Algae overgrowing Coral

[djcanis]

I asked a few days ago and never got a response except for general advise to get rid of the hair algae... My blenny is doing a good job of grazing and I got 2 more Korelia #'3 on the way... My question is, I have a star polyp frag that is becoming overgrown with algae... How do I get the algar off the piece of rock with the frag without damaging the coral? THe blenny wont go near it, and its starting to overgorw the coral...

 

[nietzsche]

what type of algae is it? the best thing to do is use RO/DI water, a good brand salt, change water weekly, rinse any frozen food in RO water and strain it before feeding your fish, dont feed too much, pick up a clean up crew of snails, etc..

 

[djcanis]

Its hair algae, I know the root cause in the tank, low flow in areas and too long of a light cycle, both have been addresses, but the stuff doesnt die off it seems, so...
I need advise on how to get the algae off of a piece of coral without damaging the coral...

 

[crypt keeper]

Turbo snails help as do emerald crabs and they are coral safe. What are your phosphate readings at and how long do you keep lights on for?

 

[djcanis]

I have 18 asterias in a 90 gal, 10 ninja and 8 turbo's they stick mostly to the glass, also have 20 hermits and 4 peppermint shrimp. Only fish are 2 3/4" true perc's so I dont feed much, maybe a pinch every 2 days or so... I had teh algae problem before teh fish, and before I fed anything anything... I had lights running 12 hours total, 96wt acatenic would come on at 9, 10,000K and dual 150 MH on at 10 off at 8 and then act off at 9... Have moved it to the same cycle only 8 hours instead of 12... Phosphates read 0 every test, last was monday...
I haev about 1250 gph in flow without counting the 500gph return on the sump which is currently off...
The snails and blenny are eating it slowly and with the new PH's and shorter light cycle I know it will clear up in time...
I'm just worried about the frag... It was clean when I got it, now you can barely see the polyps in the algae... When it gets to bad I scrub teh rock in a 5 gal bucket of salt mix, rinse in tank water from water changes and put back in the tank, but I dont want to scrup coral with a tooth brush...

 

[spanko]

You could always frag some of the may off the rock and put it on another pc. Then if the orignal does die at least you have some in another place.

 

[djcanis]

I was debating that, but I have never attempted to cut frags, it was a $10 buck piece from the LFS abrgin bin, but it was also my 1st coral ever... this is my first reef tank... So it does have a special place in my heart... lol

 

[big]

GSP's are pretty resilient........ One way like someone said to rid yourself of the hair, is to cut your light way back for several days. The hair will starve the GSP's won't..
I have patches that spring up all over. When I need to frag, move of get rid of the extra I just tear them. Within a few days that are like it never happened....... In the last year of so I started gluing the extra pieces to my back glass. Now they are all over it....