algae growth

[Brandon]

Hello.

I have a year old reef tank with not too much in it. Lately, one of the
rocks has been growing a big "beard" of green stringy algae. The hermit
crabs don't seem interested in it. I think it's starting to spread to
the other rocks, and I really don't want a tank full of green stuff.

Any ideas of why this is starting to happen? Anything I can do?

It's a 30 gal tank with some live rock, couple of clowns, 3 chromis,
bunch of hermit crabs, a shrimp, a blue star, and another fish that I
forgot its name. All basic tests are normal.

thanks,
Brandon.

[Wayne Sallee]

You can reach down and try to pull it out. Can you
take a picture of it and post it on a web site?

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


Brandon wrote on 6/6/2007 12:28 PM:
> Hello.
>
> I have a year old reef tank with not too much in it. Lately, one of the
> rocks has been growing a big "beard" of green stringy algae. The hermit
> crabs don't seem interested in it. I think it's starting to spread to
> the other rocks, and I really don't want a tank full of green stuff.
>
> Any ideas of why this is starting to happen? Anything I can do?
>
> It's a 30 gal tank with some live rock, couple of clowns, 3 chromis,
> bunch of hermit crabs, a shrimp, a blue star, and another fish that I
> forgot its name. All basic tests are normal.
>
> thanks,
> Brandon.

[George Patterson]

Brandon wrote:
> It seems like a lot of work to pull all this out. I'm hoping to prevent
> it from happening again even if I do get rid of it.

Take a look at http://saltaquarium.about.com/b/a/005249.htm

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
to anything.

[Wayne Sallee]

Brandon, Brandon, Brandon, :-) If you want people to
see your posts, don't attach files to a non-binary
newsgroup.

A lot of servers filter out attachments made on
non-binary newsgroups. Don't attach pictures to
non-binary newsgroups. Instead put them on a web
page, and post a link to that web page.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


George Patterson wrote on 6/6/2007 10:52 PM:
> Brandon wrote:
>> It seems like a lot of work to pull all this out. I'm hoping to
>> prevent it from happening again even if I do get rid of it.
>
> Take a look at http://saltaquarium.about.com/b/a/005249.htm
>
> George Patterson
> If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
> to anything.

[Brandon]

Sorry. The binary post that I tested before worked - I just figured
everyone could do the same if it wasn't too big a file size.

Anyway, turns out to be hair algae. My nitrates are low, so I assume
it's a phosphate thing. I don't have a test for that though. I've
already turned my light cycles down - I was previously running them for
12 hours.

I tried to find some mangrove plants in town (Vancouver area) - but
nobody seems to carry them. I'll try removing the hair from the rocks,
and then a partial water change.

Brandon.

Wayne Sallee wrote:
> Brandon, Brandon, Brandon, :-) If you want people to see your posts,
> don't attach files to a non-binary newsgroup.
>
> A lot of servers filter out attachments made on non-binary newsgroups.
> Don't attach pictures to non-binary newsgroups. Instead put them on a
> web page, and post a link to that web page.
>
> Wayne Sallee
> Wayne's Pets
>
>
> George Patterson wrote on 6/6/2007 10:52 PM:
>> Brandon wrote:
>>> It seems like a lot of work to pull all this out. I'm hoping to
>>> prevent it from happening again even if I do get rid of it.
>>
>> Take a look at http://saltaquarium.about.com/b/a/005249.htm
>>
>> George Patterson
>> If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
>> to anything.

[KurtG]

Welcome to the club. There's a few of us fighting this including myself.

Reduce feedings, Water changes, phosphate reactor, dose kalkwasser, and
setup a fug with chaeto. Do gentle scrubbing to remove hair algae and
then use mechanical filtration (floss fabric) to remove it. I'm setting
up a fug now.

I've gone from a complete jungle to maybe 50% of the rocks covered in
about 3 months.

--Kurt



Brandon wrote:
> Sorry. The binary post that I tested before worked - I just figured
> everyone could do the same if it wasn't too big a file size.
>
> Anyway, turns out to be hair algae. My nitrates are low, so I assume
> it's a phosphate thing. I don't have a test for that though. I've
> already turned my light cycles down - I was previously running them for
> 12 hours.
>
> I tried to find some mangrove plants in town (Vancouver area) - but
> nobody seems to carry them. I'll try removing the hair from the rocks,
> and then a partial water change.
>
> Brandon.
>
> Wayne Sallee wrote:
>> Brandon, Brandon, Brandon, :-) If you want people to see your posts,
>> don't attach files to a non-binary newsgroup.
>>
>> A lot of servers filter out attachments made on non-binary newsgroups.
>> Don't attach pictures to non-binary newsgroups. Instead put them on a
>> web page, and post a link to that web page.
>>
>> Wayne Sallee
>> Wayne's Pets
>>
>>
>> George Patterson wrote on 6/6/2007 10:52 PM:
>>> Brandon wrote:
>>>> It seems like a lot of work to pull all this out. I'm hoping to
>>>> prevent it from happening again even if I do get rid of it.
>>>
>>> Take a look at http://saltaquarium.about.com/b/a/005249.htm
>>>
>>> George Patterson
>>> If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
>>> to anything.

