Green Hair algse

[sen5241b]

I put a small bag of phosban in my fuge in an area of good flow and it seems to help. I change it every 3 weeks. Got a 3G fuge filled with mostly cheato and strong light and flow. Cheato grows like crazy.

Even with the bag in, I never saw the green hair algae die back completely. I took a sample to LFS and they said phosphates zero but I think it spiked up at some point.

Just tested and phosphates and nitrates both zero. Much of what I have is green hair algae.

I have theorized, with other peoples tanks, that if you have crud in the rock the algae can feed on that even tough trates are zero BUT my rock is clean.

CUC: 1 giant turbo, couple ceriths, a small turbo or two, about 3 hermits and just added 2 emeralds

How can this stuff be growing?

 

[Salty B]

The hair algae is using up available phosphates/nitrates at the same rate as they are being produced thus creating the zero reading on the kit.

 

[sen5241b]

The hair algae is using up available phosphates/nitrates at the same rate as they are being produced thus creating the zero reading on the kit.

I've heard of that. But my old BC29 tank never did that. What to do?

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

My yellowed eye cole tang works awesome on string algae. I would bump up your cuc some more. I have 1/3 tank size and i have 4 emaralds, poreclian, 10 hermits and a lot of snails. String algae grows anywhere, high to low flow.

 

[Ted]

Has to be getting phosphates from somewhere. I would increase the clean up crew that should help with whats there. As far as locating the fuel they are using....thats the big search. You have been doing this long enough I am not going to list the usual suspects. Go over it again, has to be there....

 

[sen5241b]

Maybe overfeeding? I'm thinking about starving the tank.

 

[Ted]

Could be, that is a big way to get phosphates into the water. Cut what ever you are feeding in half and see what happens.

 

[chichimom79]

If your tests are reading low, Id say overfeeding isnt the problem. I would up your cuc with some astraea and nassarius snails and get a few things that can reach into the rocks. Maybe a shrimp or a brittlestar.
Also, in my experience, I know if I start seeing extra algae in my tank, I need to clean the detritus out of my sump because I have no cuc in there. Always helps. Good luck!

 

[noy]

The hair algae is using up available phosphates/nitrates at the same rate as they are being produced thus creating the zero reading on the kit.

+1

Phosban depletes in about 1 week in my experience. Whats your lighting situation? Are you getting direct sunlight on the tank?

 

[sen5241b]

+1

Phosban depletes in about 1 week in my experience. Whats your lighting situation? Are you getting direct sunlight on the tank?

150 watts of MH about 10 inches over 20G long tank.

My CUC is kind of low. Just re-checked them:

1 CB shrimp
1 cerith
3 hermits
1 large Turbo (2 inches)
1 medium turbo maybe 1 inch
2 emeralds

My Phosban definitely depletes in about 4 weeks and thinking about changing it every 3 weeks --or sooner

 

[noy]

you could use with a few more snails. i know people say emerald crabs eat algae - can't say i've seen it - mine competes with the fish for food on the substrate.

if you want to test whether your phosban is depleted (this is a bit trickier because you are not not running a reactor) but measure phospates in your dt and then measure phosphate in the flow out from where your phosban is running. if there is no difference - your phosban is depleted. If your phosban is working then the phosphate from the outflow should be lower.

is your hair algae on the substrate or on the glass?

 

[sen5241b]

you could use with a few more snails. i know people say emerald crabs eat algae - can't say i've seen it - mine competes with the fish for food on the substrate.

if you want to test whether your phosban is depleted (this is a bit trickier because you are not not running a reactor) but measure phospates in your dt and then measure phosphate in the flow out from where your phosban is running. if there is no difference - your phosban is depleted. If your phosban is working then the phosphate from the outflow should be lower.

is your hair algae on the substrate or on the glass?

Good call.

Hair algae is on the rock and a bit on the sand.

 

[noy]

if your LFS sells strawberry conches, they are very good a disturbing/cleaning the substrate but they don't go on the rock much.