Pics my algae problem. Need help

[pituca]

Hey thank you all for all your help, they seem all great.

I have had this lights up an on for about 2.5 months. I like the Idea of the Urchin and the Fox Face, Would it be bad having to wait for the fish in the Q.T. for three weeks. Some one Tuesday of last week gave me a Dwarf Flame Angel. I didn't want to put anything in there with him in the QT

. But if i have to I will. I think I will definitely get the Crabs and Urchins. As long as it is okay with my boss-girlfriend.

Does any one know how many I should get for a 125 tank? Also how do I set up a fuge :notsure:
Thanks again :joy:

 

[ant11899]

I recommend a lawnmower blenny. One got rid of all of our hair algae and has maintained it for over a year.

 

[sahuarita]

How old is the light fixture and what kind of lights are they?

 

[pituca]

The light is a Coralife Lunar Aqualights Compact Fluorescent Strip Lights. 72" 384 watt (4-96 watt) 34" Square Pin 5-3/4-watt Appropriate number of Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LEDs with Actinic and 10000°K bulbs
I bought the light in mid June of this year but have only really started using them since late september after the rocks fully cured. I have been looking for some Urchings around here in NY (Westchester), but all Lfs stores around here have sold them out.

I have been leaving the light on for about 8 hours then turning on the LED

 

[bad venom]

Hey Pituca, where abouts you live in westchester. I work for ConEd in the Bronx/Westchester. I know the problem you are going through I have the same problem and purchase some clean up crew for my tank at saltwaterfish.com. And they are doing an excellant job so far.

I know some LFS you might know or not. But love to check other LFS to see what they have. Nice setup you have there. PM me.

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by Pituca
The light is a Coralife Lunar Aqualights Compact Fluorescent Strip Lights. 72" 384 watt (4-96 watt) 34" Square Pin 5-3/4-watt Appropriate number of Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LEDs with Actinic and 10000°K bulbs
I bought the light in mid June of this year but have only really started using them since late september after the rocks fully cured. I have been looking for some Urchings around here in NY (Westchester), but all Lfs stores around here have sold them out.

I have been leaving the light on for about 8 hours then turning on the LED
if you want to travel some to get near hartford CT let me know, im about to hand in my excess urchins and get shafted by my lfs again. i'd rather trade with someone that can use them than give them to someone who's going to sell them for $45 and not give me anything. email me mjwag1975$cox.net
i have your same lights btw, and i didnt have any hair algae growht that wasn't unmanagable. there's gotta be something else wrong with your system.

 

[symon]

I am thinking that you had the hair alge on the LR , once you got it in your tank you lights activated it again! If you don't have any corals in there cut back your lights, I have a lawnmower blenny, plenty of mexican turbos they never did a thing for my hair alge!
But cutting back my lighting schedual and weekly water changes helped considerably!
BTW Mine is caused mostly by over feeding, I get up at 430 am feed the fish before i left for work, the wife gets up at 530 and feeds them again, the kids walk by and the fish look hungry and they feed them again even!
Then i hear, what are you doing to the tank it's all covered in alge!
I found out what was going on when i was home sick one day!
So THE LAW IS , IF YOU FEED MY FISH I BREAK YOUR ARM!

 

[sonnyg]

quick question....... what is the substrate? aragonite or sand?... and since you dont have corals you can do this.worked for me years ago. algae needs food and light to live. turn the lights out and cover the tank for 48 hours cover it with a black plastic bag= no light after 48 hours clean the affected rock in new salt water. then back the feedings off... oh btw what kind of food. feed your fish not your algae. and back the lights off by about an hour a day.. just a thought

 

[cdnreef]

nice tank almost the same as my old one. I had the same problem for some time what did it for me was 1 yellow tang , 1 flame angel & a bunch of emerald crabs with in a few days almost all of the hair algee was gone
good luck

 

[crox]

I will use a lettuce nudi or a sea hare.

 

[crox]

Nice job for your first time.

 

[crox]

Originally Posted by Pituca
Late April early May I got a tank for an unbelievable price the tank and stand (metal) was cheaper then most 75gal.

How much did you pay for the stand/tank combo? If you don't mind asking. :thinking:

 

[bojik]

If you still have your algae problem. Try an short spined urchin. (many trade names for them) They clean clear to the rock without leaving algae floaters. Though they bumble around randomly... Rainfords gobies love it BUT are not suited for control of it they are too small to dent the overgrowth much. Blennies do good on it. A small blennie like the "Two Spot Bimaculatus Blenny" one name for that one. Does well i hear placid albeit a little small for your tank. The horned blennie if i remember the name right would be a better choice. They get about the size of a alage/sailfin blennie, BUT have a better attitude. If you plan on a tang of some kind they will graze on it as well. Sailfins ,for instance, aslo seem to LOVE grape culerpa.

 

[pituca]

Today I went to a LFS that i had not been to before it was near by in Greenwich CT. When I told them of my problem they strongly recommended me to get a Sea hare, a large Pincushion Urchin (that is what they called it, it looks like a orange Tuxedo), and 3 2’ Mexican Turbo snails. It was the only store I have found around here actually caring any kind of Cru station, so I got it, thought the final price tag was $80.00. I have just put them on now after acclimating them. I think I will need to get more, but lets see how they do.

I am also going to try the Light process, thanks CDNREEF "turn the lights out and cover the tank for 48 hours cover it with a black plastic bag= no light after 48 hours clean the affected rock in new salt water. then back the feedings off... oh btw what kind of food. feed your fish not your algae." I feed My P. P. Krill and the Goby some pellets and the rest of the krill P.P lets slip. I am 2 weeks with a flame angel in my QT right now and don't want to get another fish right now because I can't wait to see the little angel in the big tank.

Thanks every one I will post some picks of the new stuff soon.
By the way I paid $235.00 for just tank and stand the 75gal would have been $300 with the stand

 

[pituca]

Okay this is what I got "Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand" 60 pounds and 40 pounds of the same stuff but live. I got it online

 

[renogaw]

check your food for phsophates. if you're feeding them frozen food, most likely they are FULL of them. never drop the cube directly into the tank. put your pellets into a cup of saltwater over night, then check the water for phosphates. if you get any stop using them or use them sparingly.

 

[symon]

I finally got so annoyed with my hair alge, i broke down my whole tank, Scrubbed all the hair alge off the rocks and rinsed it is fresh saltwater and put it back in the tank! (fingers crossed) Hope i didn't cause a huge cycle!

 

[monalisa]

Ugh...I battled that cr*p for months. Is your tank in direct sunlight? That could also be the cause. Other than that, I pretty much took the advice of the good people on the boards here and did what they suggested...less light time, fewer/less feeding, strictly RO water. Eventually I was able to beat the nasty green monster. I even went in and just picked the cr*p off the rocks by hand on a regular basis. Nothing will happen overnight...nothing in this hobby does...but just enjoy the little triumphs.
Best of luck.
Lisa :happyfish

 

[pituca]

Okay so as I said I went out and got 1Urchin, 3 large Turbo mexican snails and one Sea hare. :happyfish Well after 1 day there has been some improcement let me show you. :cheer: :cheer: First the sea Urchin.

 

[pituca]

Now from the side of the Sea hare, though I can't find him right now thatthe beautifull animal. (the first 2 pics) I really love him

:jumping:
the rest are I think the work of the snails