How to treat algae-covered LR?

[GrimReefer]

I recently aquired about 40 lbs of LR covered in dark green algae. I'm keeping it in a dark bucket with a powerhead. Is this an appropriate way of dealing with it? How long before most of it has died of and I can scrub it?

[christyf5]

IMO, I'd scrub the rock and get some of it off before you put it in the dark. Gives it a bit of a head start. Don't forget to put a heater in the bucket to keep the good bacteria happy :biggrin: It will probably be about 4-6 weeks before you see the algae dropping off/gone, depending on how much there was on there to begin with.

[andrewsk]

IMO, I'd scrub the rock and get some of it off before you put it in the dark. Gives it a bit of a head start. Don't forget to put a heater in the bucket to keep the good bacteria happy :biggrin: It will probably be about 4-6 weeks before you see the algae dropping off/gone, depending on how much there was on there to begin with.

Sounds about right :) The only other thing I would add is that you should change the water at least weekly.

[DanG]

Would you need to change it completly? What about buffering for alk and ca?

[Werbo]

have the powerhead pointed up to agitate and airate the water to increase oxygenation

[andrewsk]

Would you need to change it completly? What about buffering for alk and ca?

I would do a 100% change weekly using my standard water for changes. I cannot see why you would need to add Ca or anything else. There is nothing in there that needs/uses it. Plus most Salt has enough balance by itself for this purpose.

[StirCrazy]

Personally I would not do weekly water changes.. waist of money. Let it go for about a month then take the rock out into a different container of new water. then as crap accumulates on the bottom do it again.. every 2 weeks to 1 month type idea.

Steve

[reeferaddict]

Before I amalgamated my livestock between my 2 tanks my 72g had hair algae to beat the band... and I mean it was getting to be a green forest! I removed the rock from my 72 and used a rubbermaid as a scrubbing container. I scrubbed all the algae off with a toothbrush and shook the rock around suspended in water. The detritus that got knocked out was unreal! I also used a powerhead to blow all the detritus out of the deep holes. I did this until I could get no more out of each rock - this can take some doing. It was amazing how PURPLE the rock underneath was... anyways, when I was finished, I let the rock sit in a rubbermaid with clean circulating water for a week and gave a final rinse, (virtually nothing came off), and plunked it in my 135. So far I have had no more hair algae, (now that nitrates are under control), and all the coralline algae survived. Keep in mind that my 72 had about 80 lbs of rock that I added to about 150 that I had in my 135 and the two systems shared a common sump. If you are cycling from new I see no reason that this method wouldn't work...