algae problems

[butwa20]

I have very bad algae problems i have tried many things. i currently have like green grass every where in my tank algae is growing on top of my corals. i have a lawn mower blemmy and a red flame tail tang to try and help with the problem but its just growing more and more. i have had my water tested at the LFS they said it was perfect no problems i am only using water from the lfs's system. i have started vodka dosing just a cap full a day. i am running 2 250w mhl 4 t-5 56w. and a 4 t-5 56w on my refuge. running mhl for only 6 hours a day down from 9 when the problem started. i am so tired of looking in and seeing algae please give me advice. no phosphates i have checked.

[Regric25]

I was just about to post a new related thread about this. I have hair algae running rampant in my tank. I hope you don't mind me asking a question on your thread lol. What can anyone recommend to combat hair algae? I have a gallon nano and a small cuc consisting of rita snails, astrea snails and hermit crabs. None of which seem to be eating the algae. Any recommendations?

[Europhyllia]

the plain Mexican redleg hermits have worked well for me for hair algae in my seahorse tank. (not the snazzier Scarletts or the Bluelegs)

And of course TIME. Seems like it's not an overnight solution.

PS: all these values could be low because the algae is taking it up

[StevenSeas]

how old are your bulbs? have you had the water tested before adding to your tank? could be like adding fertilizer to your tank if it is from an established tank system. how often do you feed your fish? do you feed flake, pellet, frozen or what? IF frozen do you rinse it before feeding or just plop in a cube or two?

[jroescher]

I'm joining this club too. I've replaced all my bulbs and installed a new RO/DI. And waited, hoping whatever it was would run it's course. My coverage of algae is complete, including my fuge. ReefCleaners sent my their solution but it's still getting worse.

[Louis]

Have your phosphates checked with a digital Hanna meter. NSW has <= .02ppm phosphates. High nitrates, phosphates, and light is all algae needs to become a problem. If you can control these three things you can defeat the algae.

Phosphate comes from fish food(preservatives), can be leached out of Liverock and sand beds, and can be found in tap water.

Using phosphate remover (GFO, phosguard, chemi-pure elite, phosban, etc) is a very effective way of lowering po4 to proper levels.

I use GFO HC from BRS along weekly water changes to control nitrate and phosphate.

HTH

Louis

[Big_Pun]

this stuff just cycle through and theres nothing you can but clean up your system. even with bio pellets and running 0 nitrates and low phosphates I still had hair algae. Troy valentine and I had this talk about algae cycling through and then going away. just keep up with water changes, make sure your water is a good quality(that's why I have my RO/DI) use a good carbon and gfo, trim back your fuge, cut back on amount and frequency of feeding and above all be patient. I used algae fix works great but you gotta keep dosing it, for red slim algae zeovits coral snow worked the best for me. also when you can just manually remove it and toss it. best tool is a reactor with a high grade gfo and keep up with changing it out.

[butwa20]

I feed pellets once a day. My light are 3 months old I have mangroves dragons breath and Cato but they arnt growing. The Lfs I get my water from tests their water and I think they told me their tds are below 5 if that's right I just solely started using them instead of the drive up water places about 2 mo tha ago but I just hate how my tank looks no coralline alge will grow I am just rather anoyed.

[Europhyllia]

well stop feeding crappy pellets and start feeding real food. lol

Pellets, flakes, etc. they all contain fillers and preservatives. I feed only live or frozen. Frozen gets rinsed of course. I feed MASSIVE amounts of foods. If feeding huge amounts of foods is what gave people hair algae I'd have a shag carpet in there. But I don't.
I'll dig up a great article in a minute here. Be right back ;)

[Europhyllia]

here you go:
http://www.maast.org/showthread.php?...light=borneman