[Wayne Sallee]

And have algae eaters.

What many people don't consider is that in the ocean
if a natural reef is destroyed, hair algae will
cover it up, and it takes time for algae eaters to
increase, and get things back into balance.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


KurtG wrote on 6/8/2007 4:20 PM:
> Welcome to the club. There's a few of us fighting this including myself.
>
> Reduce feedings, Water changes, phosphate reactor, dose kalkwasser, and
> setup a fug with chaeto. Do gentle scrubbing to remove hair algae and
> then use mechanical filtration (floss fabric) to remove it. I'm setting
> up a fug now.
>
> I've gone from a complete jungle to maybe 50% of the rocks covered in
> about 3 months.
>
> --Kurt
>
>
>
> Brandon wrote:
>> Sorry. The binary post that I tested before worked - I just figured
>> everyone could do the same if it wasn't too big a file size.
>>
>> Anyway, turns out to be hair algae. My nitrates are low, so I assume
>> it's a phosphate thing. I don't have a test for that though. I've
>> already turned my light cycles down - I was previously running them for
>> 12 hours.
>>
>> I tried to find some mangrove plants in town (Vancouver area) - but
>> nobody seems to carry them. I'll try removing the hair from the rocks,
>> and then a partial water change.
>>
>> Brandon.
>>
>> Wayne Sallee wrote:
>>> Brandon, Brandon, Brandon, :-) If you want people to see your posts,
>>> don't attach files to a non-binary newsgroup.
>>>
>>> A lot of servers filter out attachments made on non-binary newsgroups.
>>> Don't attach pictures to non-binary newsgroups. Instead put them on a
>>> web page, and post a link to that web page.
>>>
>>> Wayne Sallee
>>> Wayne's Pets
>>>
>>>
>>> George Patterson wrote on 6/6/2007 10:52 PM:
>>>> Brandon wrote:
>>>>> It seems like a lot of work to pull all this out. I'm hoping to
>>>>> prevent it from happening again even if I do get rid of it.
>>>> Take a look at http://saltaquarium.about.com/b/a/005249.htm
>>>>
>>>> George Patterson
>>>> If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
>>>> to anything.

[George Patterson]

Wayne Sallee wrote:
> And have algae eaters.

What eats hair algae?

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
to anything.

[gaijin]

J & L Aquatics had Mangroves last time I was in there.

On Thu, 07 Jun 2007 19:39:19 GMT, Brandon > wrote:

>Sorry. The binary post that I tested before worked - I just figured
>everyone could do the same if it wasn't too big a file size.
>
>Anyway, turns out to be hair algae. My nitrates are low, so I assume
>it's a phosphate thing. I don't have a test for that though. I've
>already turned my light cycles down - I was previously running them for
>12 hours.
>
>I tried to find some mangrove plants in town (Vancouver area) - but
>nobody seems to carry them. I'll try removing the hair from the rocks,
>and then a partial water change.
>
>Brandon.
>
>Wayne Sallee wrote:
>> Brandon, Brandon, Brandon, :-) If you want people to see your posts,
>> don't attach files to a non-binary newsgroup.
>>
>> A lot of servers filter out attachments made on non-binary newsgroups.
>> Don't attach pictures to non-binary newsgroups. Instead put them on a
>> web page, and post a link to that web page.
>>
>> Wayne Sallee
>> Wayne's Pets
>>
>>
>> George Patterson wrote on 6/6/2007 10:52 PM:
>>> Brandon wrote:
>>>> It seems like a lot of work to pull all this out. I'm hoping to
>>>> prevent it from happening again even if I do get rid of it.
>>>
>>> Take a look at http://saltaquarium.about.com/b/a/005249.htm
>>>
>>> George Patterson
>>> If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
>>> to anything.

[Wayne Sallee]

Hermit crabs, amphipods, tangs (eat it some).

Also if the algae is weakened it will get eaten
faster. One thing that weakens algae is phosphate
removers. Also if you keep it trimmed a lot of
things will eat it faster.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


George Patterson wrote on 6/8/2007 11:07 PM:
> Wayne Sallee wrote:
>> And have algae eaters.
>
> What eats hair algae?
>
> George Patterson
> If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
> to anything.

[George Patterson]

Wayne Sallee wrote:
> Hermit crabs, amphipods, tangs (eat it some).

Well, a hermit crab is out - they get too big. So do most of the tangs, but
there are a few smallish ones. My powder blue wouldn't touch the stuff, however.
Could you be more specific? Maybe a yellow tang? I'll check into amphipods.

