ID Growth On Live Rocks

P

Prime Minister

Premium Member
Can anyone tell me what the green plant like growing on a live rock...sorry for it being blurry but camera phone and current moving. The second picture is hair like substance growing on another live rock....any idea's?[attachment=0]Hairy Rock.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]Green plant.jpg[/attachment][attachment=1]Green plant.jpg[/attachment]
 
I'm sorry to tell you you have hair algae. Check your water parameters because you need to find the cause of the hair algae before you can get rid of it.

Are you using RO/DI water for your top off and water changes? Are you overfeeding? Do you have enough flow? It is possible if the rock is new that it was already there.

Option 1: You can pluck it off while you are doing a water change or take the rock out of your tank and scrub it then rinse it in 2 buckets of clean saltwater. You don't want to get any of the freshly scrubbed bits of hair algae in the tank.

Option 2: Add sea hare, snails. if you search the forum there are some threads about the type of snails and fish that will eat the hair algae.

Option 3: Once you find the cause of the algae growth you can add some Algae fix to the tank I have used it with great success about a year ago when I had a large outbreak of hair algae.

Mike
 
WOW... :shock:
Well I bought that live rock along with others from a person off this site. I had dead live rocks and wanting to bring them back to life. I was adding purple up about close to a month ago but stopped because I got red slime algae and treating that as we speak. I have just added a refuge about 4 days ago (used) but before them was using a wetdry sump and I am running fluval 404 (also used). The water flow is ok because I see the hair sway in the current. Now that is the only rock that has that hair so I can easily remove it and scrub it down, but not sure how to detect were it is coming from. Now what about the other rock with the green like plant? Is that algae as well? I don't have any fish yet and holding off on that do to possible move this month. Now I do have some snails but don't they are the ones you're talking about do to they don't touch it, only the hermits will be on it. Do I need to break down my equipment and thoroughly clean it with vinegar since I might be moving anyway?

Now when I say used equipment I bought it off others on this forum and heardfigured since it was on an existing salt tank that I could go ahead and use it as is wo cleaning it...wondering if that was a big mistake :x :oops:
 
@Prime Minister wrote:
WOW... :shock: Well I bought that live rock along with others from a person off this site. I had dead live rocks and wanting to bring them back to life. I was adding purple up about close to a month ago but stopped because I got red slime algae and treating that as we speak. I have just added a refuge about 4 days ago (used) but before them was using a wetdry sump and I am running fluval 404 (also used). The water flow is ok because I see the hair sway in the current. Now that is the only rock that has that hair so I can easily remove it and scrub it down said:
You don't have to go as far as cleaning everything with vinegar.

First how much flow do you have from you fuge to your main tank. Do you have any macro algae in your fuge? How are your nitrates, ammonia, phosphates? How old are your lights old lights can contribute to the problem? Are you running a skimmer?

If there are no fish or coral in the tank you can turn off the lights for 3 or 4 days if the tank get direct sunlight you can wrap it to keep the light out. Pluck the dying hair algae while doing a water change.

If it is only on a few rocks just pull them and scrub them and rinse them per the previous post.

It sounds like you are catching it early so as long as you stay on top of your water changes and clean the rocks that need it you should be fine

As for using used equipment there shouldn't be any issue using it without cleaning it. I normally clean everything first but that's me and really not necessary.

Mike
Click to expand...
 
The flow from the fuge is a bit over half the power of the pump (Rio 3100). Right now nothing is in the fuge but some alit sand and rock (pictured below). I don’t have the light running because of that. Not sure of the lights but the guy I bought the Odyssey light from gave me a new MH bulb. Just did a water test and all seems fine (picture included).
Just turn off the timers for the lights and will let it sit in the dark. I don’t have a skimmer as of yet so I think I do have a high protein count. Will take out the two rocks and scrub them down as well as do a water change. Now is 5 gallon change enough?

Mike I really appreciate you help on this one because I been looking and researching coral and fish and hate to see them die because of this. Again thx.

Now how long do I need to run the lights off and if I do turn them back on what will keep them from growing back? I guess as long as I scrub those rocks good I shouldn’t have to worry about that!
 
:shock: :shock: :shock: ACK !!! Bioballs... Ditch those as soon as you can and replace them with Live rock rubble.
Bioballs are imfamous nitrate factories.
 
I agree with firewolf4 I would also get rid of the bio balls they hold on to more detritus then they break down. It should make some room for a skimmer too.

I would shoot for about 10X to 15X turnover from the fuge to the DT IMO. What I usually do is open up the return pump until the display can't keep up then I back it off some in case you get algae build up in your drain tubes.

I know that the spectrum changes over time on the MH bulbs just like any other bulb and that it is less than one year. But since I don't use them I don't know what the life is for them. Maybe someone can chime what that is.

What I would do is remove the rocks scrub them, do a water change 20%, leave the lights off for a few days, then do another water change. I would continue to do water changes weekly, it doesn't have to be 20% each time but try to aim for 20% in 3 weeks. Just until you get a skimmer then you can adjust the water changes to your own preferences. If you surf the message board there are as many opinions as members. Remember to rinse the rocks in two separate buckets of saltwater so you don't get any of the spores back into your tank.

I would add some macro algae to your fuge they will compete for nutrients in the water and since the fuge light stays on 24 hours a day they should keep the problem in check. Check the Sell/Trade forum there is usually someone giving some away.

That should get rid of the problem in a few weeks just make sure you don't run your DT lights for more than 8 hours a day.

Mike
 
Thanks for the info concerning the bio balls! I will look into that as well as taking care of the rest. Got alot to do this weekend!
Thx everyone!
 
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