Brown hair algae on sand

[Caige]

Okay... my first problem. I have brown spots in the front of my tank and have about 1/2in strands of brown "hair" on them. I'm assuming this is the infamous "brown hair algea"?

Melosu58 - I have read your link that you recommended to others.

All of my tests show good as follows:

Temp 77.7 - 79
PH 8.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
KH 161.1ppm
SG 1.024
Salanity 33
Phosphate 0
Calcium 360ppm (i know a little low)

It is a 34gallon tank (after LR prob more like 27) and I change out 5gallons a week. I perform Topoffs with RODI water from LFS that test totally clean.

I do run a 150w MH for 12hrs a day for the last 3weeks or so... I was reading that that is how long I should use it for.

I add a tsp and a half of photoplanktin every week
I feed the clowns a pinch of "ocean nutrition prime reef flakes once a day
I feed the cleaning crew a pinch of Tetra microcrabs cyclopeeze granules every other day (although clowns usually eat it first!).

Here is what is in the tank:

Frogspawn
Lettuce slug
about 8 nassarius snails
1 florida turbo snail (was 5 but hermits killed and took shell)
6 hermit crabs
Pink carnation - soft coral
Red open brain - lps
green bubble coral - lps
2 saddle back clowns

So from reading the article and forums only thing I think I need to do is cut back on the lighting... I have it on now from 10a - 10p... so i'm going to change it from 1pm - 7pm... it will get some room light during the day also.

Am I missing anything??? I'm going to do a water change this weekend and try to suck out most of it. Again I only have it growing on sand bed in front of tank... none on LR.

 

[Caige]

Oh, is there a fish or invert or something you recommend to help keep the brown hair algea under control?

 

[ccCapt]

Everything looks good, but if you have hair algae (not sure I ever saw brown tho) and your phosphate tests at 0, it does so because the algae is taking it all in. That is it's food. Remove the food source and it will die off. Try running some GFO (granluar ferric oxide) to remove the phosphate.
Do you have a skimmer? High nutrients also fuel hair algae.

 

[melosu58]

Larry has some very good points esp the skimmer. Can you maybe get a pic as I`ve seen green hair algea but not brown. Here is a pic of hair algea

 

[Caige]

PICs

Here are some pics... it's a tough one to get on camera... it's the little brown spot in the very front of the tank... it definitely looks brown to me...

 

[Caige]

Some more pics

I do have a protein skimmer... and empty it every other day. So do you think I should cut down on my lighting as I suggested? I'm going to have to look up that other oxide thing you suggested... i'm a newbie here and that went over my head

 

[melosu58]

I`m wondering if its cyano. I know it`s red most of the time but I have seen it brown also. Read this

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/11/1/Algae-control-in-salt-water-tanks/Page1.html

 

[roka64]

That's definitely cyano. You may want to increase PWCs, not feed flake and what salt mix are you using?

 

[Caige]

I'm using coral life marine salt -- pre mixed from LHF. I tested SG and Salanity before each PWC.

I just performed a 5gal water change and managed to vacuum almost everything up... so I guess I will wait till the morning to see what happens...

So should I just never feed flakes? My clowns love them. Also, should I go ahead and make the decrease in light change?

Thanks all.

 

[Caige]

Oh, I also cleaned out the skimmer...and pre bio filter and bio filter.

My clowns aren't very happy that the frogspawn is totally NOT out.

 

[roka64]

Flakes are known to have high phosphates. Variety is best. Look into frozen. I like to soak my frozen in garlic guard, zoe and selcon.

 

[Caige]

okay... well I did the water change last night... and my MH didn't go on until 1pm today (going to run it till 7pm).... but the brown hair is growing back!! -- not bad yet, but I can tell. Should I just do daily water changes?

 

[roka64]

What are you using for filtration?

 

[Caige]

I have the Solana Aquarium system by Current USA

Everything is built in.

volume: 34gallons
Dimension 20''x20''x20''
Circulation 396gph
Skimmer 160 gph

 

[roka64]

Ok, I see a few things that can trap stuff and cause nitrAtes and phosphates. Carbon is good for about 1-2 weeks (depending on bioload, feeding and a few other things). I don't run carbon in my tanks anymore. I like to run purigen. The bioballs can also cause your outbreak if not cleaned in old SW. I like to replace that stuff with LR rubble. #3 also needs to be cleaned when you do your PWC, in the old SW. The same should be done with #6.
I think once you change out those and keep up with regular PWCs, you probably won't have any algae or cyano outbreaks (with the possible exception of whe you replace your bulbs, you'll possibly see a diatom out break, that will die off by itself).

 

[Caige]

You are AWESOME !! I will do everything suggested tomorrow night.

Carbon is only about 2 weeks old, but I will take it out and do without.

I will also remove the BIO Balls and replace with LR - should I do this at one time or keep some BIO and slowly add LR?

The water change I did last night I did rinse #3 and #6 in the old SW... although, I must admit it was the first time ever I did it to #6.

So do you think it's ok for me to run my 150w MH for 12hrs once I do all this tomorrow night? -- My Corals aren't really liking the change to 6hrs!.... especially my Pink Carnation, which is just limp now.

I have never cleaned my BIO balls... I was told it was bad to rinse them.... so I will make sure I do that!

 

[roka64]

You are on the right track. Don't change/remove it all at once, otherwise you risk removing too much of your established beneficial bacteria. I would add some LR rubble and let the bacteria inhabit that before removing the bioballs (should take about 2 weeks).
For the lighting, you may want to slowly add an hour a day to your lighting schedule.