What is growing in my tank?

[djmpj2]

I've got maroon colored hairy stuff growing EVERYWHERE and some green flowy grass like stuff growing in tuffs throughout the tank.

Someone told me to buy a lawnmower blenny, which I did. But he is ignoring the stuff.

I had one emerald crab but I bought 2 more because I thought they might help as well.

 

[MT79]

Looks like red bryopsis and green hair algae. Turbo snails may eat some of it. Only way to really keep it in check is to control the NO3 and PO4 levels in the tank. Using RO or better yet RO/DI water, doing regular 10-20% PWC's, using GAC and a good skimmer as well as a PO4 reducer like phosban, rowaphos, etc. will keep PO4 levels in check. Also watch how much and often you feed. Over feeding will quickly fuel the algae. You genereally don't want PO4 to be above 0.03 ppm. Have you tested your PO4 levels?

 

[roka64]

I agree with Mike. The best thing to do is solve the issue without a "band-aid" like a lawnmower blenny (which can quickly starve if not taught how to eat frozen foods, once the hair algae is gone).

 

[melosu58]

Good call Mike. As he and Scott said control the excessive nutrients and you should be OK. Read this

 

[djmpj2]

Thank you for all your suggestions. My numbers are good and I don't add anything to my water. I think the thing I am doing wrong, after reading all this info, is I feed daily. I will have to switch that to evey other day.

I do alreay have the lawnmower blenny. I guess I am very lucky because he is right in there chowing down with everyone else on the frozen mysis and brine I put in the tank. Also a few pellets every now and then. I do notice he is a little aggressive though. He likes to lay low and sneak up on the other fish and lunge at them. My diamond golby is about ready for prozac. Every have a preditory lawnmower before?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Feeding daily doesn't necessarily equal algae growth. I feed daily and don't have an issue. If you're feeding excessively, on a daily basis... then that's another thing.

 

[roka64]

One other thing, some algaes will suck up the phosphates that they are nearly unreadable....like cyano...