HELP! I have had it with this algae!!

cracker

cracker

Well-Known Member
Chitown, I agree that blasting or scrubbing causes a huge cloud in the water column .I try to siphon as much out as possible. It settles and makes a terrible mess. I'm tempted to remove the biopellets but I'm not sure that is the direct cause. I think this stuff has found a niche where it can thrive.\where others can't
Stir calls it "Ghost Algae" is this a recognized name? Also He understands it has a "Low nutrient level" . I agree with that! I want to research this stuff,
It looks terrible for sure,however I won't put additives in there. My goal is to experience the changes and figure out how to fix the root problems . Seriously Folks, this white stuff is nothing compared to before ! LOL
 
cracker

cracker

Well-Known Member
Chitown, I want to apologize for kind of jacking your thread..I have seen this stuff or something very similar before around mangrove roots further south here in Florida. I saw a pic PaulB recently posted somewhere.It was during his trip to the keys.I looked and can't find it. It looks like the same stuff.
 
StirCrayzy

StirCrayzy

Well-Known Member
I've just read about this a few years back because I thought I had it. I remember that designation by the pictures , but I don't know if that's officially a name, when I scanned through the RC thread linked here, I saw the same name and pictures.

It turned out what I had was bacterial slime caused by a fish that died in the rock. mine went away on it's own, but what i researched back then is very similar to what I see now being posted .
 
ChitownRomeo

ChitownRomeo

Active Member
I can confirm that I didn't have this algae until 1 started using distilled water and 2 added Microbacter7 which is a carbon source. For the last week I ran an test to see how this "algae" Works. Turned off the lights for 4 days..... Nothing, not even a dent. It seems to love flow. The little white hairs multiply if the current is strong. Dosed Purple Up to see if the added magnesium would do something plus it makes my coraline grow..... made a small dent. Took some of the rocks out and scrubbed the crap out of it and put it back in the tank. Only came back in some areas. I added 25 pounds of the same real reef rock in the tank and it has not spread to it. I am leaning towards this "Algae" is from carbon source overdosing. I have not scrubbed the rock or added any Microbacter7 and the new rocks are still slime free going on a week. Going to try Dr Tims Waste Away just to help get rid of whatever is in the rocks the bacteria is consuming. If that doesn't work I'll try Api Algaefix. Ill post my results.
 
Paul B

Paul B

Well-Known Member
[QUOTE=" before around mangrove roots further south here in Florida. I saw a pic PaulB recently posted somewhere.It was during his trip to the keys.I looked and can't find it. It looks like the same stuff.[/QUOTE]
 
ChitownRomeo

ChitownRomeo

Active Member
Well after a few water changes and skimming heavy and wet, running LOTS of carbon, the ghost algae is starting to receed alot. I didn't add any chemicals other than Purple Up to boost the Coraline. Maybe the magnesium in it drove the algae back I have no idea. I didn't brush it off cause if you do it spreads like wildfire. I used a baster to clean the rocks off, Water change, skimmed very wet and carbon. Looking alot better! Still some there but we all know nothing happens fast in this hobby.

Ghost Algae about 70% gone and tank is looking much better.
11b6w06.jpg


166jdba.jpg

Sorry for the real bright pics lol. Using my cell phone

2j1a41z.jpg
 
D

DaveK

Well-Known Member
ChitownRomeo said:
Well after a few water changes and skimming heavy and wet, running LOTS of carbon, the ghost algae is starting to receed alot. I didn't add any chemicals other than Purple Up to boost the Coraline. Maybe the magnesium in it drove the algae back I have no idea. I didn't brush it off cause if you do it spreads like wildfire. I used a baster to clean the rocks off, Water change, skimmed very wet and carbon. Looking alot better! Still some there but we all know nothing happens fast in this hobby.

Ghost Algae about 70% gone and tank is looking much better....
Click to expand...

This is good news.

I want everyone that has algae issues to note that the "war against nuisance algaes" can be won, but it does take some work and effort. Also note that no algae killing additives were used.
 
cracker

cracker

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the pic Paul B. I would think that if One was to shake the roots or stir it up ,the same stuff would come off creating a cloud . Nice tank Chitown Gives me hope that Your's is clearing up. Also, that Mermaid is looking hot!
 
ChitownRomeo

ChitownRomeo

Active Member
HAHAH!! She used to look way better ;) I wasn't going to add the ship but my daughter (who is 9) was sad if I didn't. She leaned in school that sunken ships add homes to fish and corals. So I added it. I think it looks nice since it looks like it has been sunk for a while and not all cheesy. Plus the zoas are growing like mad on it.
 
ChitownRomeo

ChitownRomeo

Active Member
Well I'm losing the battle. Now this "Ghost Algae" is covering everything. It's not harming the corals but it's on all the rocks and power heads....

