Growth overnight??

[gilraen]

Ok, so this morning I went to my tank to say "good morning" to my 3 chromis (1 still missing) and chocolate chip star. I found on top of one of my rocks some brownish 'hair' growing on it, it was about 1/2 to 1 inch long. What is this? I can take a pic and post it if needed. But it just looks like fine hair, say a cotton ball spread out thinly and brownish. This thing was not there last night!! I was enjoying looking at my tank last night and it wasn't there! Everybody is doing ok, I haven't tested the H2O this week (going to). The tank is 1 month old and had been cycled since pretty much week 2. I'm thinking is my 1st algae bloom and it will clear. I just brushed the hair off with a toothbrush and see what happens. Sorry for the long post... :?

 

[Brodie]

Hope it's not cyano....

 

[gilraen]

Cyano is supposed to be slimy, this stuff is hairy. I just brushed it off, but I know is coming back... :x

 

[macman7010]

brodie I looked at your tank pics, nice job looks good. gilraen, the words brown and algae = something is not in balance. Hair algae can be a cyano bacteria or a natural occuring algae. In any case it means there are excess nutrients in your tank. I would recommend the use of a protien skimmer, or if you are running one a UV sterilizor or another skimmer to erradicate it. That is after a water change of course!

 

[gilraen]

I just checked the articles section in this forum and found my answer. It is hair algae not cyano. I hava an aquac remora for skimmer. Also have a UV sterilizer which will be connected sometime this week. Thanks for ya'll replies!!

 

[lando]

The best option for hair algae is manual removal. Snails and emerald crabs may help as well. Have you tested for NO3 and PO4?

 

[FlyingL0]

I have a same problem on a single piece of live rock. I pulled it out and scrubbed it with a wire brush, rinsed and put it back in the tank... about a week later its back. Not as thing but still there... I have emerald crabs in my tank and they dont seem to touch the stuff. I think Im going to leve it now only because its only taking up about 4 sq/inches. Is it beneficial at all?

 

[Oceanicsublimat]

I leave small patches of hair in mine.. just so it will not get too worse..It takes up some of the nutrient..I leave it at least till I can fix it..

 

[gilraen]

Lando, I tested for NO3 and it is 10ppm, the rest of the tests are 0. I don't have any inverts at all but I just ordered a cleaner pack earlier. I did remove the 'hair' and now it looks better, still some very small strand on it. Thanks for your help

 

[gilraen]

Oh and the PO4 is 0 also

 

[melosu58]

How often do you feed the tank?

 

[gilraen]

I feed them every other day for about 5 min., menu includes: mysis shrimp, flakes and pellets. Of course not all at the same time, I rotate the menu. Geez, this guys are eating better than I am...

 

[melosu58]

Every other day is good. We know that that is not the problem.

 

[schoeplein]

How many fish (though this shouldn't be a factor since you are skimming, and your water tests fine)? How often and how much for water changes? How long is your light cycle? Under what type of lighting?

The Xenia frag I picked up from the LFS had bubble green algae and green hair algae -- I removed both manually with my fingers, popping and plucking all of the bubbles, and hand ripping off the hair algae -- all tossed into the garbage. Neither have returned or grown anywhere else in the tank. Of course, I run my UV 24/7...

My light cycle is probably way too long ~8:30am to 10-11pm (depending when I feel like discontinuing observing and going to sleep ).

 

[gilraen]

So far I only have 3 chromis and 1 chocolate chip star. H2O changes are done every 2 weeks 10 % with prepared RO H2O. I have an orbit fixture 4X65watts daylights and blue actinic. I keep them on 10 hrs. a day and the rest of the time the 4 moonlights are on. I'll be plugging in my UV tomorrow and see how that goes