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
to anything.

[Wayne Sallee]

Blue legged hermit crabs don't get very big.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


George Patterson wrote on 6/9/2007 10:00 PM:
> Wayne Sallee wrote:
>> Hermit crabs, amphipods, tangs (eat it some).
>
> Well, a hermit crab is out - they get too big. So do most of the tangs,
> but there are a few smallish ones. My powder blue wouldn't touch the
> stuff, however. Could you be more specific? Maybe a yellow tang? I'll
> check into amphipods.
>
> George Patterson
> If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
> to anything.

[Peter Pan]

>>
>> What eats hair algae?

Foxface, yellow tangs, lawnmower blenny's all eat green hair algea as well
turbo snails and bluehermits.

[Wayne Sallee]

Peter Pan wrote on 6/10/2007 2:18 PM:
> Foxface, yellow tangs, lawnmower blenny's all eat green hair algea as well
> turbo snails and bluehermits.

Yea of all of the tangs, Foxface are the best algae
eaters, but unfortunately they often eat other
things as well.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets

[KurtG]

Wayne Sallee wrote:
> Hermit crabs, amphipods, tangs (eat it some).

My tang would rather starve then eat hair algae. I just bought two sea
hares. They are suppose to love the stuff. We'll see.

--Kurt

[KurtG]

Wayne Sallee wrote:
> Blue legged hermit crabs don't get very big.

They are also relatively peaceful. I have one hermit that has reached
the size of a golf ball.

My 7 year old came home with a plastic bucket of about 50 hermits. I
have no idea how big they will get, but I added them to a 100 gallon.

[George Patterson]

Wayne Sallee wrote:
> Blue legged hermit crabs don't get very big.

True. Somehow I thought you meant horseshoe crabs. Anyway, I haven't had much
luck with blue-legged crabs. I don't know why. Do they not live very long?

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
to anything.

[George Patterson]

Peter Pan wrote:
>>> What eats hair algae?
>
> Foxface, yellow tangs, lawnmower blenny's all eat green hair algea as well
> turbo snails and bluehermits.

Cool! Thanks for the list.

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
to anything.

[Peter Pan]

"George Patterson" > wrote in message
news:uv%ai.3353$1o.2238@trnddc01...
> Wayne Sallee wrote:
>> Blue legged hermit crabs don't get very big.
>
> True. Somehow I thought you meant horseshoe crabs. Anyway, I haven't had
> much luck with blue-legged crabs. I don't know why. Do they not live very
> long?

Mine have been in my tank for several years now. In my 75 gal, I have
anywhere between 20 - 30 of the Blue leg hermits. Its hard to keep track of
them, some die off and others are in and around the rock. They don't get too
big, maybe 1/2 inch or so. I do have one that was able to occupy an emptied
turbo snail shell ( a smaller one) and he moves around quit a bit.

[Pondmeister]

Quit crappng and ****ing in the tank you dumbasses!


-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!

[George Patterson]

Peter Pan wrote:

> Mine have been in my tank for several years now.

Ok, then I have some sort of problem. Mine live only a few months.

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
to anything.

[Brandon]

Thanks, I haven't been to that store. I hate treking across the bridges
if I can avoid it, but I'll check them out.

Brandon.


gaijin wrote:
> J & L Aquatics had Mangroves last time I was in there.
>
> On Thu, 07 Jun 2007 19:39:19 GMT, Brandon > wrote:
>
>> Sorry. The binary post that I tested before worked - I just figured
>> everyone could do the same if it wasn't too big a file size.
>>
>> Anyway, turns out to be hair algae. My nitrates are low, so I assume
>> it's a phosphate thing. I don't have a test for that though. I've
>> already turned my light cycles down - I was previously running them for
>> 12 hours.
>>
>> I tried to find some mangrove plants in town (Vancouver area) - but
>> nobody seems to carry them. I'll try removing the hair from the rocks,
>> and then a partial water change.
>>
>> Brandon.
>>
>> Wayne Sallee wrote:
>>> Brandon, Brandon, Brandon, :-) If you want people to see your posts,
>>> don't attach files to a non-binary newsgroup.
>>>
>>> A lot of servers filter out attachments made on non-binary newsgroups.
>>> Don't attach pictures to non-binary newsgroups. Instead put them on a
>>> web page, and post a link to that web page.
>>>
>>> Wayne Sallee
>>> Wayne's Pets
>>>
>>>
>>> George Patterson wrote on 6/6/2007 10:52 PM:
>>>> Brandon wrote:
>>>>> It seems like a lot of work to pull all this out. I'm hoping to
>>>>> prevent it from happening again even if I do get rid of it.
>>>> Take a look at http://saltaquarium.about.com/b/a/005249.htm
>>>>
>>>> George Patterson
>>>> If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
>>>> to anything.
>