tx reef
Active Member
Why do tanks always seem to get hair algae (or other nuisance algae) and cyanobacteria outbreaks? I believe it is because of improperly maintained sandbeds and inadequate flow over sand and rocks.
Flow: People will readily tell you that you need so many gallons per hour of flow in your tank. What never seems to get talked about is where that flow should be directed. Just because all your corals are waving aroud oh so beautifully doesn't mean that your flow is directed in the right way. Powerheads should be positioned so that they keep detritus suspended and not allow large amounts to be pushed in to one area. This causes a huge nutrient sink that will eventually grow hair algae and/or cyano. Also, if your powerheads tend to push detritus to where it will settle behind rocks at the back of the tank, it will just continue to collect and then you know what can and will happen. Simply put, flow in your tank should be designed to keep detritus suspended as much as possible and at the very least not cause detritus to collect heavily in only a few areas.
Filtration: I know that not everyone can have an overflow or drilled tank (be it money or no space under tank, etc....). I would strongly suggest the use of either a sump with a good protein skimmer that is overrated for your tank or a refugium with macro algae, sand, more rock, etc...along with skimmer. Having a hang on back overflow or built in overflow allows suspended detritus to be removed quicker and taken to a skimmer and, if desired, macro algae. These filtration setups also add more water volume to your system which means more stability. I am not a fan of hang on back filters or canister filters, not because they are ineffective (they do work as they are supposed to if properly maintained) but because the intake on these filters is small. The do not have the capability to suck in detritus effectively, leaving much more to sit on the sand bed, behind rocks, or on top of rocks. I know that the purpose of having a sand bed is to break this stuff down, but when it all collects in just a few spots, how can the sand bed be effective?Just something to think about.
Maintenance: Rocks should be blown off at the very least twice a month. Detritus builds up on rock surfaces and makes a nice home for hair algae and cyano. It doesn't take much time to take a powerhead and blow off rocks while getting ready to do a water change. I would also recommend siphoning areas that have visible collections of detritus on the sand. Sumps and refugiums should be siphoned regularly to remove collections of detritus, also. HOB filters and canisters should be cleaned regularly and filter media changed regularly. When I had a canister I did this once a month.
I would also like to mention that excess water changes will not really (in most cases) help with getting rid of cyano and hair algae. Excess nutrients in the water do help it grow, but the nutrient sink at the base of where it is growing is the real culprit. Removal of the nutrient source where it is growing will stop it dead in its tracks. If you have a patch of hair algae, pull it off and then use a powerhead to blow off the section of rock it was attached to. You will be amazed at the amount of crap that comes off.
Anyway, I just had a large white chocolate mocha and needed to do something. I have to get back to work now.....
Flow: People will readily tell you that you need so many gallons per hour of flow in your tank. What never seems to get talked about is where that flow should be directed. Just because all your corals are waving aroud oh so beautifully doesn't mean that your flow is directed in the right way. Powerheads should be positioned so that they keep detritus suspended and not allow large amounts to be pushed in to one area. This causes a huge nutrient sink that will eventually grow hair algae and/or cyano. Also, if your powerheads tend to push detritus to where it will settle behind rocks at the back of the tank, it will just continue to collect and then you know what can and will happen. Simply put, flow in your tank should be designed to keep detritus suspended as much as possible and at the very least not cause detritus to collect heavily in only a few areas.
Filtration: I know that not everyone can have an overflow or drilled tank (be it money or no space under tank, etc....). I would strongly suggest the use of either a sump with a good protein skimmer that is overrated for your tank or a refugium with macro algae, sand, more rock, etc...along with skimmer. Having a hang on back overflow or built in overflow allows suspended detritus to be removed quicker and taken to a skimmer and, if desired, macro algae. These filtration setups also add more water volume to your system which means more stability. I am not a fan of hang on back filters or canister filters, not because they are ineffective (they do work as they are supposed to if properly maintained) but because the intake on these filters is small. The do not have the capability to suck in detritus effectively, leaving much more to sit on the sand bed, behind rocks, or on top of rocks. I know that the purpose of having a sand bed is to break this stuff down, but when it all collects in just a few spots, how can the sand bed be effective?Just something to think about.
Maintenance: Rocks should be blown off at the very least twice a month. Detritus builds up on rock surfaces and makes a nice home for hair algae and cyano. It doesn't take much time to take a powerhead and blow off rocks while getting ready to do a water change. I would also recommend siphoning areas that have visible collections of detritus on the sand. Sumps and refugiums should be siphoned regularly to remove collections of detritus, also. HOB filters and canisters should be cleaned regularly and filter media changed regularly. When I had a canister I did this once a month.
I would also like to mention that excess water changes will not really (in most cases) help with getting rid of cyano and hair algae. Excess nutrients in the water do help it grow, but the nutrient sink at the base of where it is growing is the real culprit. Removal of the nutrient source where it is growing will stop it dead in its tracks. If you have a patch of hair algae, pull it off and then use a powerhead to blow off the section of rock it was attached to. You will be amazed at the amount of crap that comes off.
Anyway, I just had a large white chocolate mocha and needed to do something. I have to get back to work now.....
