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Unread 05/22/2019, 07:16 AM   #1
Thornbreaker
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Gha?

I'm assuming this is green hair algae?

It's gained a foothold in my DT. Grows like weeds in my sump. This is a shot of just one spot, but I have a turf like section growing next to my blasto. I had been keeping it "trimmed" back, but in trimming it that just seems to make it happier to spread elsewhere.

Is the best way to get rid of this and relegate it back to the sump by blacking out my front display for a few days? Is it safe to leave my blue lights on for my torch and blasto during that time?

I have an in-wall where sunlight isn't direct, but definitely shines some indirect sunlight on the tank each morning.


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Unread 05/22/2019, 07:29 AM   #2
Uncle99
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Any sunlight brings tons of algae


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Unread 05/22/2019, 11:18 AM   #3
Uncle99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle99 View Post
Any sunlight brings tons of algae
Had some sunlight when I started this last rebuild, just 2 inches or so which crossed the tank for 3 hours from noonish to 3PM.

In 6 months, tons of algae, green hair stuff, even with nutrients on the low end, 5ppm nitrate, .03-.07 phosphate....

Soon as I blocked this little sunlight, 2 months later, all gone...


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Unread 05/22/2019, 05:59 PM   #4
Thornbreaker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle99 View Post
Had some sunlight when I started this last rebuild, just 2 inches or so which crossed the tank for 3 hours from noonish to 3PM.



In 6 months, tons of algae, green hair stuff, even with nutrients on the low end, 5ppm nitrate, .03-.07 phosphate....



Soon as I blocked this little sunlight, 2 months later, all gone...
That's good. Did you leave any overhead lights running?

I'll need to make a blackout for the front.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk


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Unread 05/23/2019, 10:14 AM   #5
Uncle99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thornbreaker View Post
That's good. Did you leave any overhead lights running?

I'll need to make a blackout for the front.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
I did nothing but block outside light from hitting the tank, of course keep my phosphates in check at 0.03-0.07 (max of .1 before using GFO)

It started to melt away within 2 weeks, turned from strong and bright green to weak and beige....used a toothbrush once a week.....

I was so surprised that just a tiny bit of sunlight would equal so much algae.


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Unread 05/24/2019, 08:13 AM   #6
Thornbreaker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle99 View Post
I did nothing but block outside light from hitting the tank, of course keep my phosphates in check at 0.03-0.07 (max of .1 before using GFO)

It started to melt away within 2 weeks, turned from strong and bright green to weak and beige....used a toothbrush once a week.....

I was so surprised that just a tiny bit of sunlight would equal so much algae.
So I tested a bit last night. I threw a blanket over the front panel (in-wall tank, so easy just to cover the front). That made the inside panel of the front glass pretty much a mirror, which seemed to have my foxface freaked out. I took it down for now, but think he'll get over that if I leave it up? I found him camo'ed in the back of the tank behind the rockwork lol.


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Unread 05/24/2019, 08:15 AM   #7
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Probably going to pick up some extra CUC this weekend too. Maybe some margarita snails and one more conch, but my LFS doesn't usually carry Margaritas and that next day air from live aquaria ain't cheap.


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Unread 05/24/2019, 09:07 AM   #8
Uncle99
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The only problem with Margarita snails is they are from cooler waters so if your running normal 78-80’wont last long.

Ninja Astrea for the green, Mexican turbo for brown/ red and Nars for your sand.

Beware of any crabs, problematic IMO


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Unread 05/24/2019, 09:11 AM   #9
j.falk
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Thumbs up

Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle99 View Post
Ninja Astrea for the green, Mexican turbo for brown/ red and Nars for your sand.

Beware of any crabs, problematic IMO
So the Ninja Asteas won't eat brown hair algae? Good to know. I was about to order some from LiveAquaria to deal with my newly developed brown hair algae issue.


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Unread 05/24/2019, 11:54 AM   #10
Uncle99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by j.falk View Post
So the Ninja Asteas won't eat brown hair algae? Good to know. I was about to order some from LiveAquaria to deal with my newly developed brown hair algae issue.
Can't say they won't eat brownish/red, but the Mexicans removed virtually all my brownish/red in a few weeks. I did, "redirect" them by placing them in affected areas during that time and continued that until all gone. I used only 6 in a 65g.

My Ninjas do an OK job on the green (rock and glass) and certainly better the Astreas, I keep about 30 or so of these.

