Algea Patches

[KyleV]

OK I've got a few random patches of what I assume is hair algea even though it is pretty short. The tank is 29 gallon Biocube set up for at least a year and the nitrates are 0. 3 mexican turbos lots of hermits and a Algea Blenny.

Only thing I can think of is extra flow. My extra nano died a while back and I didn't try to fix it or replace it so I'm at just stock.
Any suggestions?


Bulbs are about 6 months old but they are t-5's.

Thanks,

Kyle

[ErikH]

What's your phosphates, and your output of your RO/DI?

[CoryDude]

It's not bryopsis is it? That stuff can grow in very low nutrient tanks such as yours.

[KyleV]

Eric-Don't know the phosphates and I just use LFS water. I guess I'll need to pick up a kit.

Cory - From the pic I just looked at after a quick google search it doesn't look like bryopsis.

[stoneroller]

Kyle, I have a phosphate kit and check that for you. At the house today.

[CoryDude]

Derbesia is another one that doesn't take much to grow. It's a pretty short stubby algea that's hard to remove, but not as nearly as agressive as bryopsis. I used to scrub affected rocks in a separate container.

If you're using good ro/di water, I don't think phos is going to the problem.

[KyleV]

Thanks Kevin I might hit you up next week somtime to get it tested.

I think Derbesia is the one. So manual removal is the best way to get rid of it?

[CoryDude]

If it's really bad, I'd scrub the rocks. But if it's just a few patches, just try and limit nutrients and phos, as recommended. It crops up sometimes in my tank now and then, and then dissapears after nutrients start to fall.

[KyleV]

Cool...thanks all.