Green hair algae - What to do

B

butchseaman

[My tank has been going trough the cycling process and is towards the end with the follwing parameters:

pH 8.4
Ammonia 0.0
Nitirte 0.0
Nitrate 20
100lbs Live Hatian Live Rock
120 lbs Live Sand (2" substrate)
Temp 80
(3) Maxijet 1200 Powerheads

I am noticing that I have green algae, what I think is Green Hair Algae. It is on the rock and glass.

My question .... is this normal or should be be doing somethins to try and rid myself of this algae?

I am planning on getting some crabs and maybe some snails to start eating things but was waiting for Nitrates to hit 0.0, and then wait a week after that before putting any critters in the tank. I am now getting a little concerned that by that time it maybe just a green algae tank.

Also.... if someone could direct me to a good palce to learn the different and good/bad types of algae, what I do and don't want would be helpful.]



Edited By butchseaman on 1109351717
 
[Nitrate could be causing it.
You also didn't mention phosphates, which is probably the most important algae test.]
 
[OK.. So with Nitrates still at 20 can I stick some cleanup crew in the tank. I will follow the instructions in Marc's article, but would like to get something to help keep this problem away if possible...]
 
[Not sure what your fish plans are for the tank, but lawnmower blennies are awesome for munching the green algae off of the rock.]
 
@Will wrote:
[Not sure what your fish plans are for the tank said:
[I am planning on some corals and that is about as far as I have really planned for the tank. Should I do water changes while the cycling is in process?

Guess I just assumed you do nothing during the cycling process..... are lawnmower blennies not good with out fish or corals...?]
Click to expand...
 
[If you change water during the cycle, you prolong it. If you are trying to preserve livestock and the ammonia is spiking super high, you'd need to change water, but if it is just rock and sand and algae, there is no reason to change any water.]
 
[Marc...
There is no livestock in the tank. Just rock sand and algae. Paramerters are as follows:

The only test I can do are:
pH 8.2
Ammoina 0.0
Nitrite 0.0
Nitrate 20
Salinty 1.026

Dual MH on 7am / off 8pm

was waiting for everything to hit 0.0 before putting in crabs and such. Do I deal with the algae manually or do I get a lawnmower blennie with current parameters...?]
 
[Crabs and snails can be added now. Nitrates will come down slowly over the next few weeks, unless you add livestock and food. Then nitrates will stay up there around 20ppm for some time to come.]
 
[I have a couple of other algae questions.

1. I have a purple color algae that has showed up lately and I am wonder ing if this is coraline algae and is this a good algae. It is pretty .... !

2. The other is some type of white looking cacoon type growth. I have a pertty good idea this is not a good thing.]
 
[FYI, Ive tried three different lawnmower blennies in my tank to rid the hair algae and none of them even looked at it. Im not saying you will be unsuccessful with lmbs but I was definitely unsuccessful. Ive also had no luck with any kind of snails either. Funny thing is, I have neither phosphate or nitrate problems and a very low photo period daily.]
 
[Agree with Chino, mine never touched it. Also my Tang ignores it. Fish are not the way to solve a problem like this. There is a nutrient issue somehow, someway, solve that and it will die on it's own.

By the way I'm still fighting an outbreak I had after MACNA so I'm not the best person to ask about not having any but after talking to a bunch of people and reading a ton I don't think you'll find a lot of disagreement from the experts with my statement above.

As much of a pain as it is doing what is suggested in Marc's article does work. Pick it every day, skim like crazy, up water changes, turbo snails. Try to get your nitrates way down through either a lot of water changes or you can try AZNo3 which is a product I have heard a lot of good things about. But again you have to find out why you have high nitrates. Fish load to high? Tank not mature? etc. etc!]



Edited By kwl1763 on 1109564288
 
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