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Jaws
05-02-2016, 04:06 AM
Scenario:

Over the last two months I've had some hair algae starting to grow all over the display tank. I've got a pretty huge bioload but I also have a lot of equipment running to control it like 2 large skimmers, 1000 ml of all in one biopellets, and a refugium running lots of live rock and macro algae. The display tank is 400G with 600G total water volume.

Almost a month ago I added another 1000ml of biopellets. The chaeto in the refugium has died off completely but the caulerpa has stayed alive although it isn't growing. The hair algae still hasn't shown any sign of diminishing but instead I started seeing some of my LPS start to die off slowly and some of the SPS start to really lighten, kind of resembling lack of nutrients.

Then I realized a couple weeks ago that half of my T5 lights are almost a year old. So I swapped them out this weekend as well as replaced my DIY LED lighting with Ecotech Radions.

I should also mention that the frag tanks and the refugium don't have any hair algae growth in them and they have much slower flow. So do you think this is just a case of old/bad lighting or does there have to be a heavy presence of nutrients for the hair algae to grow in the first place? If you think it could be lighting, how long does it usually take for algae to start dying off once lighting has changed?

Thanks for your help :)

Myka
05-02-2016, 01:00 PM
Hey Jason,

Sorry to hear of the trouble. That a lot of trouble with that volume to deal with!

I've found the AIO biopellets remove too much phosphate. In order for biopellets to remove nitrate there has to be phosphate available. In order to remove phosphate there has to be nitrate available. The plastic in the biopellets is the carbon source, which also has to be available. I'm thinking that what may have happened is the AIO biopellets have stripped all the phosphate out of the tank which will allow the nitrate to climb and climb. I think most people are having better success using either standard biopellets with some GFO in a bag or reactor, or using 1/2 AIO and half standard.

Have you tested nitrate and phosphate? Of course if you have a bunch of algae growing you will get skewed numbers, but I'm curious if phosphate is indeed undetectable? This would explain the Chaeto die-off as well. I don't think year old T5 bulbs would be the tipping point - there has to be nutrients for algae to grow in the first place. The corals looking pale and nutrient starved could be true, hair algae is like Chaeto, it's very good at reducing nutrients. :)

Also, what do you have in the tank for clean up crew, and in what numbers?

gobytron
05-02-2016, 03:28 PM
How old is your rock?

I've had tanks in the past where no matter what I do, some rocks will just grow HA no matter what my phosphate tests show.

Do you have any sea hares?

I'd add a few if not, they make for a terrific biological control and while more of a band aid that a solution, they do work.

Jaws
05-02-2016, 06:07 PM
Rock is less than 2 years old and was cooked in bleach and muriatic acid then dried in the sun for 2 weeks so it was completely dead. It fully cycled for months before adding fish or coral too.

My PO4 is 0.05 but I'll have to test my nitrate tonight and get back to you. Thanks again for your help.

Aquattro
05-02-2016, 06:41 PM
I notice that too in my tank. I have 2 large shelf rocks, one is covered, one is completely bare. I'm blaming my rock :)

gobytron
05-02-2016, 06:49 PM
I am sure there is some scientific reason why that would happen, which you could blame, rather than your rock.

I have rocks that even after drying completely and cooking for a year or so, will STILL grow algae right away.

Some rocks seem to store phosphates (or whatever) considerably better than others.

At least in very anecdotal observation.

brisco
05-02-2016, 08:24 PM
and some hair algae seems to have rocks attached. lol.

gobytron
05-02-2016, 08:27 PM
and some hair algae seems to have rocks attached. lol.

lol.

no joke.

ClubReef
05-02-2016, 10:55 PM
For last resort, try API - Alagefix Marine. You can buy it on amazon.com and they will ship to canada.

Jaws
05-03-2016, 04:45 AM
Checked phosphate and nitrate tonight. This time phosphate was 0.00 using a Hannah checker and nitrate was unmeasurable using a Salifert kit.

Sent from my SM-N920W8 using Tapatalk

Myka
05-03-2016, 01:01 PM
Checked phosphate and nitrate tonight. This time phosphate was 0.00 using a Hannah checker and nitrate was unmeasurable using a Salifert kit.

Sent from my SM-N920W8 using Tapatalk


If that's the case, then the algae is doing an excellent job utilizing the nutrients that are available. So I would recommend you boost up your clean up crew. You didn't answer my questions about your clean up crew. I'd recommend some large Tuxedo Urchins, a plethora of Scarlet Hermits (they won't go after snails like typical hermit do), and some abalones. Abalones have huge appetites. I also really like Ring Cowries because they won't fall on their backs and die, and they are nocturnal so you don't see a mess of them in your tank during the day, but you need to buy lots of them because they are small. I wouldn't bother with Turbos or Astraea Snails in a tank that size because they'll be falling on their backs and dying all the time, and I doubt you want to flip them over everyday. Once the clean up crew eats the algae they will poop it out and the nutrients will be back in the water column where your skimmers and filter pads/socks can remove them. Just make sure you have enough flow in the tank to keep the detritus from settling.

Jaws
05-03-2016, 05:14 PM
Sorry Myka. I do have a bit of a cleanup crew but they honestly don't seem to do anything. I have 5 large mexican turbos, 1 tuxedo urchin that doesn't seem to ever come out or move at all frankly, and an abalone that I haven't seen since adding to the tank. I'm a little shy to add anymore cleanup crew because I've added 100 snails in the past and they all slowly died. I'm not a fan of hermits because they can be nasty and kill things you don't want them to kill.

Does it seem weird that the hair algae would out compete the chaeto algae until it died off completely too? And why wouldn't there be hair algae in the fuge and frag tanks if they're all connected?

gobytron
05-03-2016, 05:28 PM
I swear, a sea hare will help.

You'll be amazed at how much and how many different kinds of algae they consume.

It's a control, not a solution but try adding one or two...it might help save a coral or two while you search for a cause and solution.

One sea hare will do the work of 20 snails and 20 hermits...maybe more.




Myka, anything against them or just not one of your go to's to recommend?

For me, they have been infallible (especially with HA) but maybe you have some experience with them that differs?