green algae

[chadman]

i am having problems! the rocks in the center of my tank are nearly totally green now covered in green algae...what can i do? i know i should cut back on the amount of time i have my lights on which is 10 hours...but i have coral in my tank now and don't want to cut down on the light time for them...what should i do?

 

[cain420]

i just picked up some chaeto... a macroalgae... time to battle my algae problem..
i am sure you could put some into your tank, and it will use up the nutrients that the other algae thrives on.

 

[chadman]

cheato? is that a plant of sorts?

 

[cain420]

its a macroalgae.. heres a pic. uses up the nutrients that other algaes feed on.

 

[cain420]

that chunk was $10 at a not-so-local-fish-store
chaeto is short for Chaetomorpha

 

[chadman]

oh okay...i had some of that stuff but i thought it was hair algae and i took it all out...i don't have a fuge though...i just had it tucked under some rocks and such...they called it loose algae

 

[cain420]

lol who called it loose algae? if it looked like that, its chaetomorpha.. great for ridding systems of nutrients from what ive read..

 

[lion_crazz]

I agree. Chaeto works wonders in my fuge.

 

[chadman]

and it is just as effective in a tank if i do not have a fuge?

 

[cain420]

well, the best part is, it doesnt need anything to grow on.. might get tangled on the rocks, but thats still easy to pull out... itll grow and grow and grow, and u just keep it trimmed.. im sure the clean up crew will prolly munch on it too... not sure tho.

 

[chadman]

i am reading on a website about a small portion u can purchase...it says that is comes with all kinds of small critters and pods in it....and when i had it in my tank i don't believe that any of my clean up crew munched on it...but they could have eaten while i wasn't watching....

 

[chadman]

this is what it says about it: We've collected this Chaetomorpha from the Keys and it's the good thick hardy stuff. Recently, we've found it loaded with microfauna: Micro Stars, Bubble Snails, small clams, and some Medusa Worms. This Chaetomorpha comes to you in about a baseball sized portion. Each portion is a self contained refugium kit complete with detrivours and some pods.
would this be alright to put in my main tank i know the pods are good is all that other stuff good?

 

[cain420]

u can always pull it apart a little and rinse it with your tank water over a sink to rid it of critters..
some of the lil buggers might be bad. I am not sure about how good it does with shipping, so thats why i drove an hour to get some.. you can always check your phone book, or internet listings for a reef store, or check some lfs.. the one i got it from calls themselves a "min-reef", although they have TONS and TONS of corals! I didnt see anything mini about it, lol... check locally first, so u dont have to worry as much about the critters and stuff.

 

[chadman]

yeah i can't believe that they labeled it like that....i threw it out because it was before i new what hair algae really looked like....i guess i will have to pick some up again...