hair algea, red bubble algea, and ?

matt_wahoo · 01/09/2008, 08:20 PM

I have a 25 gallon reef that has been set up now for about four years. I now all of a sudden in the past month or so started getting red bubble and lots of hair algea. All water perms. are normal. I was wondering how I could get rid of this stuff. Also I have these little things that live in the sand and rocks too. The have some small green tenticles that retract what touched. Today I was able to pull one out with a pair of tweezers. It was like a bristle worm with green tenticles that at the longest are 2 in. Any ideas what they are and how to get rid of them would be great. Thanks

reefworm · 01/09/2008, 10:08 PM

perhaps a type of spaghetti worm, if so leave it be - helpful detrivores. Are you testing for phosphate - a usual suspect. Are you skimming, and/or what other means of nutrient transport to you have? If the tank's been up and running for 4 years its tough to say. It may be that you've changed something recently - increased feeding, changed salt mix, etc., or something that's been building up over time. Is the red bubble cyano? that's often a low flow related problem? All these are guesses to see if anything turns up. Except the worm

matt_wahoo · 01/10/2008, 07:30 AM

yes they are spagetti worms. I need to get rid of them because they are irritating my corals, how can I do that. Yes I am testing for phosphate and there is none. I am not sure if its cyano. It is red bubbles that get to the size of a pencil eraser. IT grows a lot slower than the hair algae. How can I get rid of this stuff?

01/09/2008, 08:20 PM	#1
matt_wahoo Registered Member. Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 101	hair algea, red bubble algea, and ? I have a 25 gallon reef that has been set up now for about four years. I now all of a sudden in the past month or so started getting red bubble and lots of hair algea. All water perms. are normal. I was wondering how I could get rid of this stuff. Also I have these little things that live in the sand and rocks too. The have some small green tenticles that retract what touched. Today I was able to pull one out with a pair of tweezers. It was like a bristle worm with green tenticles that at the longest are 2 in. Any ideas what they are and how to get rid of them would be great. Thanks

01/09/2008, 10:08 PM	#2
reefworm Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Waxhaw, NC USA Posts: 2,139	perhaps a type of spaghetti worm, if so leave it be - helpful detrivores. Are you testing for phosphate - a usual suspect. Are you skimming, and/or what other means of nutrient transport to you have? If the tank's been up and running for 4 years its tough to say. It may be that you've changed something recently - increased feeding, changed salt mix, etc., or something that's been building up over time. Is the red bubble cyano? that's often a low flow related problem? All these are guesses to see if anything turns up. Except the worm __________________ "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Thomas Jefferson Current Tank Info: 29 gal. reef/assist with 75 gal. at the school

01/10/2008, 07:30 AM	#3
matt_wahoo Registered Member. Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 101	yes they are spagetti worms. I need to get rid of them because they are irritating my corals, how can I do that. Yes I am testing for phosphate and there is none. I am not sure if its cyano. It is red bubbles that get to the size of a pencil eraser. IT grows a lot slower than the hair algae. How can I get rid of this stuff?