Help with Algae

Three month old JBJ 28G Nano. 25 lbs live rock, using in-tank media basket with filter floss, purigen and Chemi Pure pro

• Using distilled water
• 1.024
• Nitrites 0
• Ammonia 0
• Nitrates 5
• PH 8.03
• Phosphates - too low to detect with my Seachem test
• Fish - Bangaii Cardinal, Algae Blenny
• Lots of Ceriths, Nerites
• Change 4 gallons of water once per week
• Feed once every other day. Mostly dry food and just put in a few pieces as I can see how much the Cardinal eats
• LED lights run 6 hours per day
• Tank not near any windows

Rock is completely covered with Algae and other growth. Any help identifying and solution is appreciated. Sorry for the less than ideal picture!

Thanks!

Steve

 

try a salifert test kit and see if it gives you the same readings as the seachem kit. not to knock the seachem kits but i got completely different readings when switched over to salifert which imo and many others keeping thousands in corals are the best and most accurate kits on the market. are the fish eating all the food or are they leaving some? even feeding every other day you could still be over feeding if it sits around somewhere rotting, trites at 5 is very good but still something in there for the algea to grow on. If you purchased LR then it usually comes with all sorts of hitch hickers and algea from the ocean, you can try running a gfo reactor and see if that starts to make a diference. You can also go up to a 25% wc every week, the extra 2 gallons might make a differance. running a small skimmer could help also, my trates are 0 and at times I try to over feed because the xenia I have likes water a little dirty, I could turn the skimmer off at times but I dose lime in my ato and I would have to adjust my sump level when I do so as not to mess up the ph balance from the lime drip being haulted, not worth it to me. These are just thoughts

 

is the algae a vine type? with small leaves?

 

New Picture (Better Camera, Better Lighting)

Yes - Some of the algae is vine like and leafy. Also, very little if any leftover food as I'm only feeding 6 or 7 pellets.

Appreciate any help and ID!

Thanks

Steve

 

looks like caulerpia... halloween urchins eat it. pull as much of it as you can by hand. add some urchins. i have also read tangs eat it. if your tank is large enough to house one. i can only speak personally for the urchins since they went right after a form of caulerpia in my tank. and have not had a tang in this tank. my tanks to small for one

 

Thanks! I will research caulerpia.

Should I try to remove it myself?

 

yes pull what you can, you can scrub the rocks in the old tank water when you do a water change. its really hard to get rid of. hopefully others will chime in on ideas for you on getting rid of it.

 

hey sorry just noticed i spelt it wrong its caulerpa

 

Ya was gonna say it was caulerpa.
The fern one is feather caulerpa and the grape like one is grape caulerpa to be exact. I would remove the problem rock. Otherwise there is no way you will get rid of it. Trying to remove it manually will just result in it spreading even more.

The other type of algae that is just a stick (lower center) is a harmless macroalgae, forget the name...

 

Is this type of algae just a nuisance or will it hurt anything?

Also, I'm new at this. If I get rid of the rock, I will have to replace. How do I put in a new piece of Live Rock without having to worry about a cycle and the effects on my fish?

Thanks!

Steve