Need to get rid of it before Thanksgiving

[Reefster]

What is this stuff growing in my tank and how do i get rid of it? I have a large group coming to my house and want to show off the tank, but not with this stuff growing.

phosphates are 0.11 (too high??) I have a 90g and did a 25g water change 4 days ago, but
I was without power for 7 days due to Sandy and temp got down to 64; no skimmer was able to run; only a small pump.

 

[Salty B]

Hard to tell what color and texture it is. Looks like a cyano battle may be ahead though. I would bet money that the phos are higher than the tests read also because it is also being consumed by the nasties. I would do more water changes, find the source of the nutrients and shorten the light cycle a bit. May take a month or more to beat it if its cyano. As for the company coming over....siphon out as much as you can but the next day it might be back. Best of luck!

 

[Ted]

Looks like cyno. More then likely from very little flow from the power outage. It should go away on its own if/when you get the phosphate under control. For a quick fix for when people come over I would scoop out what you can with a net. Try to be as non invasive to the sand as you can.

 

[Reefster]

Will anything eat it? I think some of my hermits may have gone to hermit heaven.

 

[Waddi]

Kinda just looks like regular GHA to me.

 

[Amba]

It's GHA not cyano

 

[ErinCahir]

Definitely hair algae.

Turbos will mow right through it.

 

[Ted]

I could be wrong...looked redish to me in the pic.

 

[Reefster]

Will anything eat hair algae?

 

[Waddi]

Not too much stuff will eat long hair algae, hermits and turbos will.
But your best bet is to pull it out, with the sand, if you get some 1/2 inch tubing or something, just make a suction, and suck it out.

 

[Reefster]

I scopped out several cups worth is sand and this stuff earlier today. How long until it grows back? Overnight? Doing a 30% change tomorrow.

 

[Waddi]

Shouldnt have really scooped it up due to it kicking detritus up. But it depends really, it shouldnt be that bad. Just keep plucking away at what you see. My GHA was never very fast at growing if I kept a wrap on it.