Jump to content
Coral Vue Hydros

Algae ID and Treatment Options


smeagol108

Recommended Posts

Okay everywhere, wheres Brandon? jk,,, although i do expect him here. Okay so i transfered my tank from my six gallon fluval edge to a 16 gallon custom rimless back in july. i used new dry rock from reefcleaners and my existing live rock when i did the transfer. 3-4 weeks later i removed all my previous live rock and just left the dry rock which had now been seeded from reefcleaners in the tank. Lately i am seeing more of this very very slow algae growing that grows in these small patches. It is coming out of the rocks and there is another more stringy type that is appearing in longer strands (about an inch) coming from sand in some places or the rock. (not as much of this as they small patchy stuff). I dont know what it is, but am looking for some assistance.

https://goo.gl/photos/3NkFpSL59CvNbVWRA

https://goo.gl/photos/nmZ5rLQguRfkZBwv5

https://goo.gl/photos/iekrShZGBtx1RMK19

Link to comment

And secondly, if I have photos on google photos that can be shared how do I get them on here directly? I could only figure out how to post links.

Link to comment

Howdee

 

Smeagol its been a while since we had a new peroxide entrant in both forums here and r2r

 

If you wanna go we can fix that algae by:

 

Monday

 

:)

 

Simple

Lift out all rocks place peroxide from dropper only on the algae let sit in the air for 3 mins

 

Won't harm corals

 

If worried then dribble saltwater on them

 

Rinse off the peroxide and set back in the tank don't remove the algae so we can test its death phase prediction. Clean out 100% detritus from up under rocks as they are removed, pics in a few days w be algae free but that kind has some fair holdfast support so may need a touch up. Only use brand new bottle of peroxide not a weak opened one

Don't dose the sand, lift out the top portions with the algae rinse them under hot water and scrub it off then put back

 

In every nano reef the wrong action when we see that growth is to:

Add a cuc (leaving it in tank)

Chase po4 issues (while leaving it in)

Adjust lighting (leaving it in)

Opt out of rock removal for underwater work to avoid work (all nanos can access the rock outside)

 

And the right method is:

 

Kill the algae with fire (takes it out)

Or peroxide burn it (takes it out by Monday)

Or spot burn it out with tech m (takes it out)

Use a tool to chip that out of the rock (takes it out immediately)

 

 

*evey step listed above as the wrong initial action is actually the right action once it's gone. Those are preventatives, not algae removers, we see algae in reverse to fix a thousand tanks in the threads.

 

Clearly I'm peroxide biased of the top options lol because we wield it well

Of course chipping it out destroys the rock so I wouldn't choose that, but per the last 500 problem algae tank it's better than leaving it in for any reason. Peroxide is the right tool for that low, initial growth you have.

 

Cause of your algae: direct import this is common reef biota

 

Prevention is quarantine, he who doesn't qt (such as me) needs a cheat occasionally

 

Not the cause of your algae: nitrate or po4 issues

 

This algae follows the rule of the obligate hitchhiker, ergo when it's killed it can t get back in unless we repeat the cause stated above and if we do, no big deal it has a three day death phase

 

 

:)

Link to comment

Howdee

 

Smeagol its been a while since we had a new peroxide entrant in both forums here and r2r

 

If you wanna go we can fix that algae by:

 

Monday

 

:)

 

Simple

Lift out all rocks place peroxide from dropper only on the algae let sit in the air for 3 mins

 

Won't harm corals

 

If worried then dribble saltwater on them

 

Rinse off the peroxide and set back in the tank don't remove the algae so we can test its death phase prediction. Clean out 100% detritus from up under rocks as they are removed, pics in a few days w be algae free but that kind has some fair holdfast support so may need a touch up. Only use brand new bottle of peroxide not a weak opened one

Don't dose the sand, lift out the top portions with the algae rinse them under hot water and scrub it off then put back

 

In every nano reef the wrong action when we see that growth is to:

Add a cuc (leaving it in tank)

Chase po4 issues (while leaving it in)

Adjust lighting (leaving it in)

Opt out of rock removal for underwater work to avoid work (all nanos can access the rock outside)

 

And the right method is:

 

Kill the algae with fire (takes it out)

Or peroxide burn it (takes it out by Monday)

Or spot burn it out with tech m (takes it out)

Use a tool to chip that out of the rock (takes it out immediately)

 

 

*evey step listed above as the wrong initial action is actually the right action once it's gone. Those are preventatives, not algae removers, we see algae in reverse to fix a thousand tanks in the threads.