The Nars, don't clean sand however they will churn it as soon as they smell food and if anything dies (hopefully not) they will quickly dispense with it.

In the end, these things led to zero algae for me.
Correct lighting spectrum, intensity and length. Zero sunlight!
Perfect on point water with virtually no flux through the day.
Nitrates 2-5ppm....maintained by NoPox.
Phosphate 0.03-0.07 .1 max....maintained with ROWAPHOS.
Regular water change 10%
Weekly toothbrush
And of course the snails.....no crabs....the snails just too expensive and crabs don't process much.

This process took a few months to be honest.....but it will work...

Maybe some of these will help....good luck


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Unread 05/25/2019, 07:03 AM   #11
Thornbreaker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle99 View Post
The only problem with Margarita snails is they are from cooler waters so if your running normal 78-80’wont last long.

Ninja Astrea for the green, Mexican turbo for brown/ red and Nars for your sand.

Beware of any crabs, problematic IMO
Oh that's right, I think I did read that above 78 is bad for the margaritas. Mexican are out of "season" or so LA says.

Ninja Astrea sounds more like what i need though.

Is that the same as a "spiny star astrea"?

I don't have crabs either, except for one hitchhiker hermit that I relegated to my sump. No clue if he's still alive at this point.

My tank is only a year old, so I'm sure this partly just the typical phases of algae battles. I would worry less, but the biggest patch is infringing on my blasto. The GHA popped up after I beat red cyano and started in the sump. I think it took a foothold after I cleaned my sump one day and had also turned back up the intensity of my lights by 10-15%.


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Unread 05/25/2019, 07:10 AM   #12
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Most of my tank is nerite, ceriths, a few larger and smaller Nars, 2 conchs, a BTU, and 2 shrimp. I love Nars. I probably need more, but for some reason the larger ones I have seem to die off to about 3 left.

I've ordered a couple dozen smaller Nars from reefcleaners in the past, but even those have dwindled down to just a few.

Not sure why. Rest of the CUC does fine.


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Unread 05/25/2019, 07:56 AM   #13
j.falk
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Quote:
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Ninja Astrea sounds more like what i need though.

Is that the same as a "spiny star astrea"?
Yes.


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Unread 05/25/2019, 08:57 AM   #14
Uncle99
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Yes.
Agreed!


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Unread 05/25/2019, 07:00 PM   #15
Thornbreaker
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Thanks. I picked up 5 Mexican Turbos today at my LFS. We'll see how they do.

That doesn't help, we're on to ninja snails.


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Unread 05/26/2019, 07:45 PM   #16
Uncle99
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Originally Posted by Thornbreaker View Post
Thanks. I picked up 5 Mexican Turbos today at my LFS. We'll see how they do.

That doesn't help, we're on to ninja snails.
Use both!

Keep "redirecting" (placing them) in affected areas.


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Unread 06/27/2019, 07:36 AM   #17
Thornbreaker
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Update:

GHA continues to be a nuisance. The Turbos I picked up, died within a couple of weeks? Not sure why?

My trochus have also passed away. Nerites, ceriths, and nassarius all seem fine. Shrimp and BTU are all fine. Blasto and Torch seem quite happy.

Tested nitrates and phosphates last night and they're under 5 ppm and .03 ppm.

Scrubbing/pulling it out just seems to spread it. I'll post a pic when I get a chance.

I've been periodically covering the front of the tank with a blanket. My concern though is that this creates a reflection on the inside that the fish seem to freak out about (foxface hides behind the rocks and doesn't come out). Should I keep doing the blackout for a couple of days ever few days and reup the CUC again?

Or is there something else I should try at this point?


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Unread 06/27/2019, 01:35 PM   #18
j.falk
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I've read quite a few threads where people have said that Vibrant Reef Cleaner worked in their aquariums for hair algae issues.


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Unread 06/27/2019, 02:29 PM   #19
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If you are going to black out your tank, you need to give it no light at all. The same light your corals use, the GHA uses.

If you have that much GHA, then your tank is probably creating much more nitrate and phosphate than your tests indicate - it's just being bound in the algae. Continual manual removal, along with stable low nutrients is really the best long term solution.

Kevin


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Unread 06/28/2019, 06:43 AM   #20
Thornbreaker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by j.falk View Post
I've read quite a few threads where people have said that Vibrant Reef Cleaner worked in their aquariums for hair algae issues.
Is that legit? If it would help get a foothold again for my CUC to take back over, I might try that once I'm back from vacation.

