Removing turf algae

[recliner]

I picked up some really cheap Fiji live rock that is covered in turf algae (maybe hair algae but looks shorter) I don't have it in my main tank yet. I'm planning on scraping as much off as possible and putting it in. Will that just cause more problems for me? I already have 2 spots growing caulerpa racemosa algae and don't want to have my tank get over run with algae.
I have a couple tangs and am getting a third tomorrow along with 5 emerald crabs but they don't seem to be doing much of anything to the caulerpa racemosa algae. Would they be more likely to eat the turf algae?
I haven't seen My sailfin tang I've had for 3 weeks eat anything I've put in the tank for him. He's always picking at the rock and so I'm sort of hoping I could feed him with some of the algae on the new live rock.

 

[salt_for_brains]

Shouldn't be any issues since you are putting it in a different tank. Scrub it and rinse it as well as you can. I have never seen a tang that would touch hair algae. They may pick all around it. Your clean up crew will probably help some since they love new additions to the tank.

 

[recliner]

I have it all in a different tank for now, just holding it until I figure out if I can put it in my main tank.
I looked up pics and it looks shorter and denser then hair algae, that's why I thought turf algae.

 

[salt_for_brains]

If you were cleaning it and putting it back in the same tank it could cause some issues. Like your phosphate and nitrates rising because you have removed the algae that is consuming your excess phosphate and nitrates.

Now that doesn't mean it won't grow back in the tank you are moving it to. Even if it is the turf algae I don't see the tangs eating it. They will pick stuff off those new rocks.

 

[recliner]

I bought it from a guy breaking down his tank. He said his bulbs were at least 2 years old, so I'm assuming that is a big contributer to the algae on the rocks.
Right now I just have them in a tank with a power head and heater to store them while I figure this out.
My main tank I am wanting to put them into has 0 nitrates and less then .25 phosphate (not 0 though)

 

[salt_for_brains]

It takes three ingredients for algae to grow--- light, phosphate and nitrates. Eliminate one and the algae subsides. Another option is to clean the rock and put it back where you have it now until you feel confident all the algae is gone.

 

[recliner]

I don't have a light on the tank it's in now. It's in a basement room with a window but doesn't even come close to having sunlight. Could I keep it there for a couple weeks to rid the algae? Doing that wouldn't affect the bacteria in the live rock would it?
Is there anything else I should know about storing live rock in a fish free and light free tank?

 

[Ted]

I would have some water movement in the rock tank other then that the bacteria should be fine.

 

[salt_for_brains]

I agree. Just keep it circulating.

 

[recliner]

Great. I have a powerhead and heater in there so I'll just scrape as much off as I can and leave it for a couple weeks.