bubbles and algea hair lots
- Thread starter ace223
- Start date
fedukeford
Active Member
whats your phosphate level? the air bubbles could be from some lose pipeing or a powerhead too close to the surface...
Jordan
Jordan
miaheatlvr
Active Member
Originally Posted by ace223
is that the reason for the algea growing back so fast, no water curucltion.
Do a simple search for phosphates and control, there are thousands of posts, the bubbles could be trapped released gases or bubble algae OR bubbles from aeration of some source, WATER FLOW IS NOT your cause of phosphates.
is that the reason for the algea growing back so fast, no water curucltion.
Do a simple search for phosphates and control, there are thousands of posts, the bubbles could be trapped released gases or bubble algae OR bubbles from aeration of some source, WATER FLOW IS NOT your cause of phosphates.
fedukeford
Active Member
What kind of water are you useing for water changes? if its tap, switch to RO or RODI and that should solve a BIG part of the algea problem
miaheatlvr
Active Member
Originally Posted by ace223
can anyone help me?
Make sure you are using RO/DI water, you need to cut back on feeding once every other day, Nitrate and phosphate are feeding the algae, GOOD clean-up crew! Can you introduce some kind macro-algae? What size tank do you have? Lawnmower Blenny if you have the right size tank and peramters and you feel like you want to maintain this fish longterm. KEEP UP WITH YOUR WATER CHANGES!
can anyone help me?
Make sure you are using RO/DI water, you need to cut back on feeding once every other day, Nitrate and phosphate are feeding the algae, GOOD clean-up crew! Can you introduce some kind macro-algae? What size tank do you have? Lawnmower Blenny if you have the right size tank and peramters and you feel like you want to maintain this fish longterm. KEEP UP WITH YOUR WATER CHANGES!
miaheatlvr
Active Member
Originally Posted by ace223
what's macro-algea? I just bought a clean-up crew from saltwater.com, i got a 34 gallon red sea max. I change my 10% of my water a week, pre mixed saltwater from *****. i cut back feeding them from 2 times a day to once a day,how do you test your phosphate?
Clean-up crew: Excellent!
Maybe up your water changes too twice a week pending results of your tests especially Phosphates and Nitrates.
By a PHOSPHATE kit
DO a check of the ***** water you are the second person today whos has told me of ALGAE problems and nitrate and phosphate problems due to ***** water, Innocent until proven guilty, though.
FEED EVERY OTHER DAY! PLEASE, especially with your Phos and Trate problems.
Macro algae, Like chaetomorpha algae WILL absorb and consume your Trates and Phosphates.
Do a search in the search box or MORE info!
what's macro-algea? I just bought a clean-up crew from saltwater.com, i got a 34 gallon red sea max. I change my 10% of my water a week, pre mixed saltwater from *****. i cut back feeding them from 2 times a day to once a day,how do you test your phosphate?
Clean-up crew: Excellent!
Maybe up your water changes too twice a week pending results of your tests especially Phosphates and Nitrates.
By a PHOSPHATE kit
DO a check of the ***** water you are the second person today whos has told me of ALGAE problems and nitrate and phosphate problems due to ***** water, Innocent until proven guilty, though.
FEED EVERY OTHER DAY! PLEASE, especially with your Phos and Trate problems.
Macro algae, Like chaetomorpha algae WILL absorb and consume your Trates and Phosphates.
Do a search in the search box or MORE info!