 

Clearly I'm peroxide biased of the top options lol because we wield it well

Of course chipping it out destroys the rock so I wouldn't choose that, but per the last 500 problem algae tank it's better than leaving it in for any reason. Peroxide is the right tool for that low, initial growth you have.

 

Cause of your algae: direct import this is common reef biota

 

Prevention is quarantine, he who doesn't qt (such as me) needs a cheat occasionally

 

Not the cause of your algae: nitrate or po4 issues

 

This algae follows the rule of the obligate hitchhiker, ergo when it's killed it can t get back in unless we repeat the cause stated above and if we do, no big deal it has a three day death phase

 

 

:)

Thank you Brandon. Yea I definitely wasnt chasing nutrients in any way to attack this as I new it had to be removed. so I know I can take all the rocks out and spot treat but I freaking am in love with my scape and I so don't want to mess it up if I don't have to. We all know how trying to put rocks back exactly as it goes. Lol. I also determined that the ones coming out of the sand truly weren't from the sand but rather from snail shells under the sand it was growing on. (Ceriths that had died to be specific).

 

Short of taking them out, have u ever heard of mixing h202 with magnesium and then injecting right in the tank on the spots of algae? I heard from a friend this will cause the peroxide to sink down as opposed to float and can be effective for in tank treatment. Immediately followed by a water change once bubbling stops and suck real good in that area to pull out peroxide. You got thoughts on this process??

Link to comment

I believe that wouldn't be harmful to try in patches not all at once, but an additional counter offer is what I use, my rocks no remove as well

 

the drain and treat

 

with Nanos there is no need to dose the water it doesn't hit the holdfasts as well due to dilution. Growback is usually more pronounced

 

I just drain my tank down and spot treat. .. rinse in tank, drain, refill this exports all the peroxide with limited burn time for non targets, only during the interim refill

 

water changes are cpr for the nano use clean water. if not practical then refill with the old and interim rinse with a little new. This simple inversion is no rock remove, just as good as external

Link to comment

That's a pretty good idea. Should I be concerned how much I use when doing it this way? Than rinse by refilling and immediately drain and fill fresh again.

Like would there be a problem in treating 100 small spots in one drain and treat treatment?

 

Also any idea what this kind is called?

Link to comment

no on id, even what we all call bryopsis is really 10+ species I think accurate plant id is harder than coral id but its a familiar thick body growth among pics of challenge tanks. acting early simply means its no risk to your tank.

 

yes I would treat all at once since it's decent work to drain and refill

 

on my YouTube vids I'm putting 35% several mls into a single gallon reef so your 3% is ok primarily because its exported. I do two interim rinses, none too many but 3 pct is ok like this no prob. Can't wait to see after pics in 2

Link to comment

i will definitely get you pics for this cause i need to attack it, but i am not able to do it this weekend i dont think. i gotta get some supplies so i can have 15 gallons of SW minimum on hand. I currently only have enough heaters/powerheads for two five gallong buckets so i need to get another small heater so i could get more salt water on reserve. Hopefully sometime in the next two weeks i xcan get it. any thoughts on doing Kent Tech M as well as this treatment? I am just not sure i will hit every strand as there so many small patches. also though a emerald crab may help just keep it at bay after treatment if i missed some until i could treat again. id like to eradicate it, its just a ton of word and my girlfriend cant stand when i repeatedly spend hours on the tank. lol. so i was thinking peroxide, followed by techM treatment, and a crab might be my route. and than another peroxide a month from now or something if still needed.

Link to comment

sure that's an option, but to reduce retreat likelihood it cant be 3% or even tech m

 

they are both fine to try, but expect growback compared to a direct application of 35% like what I use. now that lessens growback lol, but you have to treat patches at a time not all at once since its so powerful. in each algae scenario, we are constantly trying to find ways to increase the work the keeper has to do to get results, it gets less growback, and they want to lower the tank work and still get the same results lol all in good fun! somewhere in the middle = algae free

Link to comment

So I am attacking this head on. Decided to go three pronged attack. First an emerald has been in there a week and he is picking at it and eating it. Second, started tech m treatment yesterday, and today I took three out of my seven rocks outs and spot treated with h202 out of the tank, and cleaned detritus from under them. Hoping this all helps put an end to it.

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...