Algae Finally Gone: Now how do you keep it away? Easy as ABC?

[ABQjoe]

Get your bacteria colonies in order. I use Microbacter 7, and Dr. Tim's Ecobalance and Waste Away regularly. Healthy bacteria colonies are often overlooked foundation for a healthy aquatic ecosystem.

 

[xiholdtruex]

1. What measures are you taking to prevent the spread of nuisance algae in your reef aquarium?

I am dosing vibrant weekly , 10-20% wc weekly or bi weekly, installed a protein skimmer to help remove excess nutrients. Its all about balence once the system is balenced you really never have big issues with algae.

2. What is the worst type of algae you have ever battled?

I have battled a very bad case of gha which I had to to scrub all the rocks to get off.

#305reefclubsquad

 

[Rogued_Reefer]

1. What measures are you taking to prevent the spread of nuisance algae in your reef aquarium?

I try to keep a balanced tank, I have the skimmer pulling nutrients out of the water column, a yellow tang, a lawnmower blenny and CUC to help remove some of the algaes manually. One of the biggest things that helps me is controlling the nutrients I throw in the tank.

2. What is the worst type of algae you have ever battled?

Dinoflagellates followed by Cyano;Dead worst nightmare ever.

#305reefclubsquad

 

[ecexotics]

i use magnesium to treat algae problems, if the magnesium levels are elevated to a certain point it will inhibit the growth of nuisance algae. i struggled with bryopsis in my first reef tank 10 years ago and have been using magnesium weekly to prevent algae ever since. and the corals grow constantly and colors looks great. proper levels also make it easier to maintain alk and calcium

 

[Rogued_Reefer]

i use magnesium to treat algae problems, if the magnesium levels are elevated to a certain point it will inhibit the growth of nuisance algae. i struggled with bryopsis in my first reef tank 10 years ago and have been using magnesium weekly to prevent algae ever since. and the corals grow constantly and colors looks great. proper levels also make it easier to maintain alk and calcium

What number exactly do you shoot for when you say “elevated levels”?

 

[ahiggins]

I’ve had all the algaes lol
Most because of a lack of qt for corals in the beginning and then more recently wanting a completely dry start tank as a challenge.
after I’ve beaten it back in all the tanks, I just keep nutrients in check. Nitrates under 10 and phosphates under 30ppb. I don’t run a skimmer in any of the small tanks because it strips all the good stuff out, only filter floss. The bigger tanks only run a skimmer and floss

 

[ecexotics]

What number exactly do you shoot for when you say “elevated levels”?

for a bad algae breakout i might bump it up to 2000

 

[ecexotics]

for a bad algae breakout i might bump it up to 2000

no ill effects on corals reported

 

[ecexotics]

no ill effects on corals reported

watch the alk when increasing mag especially with sensitive sps

 

[seasand23]

About 6 months in and working to get ahead of the game. Had diatoms and a little dinos early. Now dealing with a small cyano outbreak. All started when I began reef roids. Done with that. Go my nitrates from 25 ppm to 5 ppm with a 15% water change. Now controlling feeding and finally got skimmer working properly. Just started seachem phosguard and phosphate went from 0.13 to 0.07 in 1 day. Also cut my lights down by 2 hrs. Just started using the feeding ring and huge difference. Fish consume almost everything. Before it was like a snow globe. I'm committed to maintaining these numbers!

 

[Plandauesq]

Get your bacteria colonies in order. I use Microbacter 7, and Dr. Tim's Ecobalance and Waste Away regularly. Healthy bacteria colonies are often overlooked foundation for a healthy aquatic ecosystem.

How often do you add these? And how much as a maintenance dose?

 

[Uncle99]

Vibrant worked so well for me against bubble algae. Have you tried it?

Yup, me as well, took a total of 14 weeks but got the GHA and the dreaded bubble.
Still dosing but half as much, only once per month.
Really happy with this product.

 

[austibella]

I keep alot of clean up crews on my 180 reef tank never had an algae problem. until about a month ago, noticed empty snail shells, claws from emerald crabs and all my peppermint shrimp are gone and my cleaner shrimp. I have no clean up crew left.so I went out and bought. 300 snails 5 emeralds .again all gone. Turned out my red coris wrass was dining out on them. .doing water changes and Pulling out hair algae. ordered 200.snails but all I'm doing is feeding my wrass.he never did this before.had him for years.he is about 5 inches And now has a taste for shrimp, crabs, snails. Been using Vibrant. Still have algae . I also cant catch my wrass he is quick.. and to get away he goes completely under the crush coral bed. not sure what to do at this point..I never had to deal with algae but with no clean up crew its impossible to get under control.

 

[austibella]

How often do you add these? And how much as a maintenance dose?

I use microbial culture and or microbe lift special blend 150 ml of microbe lift on a 180 tank day 1 then day 8, 15, 22 and 29th day 110 ml .then you can do maintenance every 2 week after that .it gives directions on box for smaller tanks... for microbial culture I use 35 ml every week when I do a 10 gallon water change.. My corals love it they extend their tenicales .then once a month I do 30 gallon water change

 

[Marc2952]

I have considered it but Im really worried about my Chaeto, I have nowhere to store it while dosing Vibrant and I have seeded it alot with pods that I want to keep alive and growing. But I will definatly give it a try when everything else have failed!

Vibrant will definitely kill your chaeto, also in my case it gave me dinos but then again i have a fairly new system so maybe that was part of the problem too.

 

[Marc2952]

Simple , Loads-of Sea Urchins

Sadly they also love coralline algae lol

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I'm going to be setting up a fuge or a macroalgae reactor on the new tank. Planning to run it 24/7 based on @SBB Corals recommendation.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I got an urchin and some hermits recently to combat the algae in my tank!

 

[X-37B]

Live rock vs dead for algae control.
All live rock in my newest system and the only algae I had was some brown that covered the glass. Once coralline gets a hold bad algae will be reduced.
I had 2 urchins that came in on the rock. They have doubled in size in 4 months. I added 3 pepermint shrimp, some trochus, turbo, astrea snails were added too. Around 30 total.
If you have enough live rock the urchis will be fine. I have coralline growing on the bottom and back wall now.
In my ext 50 I have 1 piece of white dead, it was live once not man made, rock mixed in with the 50lbs of live. Its the only one to get the uglies. Well the back wall and glass get the brown but 2 months in and coralline is starting to spot everywhere. One small urchin came in on the rock. Around 10+ snails so far.
A good cleanup crew and live rock reduce the amount of uglies most see if everything else is inline.
Ext 170 and ext 50. 170 is almost 5 months and the ext 50 is 2 months.