jba6511
Member
it sounds like you might have cyano bacteria if the algae is red and slimey with bubbles. Do a search for more info, but basically all you can do is watch your phosphates (your food you are feeding might be a source as well as the type of water you are using), increase flow to the areas it is forming, reducing lighting, and cut back on your feedings. If your tank is new, this can be expected. As far as riding hair algae, the sea hare will take care of it as it eats HA. You can also manually pull the HA out and let mexican turbo snails go to town on it. Emerald crabs have also been known to eat HA. I use phosguard in my Aqua clear that I have converted to a fudge. This is easy to do (making the fudge) and will allow you to place some chaeto in there as well as Live Rock Rubble to help with filtration. The chaeto will also out compete the algae for its food source over time. Finally, after doing everything you can, I resorted to a 3 day blackout. This is a thread on reefcentral by aquabucket with many members reporting success. Basically, you siphon out as much algae as you can and then kill the lighting for 3 days. At the end of the 3 days, siphon out whats left (should be greatly reduced) and do a water change. Of course, make sure your corals can handle this if you have any. Some people aslo use chemi-clean and red slime remover, but the algae can be controlled without there use IMO. Post a pic so we can get a def. on what you have. Hope this helps.
miaheatlvr
Active Member
Originally Posted by ace223
i got a phosphate test kit, here are my readings.
phosphate 0.3
nitrate 5
now in my tank has red algea strings it seem to get worse by the day, kill all the lights. i'm lost now what?
Thats not bad,, whats in your tank? and how big is it? and whats your bio-load? Think about adding some macro-algae in the near future..
i got a phosphate test kit, here are my readings.
phosphate 0.3
nitrate 5
now in my tank has red algea strings it seem to get worse by the day, kill all the lights. i'm lost now what?
Thats not bad,, whats in your tank? and how big is it? and whats your bio-load? Think about adding some macro-algae in the near future..
michaeltx
Moderator
hair algae is a real bad nussience.
here are a couple things to find out before you can come up with a plan of attack.
1) where is the phosphates coming from- source water, water change water, top off water, foods,
check your source water ask ***** for a sample of just plain old water that they use to make up their saltwater
check the made up water some salts can even have phosphates and such in them
check the water that you use to top off the tank with.
Food what type of foods do you feed. some foods like frozen foods can have phosphates as additives to keep the foods fresh.
2) what type of lighting and how long is your photo period.
keep the lights on to long will help the algae growing
lights of the wrong spectrum or intensity can give the algae fuel to grow.
There really isnt anything that eats hair algae though once you figure out how the fuel is getting in there and stop that then you can start attacking the alage itself. The best way is to pull out as much as possible and scrub any rocks that you can to get it off of them. then the clean up crew can help you keep up with it aswell. most fish and inverts wont eat algae over a certain lenght though so harvesting it as much as possible will help keep it as low as possible.
HTH
Mike
here are a couple things to find out before you can come up with a plan of attack.
1) where is the phosphates coming from- source water, water change water, top off water, foods,
check your source water ask ***** for a sample of just plain old water that they use to make up their saltwater
check the made up water some salts can even have phosphates and such in them
check the water that you use to top off the tank with.
Food what type of foods do you feed. some foods like frozen foods can have phosphates as additives to keep the foods fresh.
2) what type of lighting and how long is your photo period.
keep the lights on to long will help the algae growing
lights of the wrong spectrum or intensity can give the algae fuel to grow.
There really isnt anything that eats hair algae though once you figure out how the fuel is getting in there and stop that then you can start attacking the alage itself. The best way is to pull out as much as possible and scrub any rocks that you can to get it off of them. then the clean up crew can help you keep up with it aswell. most fish and inverts wont eat algae over a certain lenght though so harvesting it as much as possible will help keep it as low as possible.
HTH
Mike
michaeltx
Moderator
Originally Posted by MiaHeatLvr
Thats not bad,, whats in your tank? and how big is it? and whats your bio-load? Think about adding some macro-algae in the near future..
mia the problem with hair algae is that even though you its only testing as .5 the algae itself as it eats up the algae will hold it in. You can be adding it and the algae using it up as fast as it gets added causeing a massive growth spike but still test at little or nothing on the phosphates.
mike
Thats not bad,, whats in your tank? and how big is it? and whats your bio-load? Think about adding some macro-algae in the near future..
mia the problem with hair algae is that even though you its only testing as .5 the algae itself as it eats up the algae will hold it in. You can be adding it and the algae using it up as fast as it gets added causeing a massive growth spike but still test at little or nothing on the phosphates.
mike