Hair Algae?

[Pat24601]

Therapy the pictures in Hawaii were I think off Lanai or Kauai. Hawaii is more of a volcanic Island and there is no great coral formations there although there is coral. I found crown of Thorn starfish all over the place killing corals. I have no idea what the water parameters are there. I am sure the volcanoes play havoc with the place. The middle picture was the Florida keys. No coral there either. I am not sure why but I think the water is to turbid which causes a lack of light. There is plenty of coral there in deeper water away from the Islands.

Here is that spot in Hawaii from a helicopter. This Island has no industry and very little tourism. There is not much of anything there for 6,000 miles so I don't think nitrates would be a problem.


This picture would show my point better. I took this because, if you look close, a spotted moray eel is in the center. That is a coral head covered in algae. That is generally how it looks there. Coral encased in algae. The coral seems healthy as does the algae. I have dove all over the world and no matter where you go, you will find herbivores. You find them because algae is growing and they are keeping it to short to see. In the Caymans you also see all sorts of algae because it is a natural part of every ocean. We as aquarists see it as a harbinger of doom but I think we should re think this.


These Manatees are all over the Florida Keys and eat an enormous amount of algae to keep up their massive weight. It even grows on them. Make a great clean up crew I would imagine. They have been there thousands of years before pollution and I am sure they were eating algae then also. These are just my observations from many years of looking at this stuff. I realize most people feel I am wrong. But they are re-hashing old tales from other people who also heard it from rumors. I try to prove my ideas through pictures if I can. But as I always say. I am not the God of fish, or algae.

I totally want a manatee as my clean up crew! I love manatees.

 

[Therapy]

I don't care what anyone says. NOT having a Manatee in my tank! EVER!!!! LOL

 

[Pat24601]

Does lettuce grow in our tanks?

 

[MatroxD]

Paul B:

Actually, I agree with you. Over the years I have had massive battles with all kinds of algea. The one annoying thing I learned, and am still learning, is exactly what your saying.. Your never, ever going to completely eliminate "all" of it "everywhere.. Even the most beautiful systems have some form of algea(slime, film, hair, turf, etc), even if it's hidden on a rock, or, being aware that people will see their tank, an individual cleans up the system..

I chose about 5 years ago to embrace the pain fully, and go about controlling where it is going to be. After many failures, I have a system down.. I simply use the sump.. It can look like hells kitchen as far as I'm concerned.. Seriously.. As long as my display doesn't look crazy, I'm ok with it..

Like right now,I have some ugly hair algea mixed in with my cheato growth.. It's annoying from the standpoint of its mingling in with the cheato that I enjoy growing, but at the same time, I can't have everything all the time.. And.. I am the one that created it, so I'm just going to have to wait it out.. But my display, not a single drop or strand anywhere.. And because I have so much light on the sump(fuge area), it won't take long to rebound and eat up all the excess gunk.. My sticks still look good and are growing, so I'm ok with getting in there once or twice a week, pulling the mess and scraping the glass..

So your not alone.. There are a few mad scientist like myself that accept that at some point it's going to happen.. It doesn't happen often.. I just don't want to be discouraged anymore to the point of not maintaining the system and life..

So in a way, I'm right with you as being looked at as wrong by many also..

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[Paul B]

MatroxD, You agree with me! That is scary, no one agrees with me. It boggles my mind because anyone who dives will see algae. I know many aquarists also dive. Algae is normal and instead of thinking of it as the enemy, we should be thinking about how we can use this wonderful, natural thing to our benefit. many of us like to be able to buy something to eliminate what we perceive as a threat. The more we spend, the better we feel it will help with our "problem". Algae is free, it's more than free and it has the ability to purify the water as no chemical can. And besides purifying the water it may also make the water healthier. Have you ever seen a goldfish Pond? It gets so much healthier after algae starts to grow than when it is first started with clean water. I wonder why.
Algae will eliminate harmful substances while leaving healthful things. It is also food to many of the things we are trying to keep. My tank, under the overhangs and rocks has a coating of algae/detritus growth that is loaded with pods and worms. My mandarins, pipefish and ruby red dragonettes constantly spawn. They constantly graze this stuff and hate to find clean barren rock. The pipefish know that hunting near patches of algae are the best places to find a meal. Most people get nervous if they see some algae, I get nervous if it all dies.

 

[Paul B]

I totally want a manatee as my clean up crew! I love manatees.

You can have a manatee for a clean up crew, but it is difficult to get rid of the plastic bag they come in.

 

[Adrienne]

Thanks.

I ended up getting a small Reef Octopus reactor that fits in the rear sump. I'm running Bio Pellets in there at the moment to see how that goes and also while I track down the GFO options I have.


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Very interested. Which reactor did you get and where have you placed it?

