@maiseyr2000Hello, my tank has been running for just under a year and for the last few months the tank has been covered in diatoms and now the algae looks like the photo i’ve uploaded. My local shop suggested i place a silicate remover into the sump which i did and that seemed to get rid of the diatoms but now the algae looks like this instead. Please could somebody help with which type of algae it is and how I could try to get rid of it?
Hello, thanks for replying@maiseyr2000
Do you use a gravel vac when you do water changes?
Many advanced reefers dose silicates to control nutrients. If your CUC is mature, they would eat diatoms thereby reclying inorganic nutrients into organic biomass of your CUC.
Diatom - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
“Diatoms are a type of planktoncalled phytoplankton, the most common of the plankton types. Diatoms also grow attached to benthic substrates, floating debris, and on macrophytes“.
I have 2 clown fish, a mimic file fish and the goby. Only have 2 small zoa frags and a pink gorgonian. I have done that previously and nearly half of my sand is gone now so a bit worried if i keep doing that it wont be long until my sand is gone i have a phosphate remover in the sump, should I remove this? I’ll purchase that and see what happens iSo, your inorganic nutrients are on the low side.
With low phosphate & low nitrogen, nuisance algae will proliferate at the expense of desirable algae: coralline & zooanthelia
What is your fish load? What corals are in this tank.?
I suggest you feed more and get more janitors. And you are the biggest janitor. When I must do a serious gravel vac, I use hose only and I remove a lot of gravel with the nuisance algae.
Note: When my nitrates get below 5ppm, I dose NH4.
Nuisance Algae ID Guide- Reef Cleaners
Nuisance Algae ID Guide. Red Slime, Cyano, Cyanobacteria. Green Film Algae, Film Algae. Green Hair Algae. Green Turf Algae. Bryopsis pennata and B. plumosa. Bubble Algae, Valonia. Lobophora. Blue Green Cyano.www.reefcleaners.org
Green Hair Algae
Green Hair Algae or "GHA" is really a broad term that covers hundreds of species of green simple filamentous algae. These species tend to be simple, fine in texture, and have few distinguishable features. True species level identification requires a microscope.
Distinguishing it from look-a-likes: GHA is not coarse or wiry, it should break apart easily when pulled, and should lose form quickly when removed from water. If you can make out a root structure, or a stiff branching structure it is probably not GHA.
I would add more clean up crew, some kroe snails, and hermits might help
Hello, I've taken out the phosphate remover. It's not very deep, only around 1/2 inches. Forgot to mention i also have a hermit crab, so I have that, with 2 snails, cleaner shrimp and goby. My tank is only 120L. What other cuc would be best? Thank you!
I have done, thank you. I have a sump so could definitely add them. Would adding live rock be any help? Dont currently have any in my tank
Live rock would help immensely. Also consider adding some live rock to unlite sump to make a cryptic refugium. Add your pods there where there are no predators
I’ve been reading more threads and i’m worried about it maybe being dino’s? I’ve attached some photos under white and blue light as i’m not sure
Diver collected live rock would help immensely because it brings in both competitors & consumers of algae. Here is a list of hitchhikers on
gulfliverock.com
I’ve been trying to get rid of the algae with a toothbrush but its like it grows back overnight. Im still not sure if it is hair algae or if it could be dinos? I’ve added two turbo snails but they haven’t really moved much over the last 5/6 days so im still having to manually removed it
