justinT Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Help everyone! (Especially ReefCleaners John!) This stuff has been very slowly creeping up in my tank...I am suspecting it is "turf algae"...but no one is touching it. I have nerites, an emerald, ceriths, astrea, blue legs, 1 red leg.... From my research I know all algaes like high nutrients- I dont have any. My Nitrates are borderline 0 ( I can't tell the difference between 0 and 0.2 on the seachem kit), and I run phosphate removal media too, so they're undetectable as well. I DO vodka dose...maybe they're feeding off of that? My bulb is about 7 going on 8 months old (phoenix) so that might contribute too... Anyway, this stuff has been in the background for a few months, but now is slowly growing around my sps...and I dont like it! I think I need some chitons and maybe some more cerith/nerites to beef up my crew? I have a JBJ 28 HQI w/ nanocustoms lighting mod, run purigen and seagel carbon/phosphate remover, eshopps skimmer, jbj chiller.... salnity : 1.026 KH: 10 Ca: 450 NO3: ~0 PO4: ~0 John: I used mostly your resources to get this far in determining it was turf algae, any recommendations as to a CUC booster will be purchased through you...too many good reviews out there on ya! Thanks! Also ignore the bubbles in the algae on the pics- usually it doesn't have any bubbles. I just got done feeding and the skimmer was spitting out a bunch of microbubbles bc i forgot to turn it off. Link to comment
jedidad Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Its hard to tell from the picks if its turf algae for sure but if it is I got a flame angel that wiped mine out in about a week or two. Mine never got out of control. in fact it only grew on my powerhead. good luck with it. Link to comment
brandon429 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 absolutely easy to wipe out of the tank within ~48 hours. lift out the rocks its on, drop a few drops peroxide into the algae, wait two mins (corals wont mind the short exposure) rinse off and place back in tank. algae dies by tues morning. your water params are already perfect, that's why chasing perfect water doesn't help. Everyone will tell you the algae is binding your nutrients, its not. There's not enough biomass of algae to consume a tank's worth of bioload, ATS guys barely grow enough to do it with huge screen's worth. You have algae, and you have perfect water params. So many things they've told us were wrong over the years and this is one. all you need is better manual removal. either add animals and support their bioload as well, or use peroxide or the fire from a cig lighter to accomplish the same job much faster, I have for years. B Link to comment
justinT Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 I will try the peroxide thing tomorrow- WC is scheduled so it'll be perfect timing. For the pieces growing on/right next to the coral, should I peroxide it or cut it off? Not sure how the corals will handle the peroxide. Link to comment
justinT Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 AM bump....gonna peroxide before my WC. Link to comment
brandon429 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 just a couple drops placed right on the algae won't hurt any of those sps just be careful with it. wait 2 or 3 mins and drain, watch what happens you'll love it! it w take about 3 days to see it begin to die on really thick algae and a repeat might be needed but w the first treatment you'll be in love lol Link to comment
DC5 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Isn't that just green hair algae? I have some and it looks the same as that. Link to comment
justinT Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 It might be, I just thought hair algae was longer and easier to pull off. This stuff is really short and pretty tight on the rock. Either way, I did the peroxide, we'll see how it works! Corals are looking ok, they didn't seem to mind. Maybe coming out of the water for a few minutes is their equivalent of our 'going to the beach'? lol... Link to comment
brandon429 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 yep that two mins is kid gloves google this simon garratt's intertidal reef at 6 months he leaves his sps out of water for 6 hours a day Im not freaking joking, try it on google you'll trip in nature, tidal ebbs do this and he was modeling that. Link to comment
justinT Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 Cool vid! AND OMG!!! Peroxide WORKS! I have to admit I was skeptical bc i couldnt' see why peroxide would hurt algae...but it worked! My corals are also FINE..even where the peroxide touched them.I thought it would at least bleach them maybe temporarily, but wow! THANKS! This'll be my new method for algae control after my snails/crabs get lazy! Link to comment
brandon429 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Old school reef guys don't like quick fixes, things they can't explain from 1980's science. Well get used to it, because peroxide is the freakin bomb. I really don't care what their explanations are this is purely a results-driven schpeel I leave on all these threads, I had zero doubt its the best algae solution Ive ever seen, even better than water starving which I think is a fad. Am linking this to the peroxide thread, proof #155 B Im happy for you man!@ Link to comment
justinT Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'll post pics on here later as proof too. I know how ppl are about 'no pics never happened' Link to comment
MedRed Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 if it comes back, get a tuxedo urchin. My tuxedo urchins obliterated my red turf algae. Link to comment
justinT Posted August 5, 2011 Author Share Posted August 5, 2011 @medred: I thought about that, but I dont want the urchin messing up all the corals in my tank- I hear their spines push things over and pick a lot up and move it around. Good idea though! Here are the after pics- Snail is kinda in the way, I think he's cleaning up whats left! Colors off bc of the actinics are on sunrise. Link to comment
brandon429 Posted August 5, 2011 Share Posted August 5, 2011 it looks brand new again, that spot Link to comment
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