Algae Finally Gone: Now how do you keep it away? Easy as ABC?

[sarcophytonIndy]

1. What measures are you taking to prevent the spread of nuisance algae in your reef aquarium?
Nutrientcontrol mainly, refugium with Chaeto, bio media and algae grazers.

2. What is the worst type of algae you have ever battled?
Valonia, or more commonly called bubble algae. dang it spreads fast, no garanteed predators, grows in hard to reach spots and spreads like a wildfire.

Still fighting it..

My foxface has completely eradicated any and all bubble algae.

 

[Victor_C3]

I’ve always dealt with algae in each of my tanks the same way over the last 14 years. Maintain a robust cleaning crew in the display, keep fish that eat algae all day, and grow macroalgae in a refugium.

I’ve never added any medications to eliminate algae and I’ve never relied on any sort of media like GFO to remove phosphates.

Like dealing with aptasia, plan on dealing with it from the time you add water to your tank and it never becomes an overwhelming issue.

 

[stevieduk]

Simple , Loads-of Sea Urchins

 

[jfoster38122]

1. What measures are you taking to prevent the spread of nuisance algae in your reef aquarium?
Nutrientcontrol mainly, refugium with Chaeto, bio media and algae grazers.

2. What is the worst type of algae you have ever battled?
Valonia, or more commonly called bubble algae. dang it spreads fast, no garanteed predators, grows in hard to reach spots and spreads like a wildfire.

Still fighting it..

vibrant did wonders for my BA

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Added a great clean-up crew, got phosphate RX coming in the mail, hopefully it kills the GHA on my substrate.
I have been physically removing GHA from my substrate right before I do a 5% water change.

My worst algae incident was with red cyno, when I purchased my house it had a saltwater aquarium set up 75 gallon, looked great when I was looking at the house to purchase, moved in a month later and it was a sheet of red from one end to the other, about 2 inches deep....I had to remove everything from the tank and basically start new, thankfully all my fish lived, but have since pasted...after about 4 years, then a snail I purchased on a whim ate all my fish.

 

[Chrille26]

My foxface has completely eradicated any and all bubble algae.

I have heard they will go after it in most cases, unfortunatly my tank is too small for a foxface otherwise I would absolutly give it a try! They are also awesome looking fish.

 

[Chrille26]

vibrant did wonders for my BA

I am really tempted to try it at this point but Im just worried about it eradicating my Chaeto while also killing of the Bubbles. I have a thriving fuge right now that I have been seeding with pods to build a population, but if the infestation of bubbles get too out of hand I will order a bottle!

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I am really tempted to try it at this point but Im just worried about it eradicating my Chaeto while also killing of the Bubbles. I have a thriving fuge right now that I have been seeding with pods to build a population, but if the infestation of bubbles get too out of hand I will order a bottle!

Try phosphate RX

 

[ReefGeezer]

I have some hair algae and red cyano right now. Nothing terrible or threatening though. I add 1/2 dose of Vibrant per week, have a few snails, and a Cheato Fuge. FWIW, i once thought Vibrant would hurt my Cheato, but so far it hasn't affected it. I still remove more than a softball size bunch about every week to 10 days.

 

[Betex]

I have considered it but Im really worried about my Chaeto, I have nowhere to store it while dosing Vibrant and I have seeded it alot with pods that I want to keep alive and growing. But I will definatly give it a try when everything else have failed!

I am on week 2 of vibrant and so far chaeto appears ok although I did split mine in half and placed it in my QT temporarily just in case the one in sump dies entirely. But lots of people have said their cheato came back took 4-6 weeks but survived it.

 

[Conrad Noto]

My tangs and clean up crew eat the small amount that grows. I use U.V and ozone, seems to stop any spread.

 

[beaslbob]

Algae Finally Gone: Now how do you keep it away?

So if you're like me when you FINALLY beat that pesky algae you don't want to have to fight it again any time soon so you have to figure out a few things! This is what you need to know:

A. What type of algae were you fighting?
B. What does that particular algae need to survive?
C. What were you doing to feed it?

It's as simple as ABC right? :/

So let's talk about some algae preventive measures today! Please answer me this:

1. What measures are you taking to prevent the spread of nuisance algae in your reef aquarium?

2. What is the worst type of algae you have ever battled?

a. common hair algae and cyano bacteria
b. nutrients light co2 (cyano uses nitrogen gas for nitrogen)
c. refugium with macro algae and adjusting light (especially blackouts for cyano blooms).

2. cyano

my .02

 

[Birddog61]

I had to answer other. As i encourage micro algae at system start up dont mind it a bit in the fuge with the macro added at start up. As rock work start to show some " green " color. clean up crew is added while it can still keep up. As coraline develops in the display it compeats for space with micro algae. And eventually out compeats it with the help of proper cuc. All that while adding to the stability of your water. Whats to fight ?

 

[Bolingsw]

Algae Finally Gone: Now how do you keep it away?

So if you're like me when you FINALLY beat that pesky algae you don't want to have to fight it again any time soon so you have to figure out a few things! This is what you need to know:

A. What type of algae were you fighting?
B. What does that particular algae need to survive?
C. What were you doing to feed it?

