Help Identify Algea

[dallasfrog]

I think I have a few kinds of algea beginning to populate my little 29 gallon fish only tank. CAn somebody take a look at the photos and help me identify what I have. Is there such a thing as bad algea versus good algea?

 

[David S]

the purple is coraline and good,the hairy stuff is hair algae,remove this before each pwc.The brown may be diatoms,just part of the tank cycle.

 

[dallasfrog]

OK, thanks. So, exactly how does one remove the hair algae, just scrape it off? Does anything eat it? Obviously nothing I have does. I have two turbo snails and four little hermit crabs.

 

[Flake]

I've always taken the rock out of the tank and scrubbed it off. I've never had much luck getting a fish to eat it.

 

[David S]

whats your water test results?how long are the lights on for,any fish in the tank?do you use RO/DI water?

 

[dallasfrog]

29 gallon FOWL tank - no sump or skimmer

test results: am:0 no2:0 no3: 20 ph: 8.2-8.4

Lights on from 8:00a until 9:00p.
Light source 50/50 Reef Sun 24"

Livestock:
2 green chromis
1 small clown
1 bicolored blenny
2 turbo snails
4 very small hermit crabs

I do not use RO/DI water but I am reading about it now. My wife has already had it up to here with the money I have spent on the tank so I have not done that yet.

When I scrub the rocks, I do that in the old water from a water change or while it is in the tank? The stuff is in every nok and cranny, so do I buy a new toothbrush and just scrub the crap out of it? Do I need to be careful not to take off other good algae?

Sorry for the newbie questions, it is just that I have learned the hard way not to trust the folks at my LFS.

 

[Flake]

I'd go get a cheap cheap touthbrush and just make it the tank toothbrush. Pull out the rock into the water change bucket, and scrub that goo off into the dirty water. If you scrub into your tank, you'll just get algaecrud everywhere.

Don't worry about scrubbing off the coralline, it's really hard, you won't scrub it off easily.

 

[austinsdad]

A buddy of mine just put 10 of those teeny hermits in his tank and they went to work on his hair algea, but your mileage may vary.

And you gotta research and find the source of the hair algae. Likely related to excess nutrients. Scrubbing rock now will do nothing for the long term if something is still feeding it.

The purple stuff is good. Let it roll.

 

[Flake]

Until you figure out why it's there it'll keep coming back , but that should help you clean up the tank.

 

[David S]

tap water is a cause for algae,also cut down the lighting schedule,and keep doing at least 5 gallon water changes each week untill nitrates are 0,the water,lights and nitrates are feeding the algae,(nutrients )pulling it out helps butit will grow back unless the nutrients feeding it are gone.Check phosphates as well!


looks like we were writing at the same time Ray!!!!

 

[austinsdad]

 

[dallasfrog]

ok, it looks like I have my work cut out for me. Thanks everybody.

 

[David S]

It wont be too differcult on a small tank just keep doing your water changes and it will be fine!!

 

[Fishfan321]

Good and bad.. Good: corraline algae!!! Keep lighting high and you will get more. Bad: hair I think?? It is bcuz of phosphates, overfeeding, overstocking, etc. Do pwc's and they will hopefully go away. Never, and I repeat NEVER use chemicals that have copper unless mr. X or someone with knowledge of fish and corals with a little bit of common sense tells you to. Also just in case anyone didn't know.... Never ever put tangs in nano reef.. Someone who lives near me put one in a 2.5 nano?!?!?!?! They need about 6 ft of swimming room.. I have said what I needed to say. Sorry for such a long post.lol

 

[Bigjbones]

I got a algae blenny - decent size, 4 inches- and a average size yellow tang and both have been putting a number on my hair algae. The tang takes a good amount away here and their but the algae blenny munches on the algae with great results.

- 40g fowlr(for now), fluval 405 canister, p skimmer, pwr head, 30 pds LR, I have a bi color shrimp, yellow tang, 2 blue damsels, turbo snail, small hermit crab, Ocellaris clownfish, algae blenny, fire fish