As it appears to be a bacterial based liquid, I would think that certainly keeps any other side effects down. I am seeing a bit of back and forth on if it effects snails though.

I just ordered 10 trochus and 8 ninja star astrea.
Bit concerned that I've lost most of my larger snails lately.


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Unread 06/28/2019, 06:59 AM   #21
Thornbreaker
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Originally Posted by Anemone View Post
If you are going to black out your tank, you need to give it no light at all. The same light your corals use, the GHA uses.

If you have that much GHA, then your tank is probably creating much more nitrate and phosphate than your tests indicate - it's just being bound in the algae. Continual manual removal, along with stable low nutrients is really the best long term solution.

Kevin
Yeah it's just feels awkward to let it ride 3 days without any light. When I've done that, I've done it for 2 days, with the blues on the 3rd. I've kept the sump light on to foster growth in the sump.

I've been harvesting what I can, especially around my coral so they won't be strangled by the algae. The rest of the GHA is more of an eyesore. I've also pulled a ton out of the sump each week.

This means I'm likely over feeding, but the tank gets a lot of light in the summer as we've yet to get blinds on the windows. I battled red cyano for about 6 months, and after defeating it, the GHA took over. Started as one little patch, which I've spread thanks to attempted physical removal :\


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Unread 06/28/2019, 09:16 AM   #22
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Almost all my tanks in the years I've been doing this go through exactly what you are describing. Diatoms, then cyano, then green hair algae. Once the GHA stage is over the tank is usually all balanced. This can take up to two years to work itself out. In the meantime try to reduce feeding, photo period, and add something that keeps phosphate in check (I prefer chemi pure blue).


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Unread 06/28/2019, 10:06 AM   #23
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Almost all my tanks in the years I've been doing this go through exactly what you are describing. Diatoms, then cyano, then green hair algae. Once the GHA stage is over the tank is usually all balanced. This can take up to two years to work itself out. In the meantime try to reduce feeding, photo period, and add something that keeps phosphate in check (I prefer chemi pure blue).
Thanks. I've only been worried because the first patch started right next to my Blasto. I can deal with the ugliness for awhile provided it's not encroaching.

But it also means I'm a bit out of whack somewhere on balance.


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Unread 07/30/2019, 10:55 AM   #24
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Update:

So I have maybe 2 trochus left out of my recent snail purchase. I'm not sure why they've died. May have a dead conch (not sure he moves every few days). Ninja star astreas all kicked the bucket too. Maybe higher nitrates than I'm showing? Small predator somewhere?

Fish, shrimp, BTU, pods, Nerites, ceriths, and nassarius are all fine though.

In other news, I picked up some of that vibrant reef cleaner 2 sundays ago. It seems to be having an effect on GHA. Small decrease the first week, but seems to really be helping in week 2. I did my usual water change this Sunday and pulled some of the GHA by hand, mainly where it crowds around my corals. It's noticeably much better this morning. The GHA is far more patchy, and appears at least to be breaking down. I'll post some before/after pics if it continues to improve.

This Sunday will be time to replace the DI resin, clean the return pump, and remove gunk from the sump. GHA in the sump is looking brown at this point.


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SC Aquariums - 150 Gallon 5'x2'x2'; Trigger Elite 36 Sump; Mars Aqua Lights
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Unread 07/30/2019, 03:04 PM   #25
j.falk
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thornbreaker View Post
Update:

So I have maybe 2 trochus left out of my recent snail purchase. I'm not sure why they've died. May have a dead conch (not sure he moves every few days). Ninja star astreas all kicked the bucket too. Maybe higher nitrates than I'm showing? Small predator somewhere?

Fish, shrimp, BTU, pods, Nerites, ceriths, and nassarius are all fine though.

In other news, I picked up some of that vibrant reef cleaner 2 sundays ago. It seems to be having an effect on GHA. Small decrease the first week, but seems to really be helping in week 2. I did my usual water change this Sunday and pulled some of the GHA by hand, mainly where it crowds around my corals. It's noticeably much better this morning. The GHA is far more patchy, and appears at least to be breaking down. I'll post some before/after pics if it continues to improve.

This Sunday will be time to replace the DI resin, clean the return pump, and remove gunk from the sump. GHA in the sump is looking brown at this point.
Did you start losing your snails after dosing with Vibrant?

Edit: Never mind, I reread the thread. You started losing them before using Vibrant.


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