Fuzzy Green Algae
- Thread starter sdellin
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Fluff
Aquarium Advice Addict
It's hair algae and is a nuisance and can take over the tank pretty quickly. Aggressive water changes to lower the phosphates will help keep it under control.
sdellin
Aquarium Advice Addict
Are there any gobies that eat it? I'm about ready to add a couple fish, not sure which kind. Should I try to remove this stuff and is a phosphate level of .5 too high?
Fluff
Aquarium Advice Addict
Some people have had success with lawnmower blennies eating it, as well as blue legged hermits and emerald crabs, but I wouldn't count on a fish as a method of control. Any phosphates are to high and it doesn't take much to fuel this stuff. As far as manual removal, if it's really long you can trim it up. You can also use a toothbrush to clean the rocks but I would just do extra water changes til it gets under control.
sdellin
Aquarium Advice Addict
Will do, thanks. I'm "making" water as we speak.
DragonForce
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Try doing weekly water changes from now on if you can. Also cut back feedings to every other day or every 3 days. You may consider picking up 15 or so more hermits, an emerald crab and 20 or so snails to help out with algae control as well. Good luck!
oyf709
Aquarium Advice FINatic
my purple tang actrually ate more than my lawnmower blennies
hehee and in 1 week after io put my tang in the tank al algea gone
hehee and in 1 week after io put my tang in the tank al algea gone
I would like to p[oint back to what Fluff said when she said not to use fish as a method of control. Many times people buy certain fish to eat hair algea and when the algea is gone the fish starves and dies. Find out what the fuel is and cut it off.
seaham358
Aquarium Advice Addict
You need to find the source of the phosphates. Have you tested your water source for PO4? Do you use tap or filtered water and what kind of filter.
Doing many water changes may not be the answer if the water your using is the source of the problem.
Doing many water changes may not be the answer if the water your using is the source of the problem.
sdellin
Aquarium Advice Addict
Here's an update, I made fresh salt water with RO/DI water (that's all I use now in the tank) and Instant Ocean salt mix. I tested it for phospates before adding it to the tank and there were no detectible phosphates in it.
I did a water change and have cut down on the feeding.
It looks like to me, overfeeding has to be what's adding the phosphates??? Fluff recommended defrosting the frozen mysid and other stuff and draining off the water in order to avoid adding phosphates from the water in the frozen food. I did that and it wasn't as hard as it sounded.
I'm adding phytoplan for the filter feeders once a week or so, but using water from the aquarium to mix it up. When I add a buffer for ph, (not very often at all) I'm using water from the aquarium to mix it up.
Also, I was alternating flake food and the frozen food. Assuming there are phosphates in the flake food, I cut that out and will only use it in a emergency.
That's about it for additives, so assuming I change the water every week for now with RO/DI water, don't add flake food, drain the water off the frozen food and cut down on the feeding, this will eventually get the phosphates down.
Also, got rid of the SeaClone and added an AquaC Remora Pro skimmer, which seems to be working VERY well.
Does that sound like a complete plan or is there something I'm not thinking of?
I did a water change and have cut down on the feeding.
It looks like to me, overfeeding has to be what's adding the phosphates??? Fluff recommended defrosting the frozen mysid and other stuff and draining off the water in order to avoid adding phosphates from the water in the frozen food. I did that and it wasn't as hard as it sounded.
I'm adding phytoplan for the filter feeders once a week or so, but using water from the aquarium to mix it up. When I add a buffer for ph, (not very often at all) I'm using water from the aquarium to mix it up.
Also, I was alternating flake food and the frozen food. Assuming there are phosphates in the flake food, I cut that out and will only use it in a emergency.
That's about it for additives, so assuming I change the water every week for now with RO/DI water, don't add flake food, drain the water off the frozen food and cut down on the feeding, this will eventually get the phosphates down.
Also, got rid of the SeaClone and added an AquaC Remora Pro skimmer, which seems to be working VERY well.
Does that sound like a complete plan or is there something I'm not thinking of?
The Blue Fish
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Hello Everyone,
I’m not to sure if this will help, but it helped me. If you mix your own water, try using zeroed out water, no phosphates included. You can also try Cantilena water. It’s my experience that lighting, water/phosphates, or temperature is responsible for such problems. To start, I placed 4 turbo snails and two crabs in my 30-gallon tank. The algae was gone within 4 hours and never came back. I’m sure it is the Catalina water that keeps everything clean. I do water changes every week/ week and a half.
I’m not to sure if this will help, but it helped me. If you mix your own water, try using zeroed out water, no phosphates included. You can also try Cantilena water. It’s my experience that lighting, water/phosphates, or temperature is responsible for such problems. To start, I placed 4 turbo snails and two crabs in my 30-gallon tank. The algae was gone within 4 hours and never came back. I’m sure it is the Catalina water that keeps everything clean. I do water changes every week/ week and a half.
