3 questions

First off...I have green hair algae from heck. I am doing weekly 10% water changes, keeping the light on for only 5 to 6 hours per day, and feeding lightly once a day. I am scrubbing the rocks with a toothbrush when I do the changes but I swear it looks like it is even thicker than before. My Lo and tang won't touch it. What else can I do?

Second, I have aiptasia like you wouldn't believe. I keep shooting it with Stop Aiptasia but it keeps coming back. The worst part is it is in my over flows ! I can't reach the bottom where it is mulitiplying. This is in my FOWLR that only has a few button polyps but I want to add some mushrooms and am worried the aiptasia will kill them off. What can I do to get rid of it?

Lastly, I have the sponge growth that looks like spider webs. The white stringy kind. It is all over the back of my overflows and in my sump. My LFS guy stays it won't hurt anything. Is this correct?

Thanks for all the help !

 

1. What type of water are you putting in this and what is your PO4 test out at? Get a Sea Slug to eat what you have then find out what is feeding the bloom.
2. Copperband Butterfly fish
3. Would have to see some pic

BTW Welcome to 3reef!

 

Algae ?water changes may be adding to the problem .. Water changes are no magic bullet fix for everything. What are the water levels at ? Carbonates Calcium Magnesium phosphates silicates nitrates .. That sort of stuff

Aptasia get yourself some peppermint shrimps or a Australian copper band as Otty suggested .. If you clear out some waste from the water ten they will dis off also maybe the DOC's in the water that they are feeding on are also feeding your algae issues ? Aptasias are like Lemmings more food more pest.


You see sponge growth or you see the webs ?

 

Wow! Those are some serious issues to deal with...Otty and Tangster offer best advice. Would not know how to deal with aptasia in overflows...drop a couple of shrimp in their and hope for best?

With the obvious extent of your problem...both shrimp and Copper Band needed.

Good luck!

 

I agree with all of the above. Water changes can help, but you gotta have good water, and doing it every week might actually not help at all as you not letting the water stabalize chemically. For the hair algae...How old are your lights? What lights you have? Does your tank recieve direct sunlight from a window? What are your water params? Temperature? you could try sea urchins if you dont have many rocks that are loose. That would only help, but not resolve the problem.

Aiptasia...Kill it, take it out somehow. Via copperband, or peppermint, or my favorite... berghia nudibranch.

To be more exact on all of these things, please post some pics, they help out a ton!!!!

 

Here are 3 articles which, hopefully, give you some insight to aptasia eradication. :-/


BY Steven Pro

Aptasia Impressions


By Morgan Lidster

Inland Aquatics Guide to Controlling Aiptasia Anemones - Inland Aquatics


By Bob Fenner

Aiptasia, My Least Favorite Anemones in Captive Systems

 

Thanks for the advice. I can't do a nudibranch or the shrimp as I have a niger and blue throat that will make short work of it. I'm leery of a copperband due to survival rate. The hair algae came from LR that a woman gave me and I had to put it in the tank right away. I wasn't set up to cook it. Hindsight..sigh.
My water parameters are perfect according to my LFS guy that I completely trust. Unfortunately I use well water for my tanks. I haven't the room for an ro/di unit and, with a 210g + 55g sump and a 75g reef, I'd be going through A LOT of water. My reef is algae free so I am pretty much positive it's the spread of the pieces I threw in. I have heard many times that the algae is ugly to us but is great for water condition. I just want to get rid of it before I add the mushrooms. That and that dang aiptasia ! Today I dosed them with Stop Aiptasia and it was like squirting them with plain old water. They pulled in for about 10 minutes and are now out and fine as can be. I used Joe's Juice in the past so I guess I can buy a 55g drum size and go to battle.
Thanks again for all the advice !

 

If you haven't the room for a small RO/DI unit that fits under a kitchen sink then you had better get used to having algae problem. :-/ I can just imagion how many minerals you are adding to your tank through well water.. Your choice!

 

Worry not Padowan, you shall defeat these enemies...
Stop scrubbing your rock. You are indeed increasing your population of algae whenever you do this, it regenerates from the tiniest of fragments.
You have some hefty waste producers if you have multiple triggers, your well water is a no go as well... consider a "Bare Bones" unit or a bank of tap-water purifiers if you have no space.
You could try several days in the dark as well, kills algae but good. I second the use of a Sea Hare & consider a phosphate reactor.
For the Aptasia, try injecting white vinigar into their bodies, leave the ones in your overflow as nutrient exporters, add a big UV to your return line. What size skimmer are you running?

 

I run a berlin XL skimmer in my sump and I have a 40w sterilizer. What I am curious about is the fact that both tanks use the same water from the same source and the 75g is pristine. I will most definitely quit scrubbing ! If I were to get try a sea hare wouldn't my triggers make an expensive snack of it?

I will look into the water purifiers. I am on a budget ( layoffs ) and the price of an ro/di unit might be pushing the envelope. What type of purifiers would you reccommend ?