well water. My tank was overtaken at first so I upped the water changes, lowered the lighting period, added phosban, added UV, optimized my skimmer, used carbon, added blue legged hermits and snails, and most importantly....waited it out. My tank is cleaner than ever without problems. Just keep at it and don't let a brief period of ugly appearance get to you.

Best of luck.

[rizkeeper]

I've been using a phosban reactor. Even before I added the reactor, PO4 tested zero.

with a algea issue like yours you probably will never be able to test for po4, it's being absorbed by the algea and not staying in the water, the algea is proff there is PO4

[johnnstacy]

I have a feeling this type of algae will thrive in just about any water condition short of complete darkness. Remember this all happened after 12 weeks of cooking the dang rocks. I will try the rabbitfish but it will be a miracle if it actually eats this brown stuff. I am more concerned that it won't have enough to eat since the brown stuff is all that is in the tank. The next thing on its list would be my sps and that would be a big mistake for the fish. I guess I could add nori.
Last time I waited it eventually covered about 75% of the rock. Granted I didn't wait long. Maybe 3 months. But the stuff started encroaching on corals and that is where I draw the line. The other problem here is that I have very little coralline since cooking the rocks killed most of it off. This is leaving a lot of bare surface area for this stuff to grow.
I don't know. Some have had success with just waiting it out but I would say the majority give up. Not only is it unsightly but it is labor intensive to control. This stuff doesn't just wipe off. You've got to brush like nobody's business to get this off.

[Dubbin1]

John 12 weeks is really not long enough for rock that is having a problem. Anyway, good luck with whatever you do.

[johnnstacy]

Originally posted by Dubbin1
John 12 weeks is really not long enough for rock that is having a problem. Anyway, good luck with whatever you do.

Based on Sean's rock cooking method it was long enough since I wasn't getting anymore debris on the water changes. I would have gladly cooked it longer if I saw anything else at the bottom of the barrels. I just followed the instructions the way they were presented.

[johnnstacy]

Originally posted by znut Reefer
This is the rabbit fish I was referring to. It will eat just about any type algae.


http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...fm?pCatId=1449

Hoping you will see this post sooner then later. The description of this fish indicates that it will nip and consume SPS. Have you had any issues. I already requested my order be changed from the foxface to the one you described above but it's making me a bit nervous.

[Weatherman]

Sometimes, no matter how good you are at cooking your rock, or keeping your tank clean with strong flow or a powerful skimmer, a low-nutrient-tolerant algae will sneak in. All it takes is a few little spores on a piece of rock a coral is attached to.

This is the stuff I’m dealing with right now in my 120. Rhodophytes and Dictyota.




Nothing I’ve tried, so far, eats it, but if I can find a healthy Siganus doliatus, I’m going to get one. One of the lfs in Miami has a little one in their coral display tank. It’s fearless and does nothing but nibble algae all day. I asked them if I could buy it from them and they said no. It was doing such a good job keeping the display clean they wouldn’t consider giving it up.

I guess if rabbitfish get really hungry they will nip at coral, but it’s not very likely. I’ve got a PBT that eats xenia, so I guess anything’s possible.

[johnnstacy]

Weatherman how long have you been dealing with this stuff and does it encroach on your coral?

[johnnstacy]

You also got me thinking that it is possible to have a strain of algae that nothing will destroy. I mean, in the ocean there are millions of species of life. One thing eats another. I am sure there is something out there that will eat this brown fuzzy algae but it is possible that I will never find it. It is also possible that it may never die on its own. Like many of you have said, there is always nutrients in the water to some degree and if you are battling a low nutrient type algae it is possible for it to be self sustaining, indefinitely.

[Weatherman]

Originally posted by johnnstacy
Weatherman how long have you been dealing with this stuff and does it encroach on your coral?

The rhodophytes were introduced on a rock a Montipora digitata was attached to that I moved from my 180 to the 120 back in March. The Dictyota came on a rock an acropora was attached to I bought from the lfs in May.

Both algae have been very slowly spreading to nearly every rock in the tank. It has gotten especially bad since October.

The rhodophytes with the long stems have just started to brush up against and irritate one of my stylophora to the point where I see some tissue recession.

I've been removing it by hand, but unless I find something that eats it real soon, it will start causing some damage.


This tank is spotless, when it comes to green algae. I almost wish I had green algae, since there are many more things that eat it. All I've got are these unpalatable reds and browns.


I think every algae species has a predator, or it would eventually engulf all natural reefs in the world. It's just a matter of finding one (a predator, that is) that will live happily in a 120-gallon tank.

[johnnstacy]

Could use some more advice. I have this foxface coming tomorrow. I was unable to change the order in time to get the rabbitfish but reading the description of the foxface, they say it eats undesireable algae as well. Anyway, I took a piece of the rock that has this brown algae and put in the sump. I have a section of the sump that is about 10 gallons or so. I know this is a small area but do you think it would be okay to put him in there to make sure he will eat it before I release him into the main tank? I just don't want to have to try and catch a venemous fish later if he doesn't end up eating the stuff. The description says they need a tank at least 70 gallons but on a temporary basis would this be okay?

[Znut Reefer]

The foxface will eat alot of different algaes, but the rabbit fish is the better choice. You may consider ordering one in the future.

Not sure if the fox face will be okay in the sump thats pretty small. It may take a few days before it will eat the algae. You'll have to keep us all posted.

[johnnstacy]

Interesting. I put the rock in the sump for tomorrows arrival and the emerald crab and 2 other hitchhiker crabs that I have in there starting picking at it. To early to tell if they will actually eat it but worth a try. Could also be because there wasn't a bit of food in there and they were starving.

[johnnstacy]

Originally posted by znut Reefer
The foxface will eat alot of different algaes, but the rabbit fish is the better choice. You may consider ordering one in the future.

Not sure if the fox face will be okay in the sump thats pretty small. It may take a few days before it will eat the algae. You'll have to keep us all posted.

That's a bummer to hear about the foxface. I tried to change the order and it was to late. They offered me free shipping on the rabbitfish but I declined. Wonder now if I should have taken it. Oh well. We'll see how it goes over the next week.
This crab thing really got me thinking. I've never been an advocate of crabs in the reef tank. I have about 7 scarlet hermits and maybe 3 BL and that is about it. Someone once told me that there is nothing a crab can do that a snail can't do better. Maybe in this case they were wrong......

[jelwyoming]

I am dealing with the same problem and have tried much of the same things that you have. I am tired of it. But, I have a niew hope...I didn't cook my rock yet, so, I still have an abundance of the algae. I wrote Eric Bornman about it and he told me that it was a Bryopsis algae and that not much will eat it. Two exceptions; a sea hare and long spine black urchins. Both are reef safe...safer than the algae. I put my sea hare in a few days ago and in one night, it had consumed a 8"x 8" patch of the algae!
In the mean time, I double checked my PO4 readings per his advice also. My kit's resolution was from 0 -.25 -.5 and up. Well, that isn't accurate enough. So, when I thought that I had zero PO4, I actually had a problem couldn't read it.
So, if the foxface or rabbit fish doesn't work, try the sea hares or urchins (black long spine for that type of algae) until you can get past the rock problem.
Let me know how the foxface goes. I only have a 60g so I don't know if that's big enough for him.

[johnnstacy]

so do you have that exact same type of brown hair algae? Starts short and fuzzy and gets longer over time? I've never actually heard of anyone having the exact same kind. That would be cool. I will keep the sea hares and urchins in mind.