29z55yu.jpg
 
Stephane Cote

Stephane Cote

Active Member
been following this thread myself and wow.. that really sucks. i guess u already went over the phosphate levels?

is that snail eating it?
 
spiraling

spiraling

Well-Known Member
Ha! I finally found a thread about what is plaguing my frag tank. I've had it about a month or two and its getting worse. The stuff covers and smothers frags. I've been taking them out and scrubbing them, which they don't like, and the frag plugs still feel slimy after. And it smells a bit rotten like cyano. And it comes back fast.

I came across this article yesterday
part 1 http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/mystery-white-reef-slime
part 2 http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/mystery-white-reef-slime-part-ii
part 3 http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/mystery-white-reef-slime-part-iii

I've ordered the stuff they recommended and I'll let you know how it goes. I did try some chemi clean this week and it did nothing. My Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, phosphate parameters are all 0, but I use the API test kits so I only have that accuracy.

But what I am trying to piece together is how I got it. First my tank crashed one day. The night before it seemed fine, but I wasn't messing with it or looking closely. The next morning it was brown water and a lot of lost corals. I did some emergency water changes that day and the next which salvaged some corals. Only a couple look good, the rest look stressed or half rotted away but alive. That was about 4-5 months ago. I don't really know what caused the crash. I've always suspected some chemical got in somehow, like on my hands while feeding maybe? But I never really know. Maybe one of the corals stung another and caused Armageddon. But I suspect that incident stressed the tank enough for this algae / bacteria to start.

After that I have been running activated carbon (dry in a bag). I have also been feeding less. I lost an emerald crab, a peppermint shrimp, and probably snails and hermits in the ordeal as well, so with the slowly dying corals I was feeding less to keep the water from fouling. There are no fish in the tank. I do run a protein skimmer and dose vodka somewhat sporadically but in very low doses. One odd thing is that after almost a year I don't have any coraline on the rocks in this tank. I've even seeded it with rocks from the DT.

So if I read the information in the thread correctly I want to continue with WC and activated carbon. Then maybe feed just a bit more to get the nutrients to rise? Other thoughts for control?
 
Snelly40

Snelly40

Well-Known Member
wow great links... remind me to never use alcohol based carpet cleaners nor have many air fresheners near the tank haha... great info!!
 
SantaMonica

SantaMonica

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
Don't forget the basics of Nutrient Export:

What do all algae (and cyano too) need to survive? Nutrients. What are nutrients? Ammonia/ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and urea are the major ones. Which ones cause most of the algae in your tank? These same ones. Why can't you just remove these nutrients and eliminate all the algae in your tank? Because these nutrients are the result of the animals you keep.

So how do your animals "make" these nutrients? Well a large part the nutrients comes from pee (urea). Pee is very high in urea and ammonia, and these are a favorite food of algae and some bacteria. This is why your glass will always need cleaning; because the pee hits the glass before anything else, and algae on the glass consume the ammonia and urea immediately (using photosynthesis) and grow more. In the ocean and lakes, phytoplankton consume the ammonia and urea in open water, and seaweed consume it in shallow areas, but in a tank you don't have enough space or water volume for this, and, your other filters or animals often remove or kill the phytoplankton or seaweed anyway. So, the nutrients stay in your tank.

Then, the ammonia/ammonium hits your rocks, and the periphyton on the rocks consumes more ammonia and urea. Periphyton is both algae and animals, and is the reason your rocks change color after a few weeks from when they were new. Then the ammonia goes inside the rock, or hits your sand, and bacteria there convert it into nitrite and nitrate. However, the nutrients are still in your tank.

Also let's not forget phosphate, which comes from solid organic food particles. When these particles are eaten by microbes and clean up crews, the organic phosphorus in them is converted into phosphate. However, the nutrients are still in your tank.

So whenever you have algae or cyano "problems", you simply have not exported enough nutrients out of your tank compared to how much you have been feeding (note: live rock can absorb phosphate for up to a year, making it seem like there was never a problem. Then after a year, there is a problem).

So just increase your nutrient exports. You could also reduce feeding, and this has the same effect, but it's certainly not fun when you want to feed your animals :)
 
cracker

cracker

Well-Known Member
About 3 weeks ago removed the biopellet reactor and stopped using Vita Chem added to the food. This white stuff showed up about the same time I started using the vita chem. Is it a cause or coincidence I don't know. Also I have been doing serious blasting and water changes. I will stop using both for a while to see what happens. After 2 weeks it "seems" the stuff hasn't come back so quickly.
 
cracker

cracker

Well-Known Member
Hello Spiraling, Have You gone thru with the additive? How's it working? I keep blasting and running socks after about 20 mins The socks are clogged. and water changesThanks
 
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