 

[MatroxD]

MatroxD, You agree with me! That is scary, no one agrees with me. It boggles my mind because anyone who dives will see algae. I know many aquarists also dive. Algae is normal and instead of thinking of it as the enemy, we should be thinking about how we can use this wonderful, natural thing to our benefit. many of us like to be able to buy something to eliminate what we perceive as a threat. The more we spend, the better we feel it will help with our "problem". Algae is free, it's more than free and it has the ability to purify the water as no chemical can. And besides purifying the water it may also make the water healthier. Have you ever seen a goldfish Pond? It gets so much healthier after algae starts to grow than when it is first started with clean water. I wonder why.
Algae will eliminate harmful substances while leaving healthful things. It is also food to many of the things we are trying to keep. My tank, under the overhangs and rocks has a coating of algae/detritus growth that is loaded with pods and worms. My mandarins, pipefish and ruby red dragonettes constantly spawn. They constantly graze this stuff and hate to find clean barren rock. The pipefish know that hunting near patches of algae are the best places to find a meal. Most people get nervous if they see some algae, I get nervous if it all dies.

I tell you, not the first time I've been considered scary! Lol..

And simply put, your post is "why" I love algea.. The life it fosters.. Along with the massive quantity! I swear my sump looks like ifs own little micro world.. And as the system matures, it only becomes more and more interesting to me.. And like you said, ultra free food! A actually saw one of my Tangs picking off a big pod two days ago. The tusk and wrasse are always eating them also, and it goes without saying my Mandarin is slightly chubby..

But yes, anytime my algea ceases to flourish in my "incubation chamber", I begin to panic...

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[Paul B]

There is this big box and the majority of people want to stay in the nice box because everyone has been in there for so long. But if you get out of the box, there is an entirely other world that runs on common sense instead of rumors. It's like when you see those hair restorer or fat removal commercials. After the treatment, you automatically also have better clothes, a nicer car and better looking friends. It's amazing. OK, Bad analogy.

 

[Trinny]

Very interested. Which reactor did you get and where have you placed it?

I bought the smallest reactor I could find, it's the Reef Octopus Beginner Media Reactor. The cylinder is where the media rack was and then I ran the tube to the other side of the tank with the little pump.

 

[Adrienne]

Is this the one? Will look into when I get back from overseas. I'll have to get it in but I see these guys ship to NZ. So you have no other media in the tank now?

 

[Trinny]

Is this the one? Will look into when I get back from overseas. I'll have to get it in but I see these guys ship to NZ. So you have no other media in the tank now?

 

[Therapy]

Perhaps there is another avenue that we must look at as far as Algae growth. This supports different views on said growth. Water movement.

"Areas where this detritus builds up also become prime breeding grounds for algal blooms. Good water movement within a reef tank will keep this detritus in suspension long enough so that much of it can be removed by the filtration system or so that it settles in the sump where it can be removed later.

Good water movement can help eliminate or reduce algae in areas where it has become established. In one instance, a colony of green star polyps was covered by a thick mat of hair algae, which was slowly killing the colony.

After removing as much algae as I could, I placed it in another tank next to a similar colony that was thriving. Shortly after, the polyps opened and within two weeks, the algae was no longer a problem.

The only difference between the tanks was that the star polyps were exposed to a vigorous current and lowered nutrient levels." - Mike Paletta 2007
Full thread here. https://reefbuilders.com/2007/08/14/adding-waves-to-your-saltwater-aquarium/

Just a thought for debate.

 

[MatroxD]

Perhaps there is another avenue that we must look at as far as Algae growth. This supports different views on said growth. Water movement.

"Areas where this detritus builds up also become prime breeding grounds for algal blooms. Good water movement within a reef tank will keep this detritus in suspension long enough so that much of it can be removed by the filtration system or so that it settles in the sump where it can be removed later.

Good water movement can help eliminate or reduce algae in areas where it has become established. In one instance, a colony of green star polyps was covered by a thick mat of hair algae, which was slowly killing the colony.

After removing as much algae as I could, I placed it in another tank next to a similar colony that was thriving. Shortly after, the polyps opened and within two weeks, the algae was no longer a problem.

The only difference between the tanks was that the star polyps were exposed to a vigorous current and lowered nutrient levels." - Mike Paletta 1977
Full thread here. https://reefbuilders.com/2007/08/14/adding-waves-to-your-saltwater-aquarium/

Just a thought for debate.

I will dispute that.. Simply from a sps tank experience level.. Vigorous water moment(and and I have been running in my sps reef in excess of 13000gph recently) does "not" stop hair and other algea growth or formation..

I made a mistake a few weeks back, and I got a few tiny hairs of algea on a few sand pebbles.. It's not much, and not anything that probably of people would notice, but I utterly cannot stand hair or slime algea in my display..

My nutrients stay low, but I accidentally dumped my skimmer collection cup back into the sump(i had an overflow), and I knew something was going to crop up.. Like I said, it is hardly noticeable, and I'm just a little insane about it, and I look at every rock, every nook and cranny that I can in the display, and on the sand, in one little corner, and even on my 180, I have worked hard over time to run that much flow, and not get a sand monsoon in it(it hasn't been at all easy). But though I can clearly see water swirling in that spot, just like everywhere else throughout the tank, there are a few strands.. And my nutrient levels are undetectable..

So flow, just like in the case of cyano, and I do have very, very extreme flow going through that tank, doesn't negate algal growth if things get a little out of whack..

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