Algae pics

pepito113

pepito113

Member
So my tank is been up and running almost 3 months. I am trying to figure out the best way to fight this algae. My phosphate are a little on the high side. And I think it may be coming from my rocks too. I dont have any fish in the tank yet. The CUC is 5 snails and 10 red leg hermit crabs. Before this algae i didnt how much for the cuc so thats why I only got a few of them...
Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, nitrate 10ppm, ph 8.2, Phosphate 1.0ppm...Lights are 3 months old and I run them for 6 hours a day...
What is the actual name of this green algae so i can do more research. I dont think its green hair algae. Its very short and bright. Thank you..
Attachment 243007, Attachment 243008, Attachment 243009


 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

With a phosphate reading of 1.0 I expected the worst. Your tank looks just fine, I suspect the green could become hair algae if it were allowed to keep growing unchecked. Your CUC is doing a fine job.
Run some Purigen or Phosban to get the phosphates under control. You aren’t using tap water are you?
 
pepito113

pepito113

Member
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3274729

With a phosphate reading of 1.0 I expected the worst. Your tank looks just fine, I suspect the green could become hair algae if it were allowed to keep growing unchecked. Your CUC is doing a fine job.
Run some Purigen or Phosban to get the phosphates under control. You aren’t using tap water are you?

No. I am using r/o d/i... and that water I am using does not have any phosphate. I am sure some is coming from the food and some from the rocks that are leaking it. Well thats what I heard that rocks can leak phosphate...
So you think this is the beginning of green hair algae? I better get it under control now, before it gets worse...
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by pepito113
http:///forum/post/3274733
No. I am using r/o d/i... and that water I am using does not have any phosphate. I am sure some is coming from the food and some from the rocks that are leaking it. Well thats what I heard that rocks can leak phosphate...
So you think this is the beginning of green hair algae? I better get it under control now, before it gets worse...

You have the right kind of rock so it isn’t leaking phosphates. If you don’t have any fish, why are you feeding the tank? The CUC eats the algae so there is no reason to feed anything yet.
You don’t have an algae problem, everything is fine. Algae is a part of life with a fish tank. Yes, get the phosphates under control. You can do that by stop feeding a tank void of fish, and a good water change.
Your rock is going to change into all kinds of colors, even nasty brown. That is what your CUC lives on.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Actually things look pretty good to me.
The nitrates of 10 and phosphates of 1 is close to the redfield ratio of 16 nitrogens to 1 phosphate. Especially with the accuracy of hoppy test kits.
what should happen now is the algae will expand and both will come down probably following that ratio. say 5 nitrates 1/2 phosphate then 2.5 nitrates, 1/4 phosphate and so on. Hopefully the nice corraline will spread but you will probably get the uglier hair as well.
After nitrates and phosphates are unmeasureable, you may notice red slime (cyano) blooming. At that point kill the lights for a few days to kill off the slime. then adjust lighting to where the slime does not come back.
All of which is just my musing and worth at most .02
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
hopefully this algae will not "go away". It is conditioning and maintaining your system.
besides the nice pink corraline is desirable.
macro algaes hidden away in a fuge will help limit the ugiles in the display.
my .02
 
fretfreak13

fretfreak13

Active Member
I actually like the green algae, it adds a lot of pretty color besides the purple of coraline. I have a bit of it on my rocks and I love it, but it's VERY hard to get off of glass. If you see it anywhere, scrape it immediately because it'll build up and be a lot harder to get off than you'd think. I do not think it is the start of hair algae. I've had both in separate tanks. GHA is a lot darker, and as you said. When it starts, it's kind of fuzzy like moss. The green stuff is hard, right?
And yeah, don't let that red slime get to crazy. I'm embarrassed to show my 29 reef in pictures, and I use TAP water... lol
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
A lot of time coraline starts out as green....In my 54G...The whole back was a limeish green color....I knew it wasn't hair...and it was VERY hard to remove...so I left it on the sides and back....now it is pinking up and I know it is coraline
remember.....coraline is not always pink
 
ajroc31

ajroc31

Member
Why do people treat algae like is the worst thing ever? As long as you do not have hair algea you are fine. And not all algae that is green is hair algae. There are many benefits to having algae in the tank. Keep it in control, and you are ok.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by ajroc31
http:///forum/post/3275756
Why do people treat algae like is the worst thing ever? As long as you do not have hair algea you are fine. And not all algae that is green is hair algae. There are many benefits to having algae in the tank. Keep it in control, and you are ok.
so true, as long as you know what it is.......
 
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