What to do?

[lpsreefer]

In my 29 biocube. There's a mess of algae going crazy.
I don't know if I should shut the tank down and cook all the rocks.
I'm open to ideas.
I've tried picking it off everyday but I keep loosing the fight.
There's three different types going crazy.
http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g373/mattjoly85/4D622615-DF66-49D6-96E9-5FC260C46376-328-000000EBA714B7A5.jpg
http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g373/mattjoly85/7962CBA2-B275-4CC5-A014-F30D55CD04FC-328-000000EB9ECBB13D.jpg
http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g373/mattjoly85/9C286A87-2735-40D7-A29B-5797BE474C37-328-000000EB9347E595.jpg

[apexifd]

if there is no fish or coral in the system, maybe try to do a 2 weeks dark out. Lights off, cover the tank with blankets, box, etc.. Most of the algae should be melted without light source. And after that, do a good size water change.

[toytech]

thats all easy algea to pick out , pull it all out and use a phosphate remover . It will take a few mass removals but each handfull is a handfull of nutrients your pulling out.

[lpsreefer]

there a sixline wrasse, clown, and a green bubble tip nem.
the clown is easy to catch and the nem i can prolly move to a holding tank.
the sixline might be a bit tricky to get out.
so pull off as much as i can and then lights out for two weeks. then big water changes?

[gregzz4]

Or put the rock in a covered container with a powerhead and heater
When I cured/cooked my rock, I cut a corner off the lid for cables and it was enough for gas exchange
Weekly WC the container to remove PO4 / rotting algae, and swish the rock in the old water to remove detritus

This way your critters can stay put
Of course, you'll need a rock in the tank for the nem

You could also try to find someone who would trade you
I don't want your rock :razz: but I've seen lots of builds where people prefer to keep all kinds of natural algae growing ( mind you, maybe not the bubble )

[Nano]

Yikes lol sorry but that's insane! I would try to get everything into a holding tank and black out the tank like said. Sorry for your troubles! I had a small amount of byropsis and i was freaking out lol. This is a hole nother thing though :P good luck keep posted!

[lockrookie]

do not fret pull it out best you can scrub it with a tooth brush... do a couple 50 percent water changes.. dose 3 percent peroxide.. and you wil start to see the end of the tunnel..

but try and find the source causing the phosphates and it will keep it at bay

[acepumping]

or better yet, keep cleaning, get rowaphos, run that and then turn your light hours right down to like 4 hrs of actual light and rest dim blue or something, try that

[Snaz]

Blocking out the tank will not do the job because you're not exporting the nutrients, sure you kill all the algae but without removing the nutrients it is just going to come back when the lights are turned on again.

Rowaphos, harvest heavily and build either a refugium or an algae scrubber in the 2nd compartment. Put the rowaphos in the last compartment so the algae scrubber does not starve.

[George]

Your bio-load seems to be low for the tank. So the nutrients that feed the algae must come from somewhere else.
Do you use ro/di water for water change? what skimmer if any? is it second hand LR (may leak PO4)? you are not crazy at feeding the fish are you?
let's treat the cause not the symptom.

[Snaz]

Blocking out the tank will not do the job because you're not exporting the nutrients, sure you kill all the algae but without removing the nutrients it is just going to come back when the lights are turned on again.

Rowaphos, harvest heavily and build either a refugium or an algae scrubber in the 2nd compartment. Put the rowaphos in the last compartment so the algae scrubber does not starve.

This is what I think you should consider.
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=299435

[lpsreefer]

I use ro/di water. I feed 6 pellets a day. My light cycle is only 7 hours.
Im also using Rowa and carbon.
It has a biocube skimmer.
There's only two fish and a nem.
The tank was fine up to about 4 weeks ago.
It was right around the time one of my rics shrunk down and went lights out.
The tank has been running for over a year with no problem.
This problem has stumpped me.

I took out half the rocks and set up a 20 gallon with a heater, power head, filter(the sponge has been in my main system sump for a year I got five of them prep'd for when I need them), and an air stone.
17 gallon of water came from my main system and 3 is fresh saltwater.

I pulled off as much algae as I could and scrubbed it with a tooth brush.

I don't mind recycling the rock. All I know is three types of algae went sexual and over took the system in two days.

[NightShadeFairy]

Hmmm.. It's too bad your so far from me, I'd totally be in to trade some rock, my tangs in my 125 would make quick work of that algae, but as prev mentioned, treat the cause.. Figuring that out is key :)
Good luck!!

[lpsreefer]

Found the cause I think two gorilla crabs that tore apart my clean up crew.
6 Mexican turbos snails dead, 12 nassarius snails dead, and three scarlet hermits dead.
I found the grave yard at the gorilla crab entrance.

[Skimmerking]

I would use that in a Refugium

[pinkreef]

that tank looks beautiful to me! my 2 tangs would eat that up in a week
maybe you could trade rocks with someone who needs that macroalgae.

i buy it for mine.

[BlueWorldAquatic]

pick out as much as you can, the macro algaes are perfict for a friend that has a tang.

then borrow a seahare, he'd clean off the roots and viola, no more algae.