Hair Algae growing out of the crown on my Candy Coral

[kmcdermot]

So I purchased a Candy Coral a few months back. When I got it from my LFS I noticed one or two filaments of what looked like hair algae, and I pulled them off of the coral. Since then I have what looks like a mini-lawn growing around the heads of my candy coral. No I purchased a Turbo snail to try and help get rid of it, but he has been busy elsewhere munching on my glass algae and not this hair algae.

 

Does anyone have any idea's on how I can get rid of the hair algae on my coral as I am afraid that it may be affecting the heads of the coral that it is growing around.

 

Thanks!

[Seiryoku]

Get the excess nutrients in your tank under control

[metrokat]

water changes

peroxide dip

don't feed too much

beef up your CUC

[kmcdermot]

My params are all under control and my CUC is pretty heavy right now... Problem is that the hair algae came in with the coral. Since it has been in there, it hasn't spread beyond the candy coral. Also, I have no other nuisance algae in my tank currently that the snails aren't handling.

 

I have about 80 drawf ceriths, 15 or so hermits, 5 nesarius, 4 or 5 astrea's, and now one turbo.

 

I spot treated with peroxide last night so we will see how it goes in a few days.

[kmcdermot]

So I treated the coral with a 25% peroxide 75% tank saltwater bath last wednesday night for two minutes, rinsed it off with some more tank water and put it back in the tank. For the rest of the night I had air bubbles comming off the grass and sides of the candy coral. I went out of town thursday and came back on saturday to find a grass free candy coral. YEAH!! I will post a pic of the before and after later today. I am a peroxide believer.

[brandon429]

thats great. when pics are ready I'll link to the pertinent threads here and on rc. The most important part of the process may be revealed with the full tank shot and shot of the coral before and after...I bet you dont have a nutrient problem, you have an algae spot problem. if you do have a unique phosphate problem it will be apparent in the fine details of the full tank shot.

 

In the peroxide thread there is a link to a diving picture taken two weeks ago off the Cayman Islands. Look at the algae loading on the rocks, from waters our test kits would show as zero phosphate. reasonable nutient management is how you prevent algae problems, not solve them. Algae can still grow in trace nutrient presence, it is not required that you attain zero readings to have a successful tank.

 

once you get algae even in the presence of reasonable nutrient management, you can target kill and quit worrying about the nutrients. I have phosphate in my pico reef, yet its 100% free of algae and always will be. I work on touchups once every 3-4 months, takes two minutes during a water change.

Until a better method is found this is what I like to work with out of sheer repeatability and quickness.

 

Cant wait for pics.

 

peroxide use wont work for all tanks depending on whats stocked, but it does for the majority and when such a simple long term management method is available its the soup du jour until a better method comes along.