Hey Crew
Re: Neglected tank, algae run a muck 1/4/09
I have been looking on your web site all day, and found a wealth of information, however, not quite what I am looking for. I have a 75 gallon reef with a good amount of live rock. It has been set up for 5 or 6 years.
I went through a period when I didn't take care of it the way I should have and I have an algae problem. I also have a 20 gallon refugium with Caulerpa, and I can't remember what the other stuff is in there. I think it is Chaeto.
<Most likely Chaeto if it looks like green spaghetti. Do be careful with the Caulerpa though. It's one nasty bugger if it goes sexual on you or gets in your main display. Here's some information to ID if you have time http://www.sccat.net/#identification-1e86f5>
I have some hair algae in the refugium also, but that is not may main concern. In the display tank there is a brush like growth that I think is Chlorodesmis, based on the pictures I can find.
<A picture would be best to see here, but I have doubts that you are dealing with Chlorodesmis aka maidens hair algae.>
I have read that it is a difficult algae to grow, so I am not sure that is it. It will grow Large clumps in my display tank. I have tried to manually remove as much as I can, and have started keeping the tank better, keeping the water quality up, cleaning, watching the chemistry. But the algae seems to still grow abundantly. It grows so thick that it traps solid waste near the rock it grows on and acts like "potting soil". The only think I am not totally sure about is the phosphate level. I have trouble distinguishing the color on the test kits. The other levels test 0 for ammonia nitrate and nitrite. I know from other articles that there could still be some level in the tank, but it gets used quickly enough so it doesn't show up on a test.
I am wondering it there is something I can put in the tank to control this stuff. I have a candy coral that I had to separate into smaller pieces to remove some on the algae that was killing a portion of the coral.
Thanks for any input you can give me.
<Again, without a picture it is hard to say, but if it looks like maidens hair, I would think it is probably Bryopsis or hair algae. Bryopsis can look like ferns or more like hair algae with tiny hairs growing off the central hair shaft. Its very hard to get rid of. There are a few things you can do if it is Bryopsis. I've heard of a few things that work most of the time, and only one that works all of the time. Ruby lettuce Nudi's will eat it all, but then you must take care that they don't starve and either return them to the local fish store or pass them along to someone else in town who has an algae problem. You must also be careful of powerheads because they will enter them and get ripped apart. I've also heard that raising magnesium works, but it is hit or miss. You can find some more information on the subject here:
Algae control in general
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algaeconMar.htm
Specifics on Bryopsis
http://fish.suite101.com/article.cfm/bryopsis_a_common_pest_in_aquaria
Regards, Jessy>
Kelley