It's as simple as ABC right? :/

So let's talk about some algae preventive measures today! Please answer me this:

1. What measures are you taking to prevent the spread of nuisance algae in your reef aquarium?

2. What is the worst type of algae you have ever battled?

Well on my 90 which has been up a running for 2 months I have a out break of cyano. I am picking up some chemiclean this weekend to clear it up. But I also have some other algae starting
To grown as week and I am going to install a up sterilier to help out. I have been told I will have some cyano outbreaks with a new tank. One other thing I am doing this weekend is installing a hob skimmer and pulling one of the hob filters out. I have 2 on the tank at this time.

 

[Vette67]

Algae problem? What algae problem?

 

[sawdavis]

I got rid of bubble algae with my emerald crabs but then I had a problem with Green Hair Algae. Not only was it on the rocks but in the sand and no matter how much I scraped and sifted and how many water changes I did, I couldn't get it under control. So my LFS recommended a sea urchin for algae on the rocks, 15 Cerith snails for the algae in the sand, and I increased the number of my emerald crabs to five (I have a 75 gallon tank). I also already had other types of crabs and snails. That took care of the GHA mostly (I still have a few spots on rocks that for some reason my critters don't touch). But then I got a terrible outbreak of diatom and after three weeks of trying to get rid of it naturally, I used Chemclean which worked great. Now I have beautiful white sand and everything looks great. I don't stress about the few spots of GHA. I figure some algae is probably keeping things stable and my critters fed.

 

[Anchor]

Algae problem? What algae problem?

This looks exactly like what I started with. I Purchased a 75 that, except for the corals, could be your tank. I bought a tank that looked like this before I even brought it home.

In the process I learned all kinds of ways to stop algae and some of the other crap with starting a new tank.

For Valonia, Vibrant.
For hair and turf, Vibrant and lots of plucking and water changes.
For bropsis.. I have no idea so far.
CUC for most stuff But.. I seem to have found a small problem with snails and Vibrant. I think, Vibrant may sour the algae and snails dont like it after I dose with it. Another thing I found is using Vibrant seems to lead to Cyano and or Dinos. Cannot confirm that yet but Nitrates jump when I use it. Not Phos though.. for some reason.

Using a Magnum with a fine filter and Diatom powder has really helped while doing detritus blow offs and sand stirring. I think this was actually my biggest help in my battles.. 4 tanks worth all with different algae problems.

I have also been cycling some of my rocks in a 5 gallon bucket with Peroxide dosed in the water. I have been leaving it in for 24 hours and then let it dry. This does kill every free pest on the rocks.. It also inhibits the old growth coraline a bit. It wont get rid of Vermatid snails nor hydroids though. Yes I bought a LOT of problems..


Now I am putting up 2 tanks to replace 3. SEE MY TANK BUILD, It could appreciate some visits. And I dont even have livestock in them yet. BUT SOON...!!!

 

[Fishmania]

Major points:
1- gravel cleaning
2- manual removal
3- water chsnging
4- algae treatment

concerning food, I am not sure if I am feeding enough, less or more. Tank still in experimentation phase.

 

[drblakjak55]

No meds.Algae outbreaks are a natural part of the tank finding the equilibrium between what we put in and the Microsystems in the rocks( I look at these beautiful sculpted skinny towers of flat rocks that hold a lot of corals but not enough for a necessary ecosystem with mass.) 90g tank needs 110pounds rock. A little vodka now and than. Chaeto. Chaeto.
Gha, Bryopsis is eliminated by scrubbing the rock with wire brush than turkey basting away the debris that gathers in rock crevices and becomes the soil for the algae to grow. Three days later do it again and the algae will go away with less returning each attack. Promise. No meds to kill the ecosystem Re maintainance: I turkey baste the rocks And especially any zoa colonies, and turn the power heads on high for an hour prob twice a week. Stuff clogs a mesh sock right up.
no algae 24 months in a 3yo tank

 

[G&J Reefing]

Our 75 gallon reef has been up and running for 26 years. At first, it was a fish only with a wet/dry filter, protein skimmer, and did weekly 6 gallon water changes. After 5 years we decided to move to a reef. Added live rock and live sand. About a year in had a major hair algae bloom. Fought if for 2 years. Only thing that worked was balancing nutrient input with a robust cleaning crew and adding algae consuming fish.

Our external pump for the wet/dry filtration died about 4 years ago and we couldn't find a suitable replacement. Scrapped the entire wet/dry and the metal halide lighting. Moved to LED lighting and a hang on protein skimmer with GFO bag. No other filtration on the tank. Got rid of the glass top and added a gyre and a hydor pump. Had a small hair algae bloom for about 3 months and since then no issues. Have a good clean up crew, a yellow tang, and an ember blenny for algae control. Do a 1 gallon water change every morning and dose green water, coral vital, acro glow, and Kalkwasser daily. 3 times per week I target feed the corals with copepods or reef roids and once a week broadcast feed frozen rotifers.