Is this Algae Scrubber what you are currently running?
Dealing with hair algae
- Thread starter Ayman
- Start date
The black out method is a good idea at least to break the algae down.
Remove manually as much as i can as everyone pretty much mentioning.
Now also very interested in what people think of algae scrubbers.
very tempted to try out also.
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
Urchins
Nutrients - 100/1 nitrate to phosphate
Herbivores if tank is big enough
Manual removal until short enough for them to eat it
Good flow
Major and minor elements within range - ICP
No seahare
No rowaphos
No hydrogen peroxide
Nutrients - 100/1 nitrate to phosphate
Herbivores if tank is big enough
Manual removal until short enough for them to eat it
Good flow
Major and minor elements within range - ICP
No seahare
No rowaphos
No hydrogen peroxide
I think that getting nutrients under control is less about reducing them and more about understanding what caused the spike in the first place; and then figuring out how to hold them steady at the rate that your corals/skimmer can manage. Once a whole tank full of algae is removed your nutrients are likely to spike again if you make no changes to how you’re running the tank.
Phosphates at .15 .25 etc can be totally fine, but you don’t want to be on a roller coaster from 0 to .85 then back again over and over.
derek_SR
Supporting Member
Yes, I think that is fair. And there are plenty of reasons you may want to keep your nutrients under control and/or stable.
Like Rich says, algae is good at life. And you aren't going to "starve" algae of nutrients unless they are actually zero - and you don't want them zero, that would be bad. So nobody should really have the expectation that taking their no3 from 45 to 5 is going to clear up their algae problem, for example. Any materially measurable nutrient level is basically enough for algae to grow.
Algae...finds a way. It must be eaten!
Urchins, emerald crabs, turbos have helped in the past for me - spending the time to do as much manual cleanup makes a big difference. Turbos and urchins will continuously knock over anything that isn't nailed down, so be ready to put stuff back daily.
Algae scrubber or chaeto reactor could certainly help - check you phosphates, GFO may be helpful there as well.
Algae scrubber or chaeto reactor could certainly help - check you phosphates, GFO may be helpful there as well.
derek_SR
Supporting Member
^^^^
Patio
Supporting Member
I am not sure I believe that having algae growing in a scrubber or refugium means it will limit itself to only grow in that scrubber or refugium. I think they remove nutrients though. When I ran one several years back I didn't really measure nutrients often enough to quantify it.
I have seen complaints of N03 and P04 bottoming, but every system is different so I guess you never know until you try!
A supplier I know in Texas switched to scrubber only, did away with the protein skimmer and now swears by it…
Patio
Supporting Member
I also like that you can reverse light schedule it. Keep photosynth going opposite the display with some PH benefits. I don't measure ph though so can't quantify it.
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
I have a refugium, and I am not sure if I like it. The algae might release coral growth inhibitors into the water column, increasing DOC (if that is a thing, or lowering ORP), and in return, you get some nutrient reduction. You should not have nutrient issues if you have a lot of grown corals in your tank, so overall, it might not make sense.
Edit: Most importantly, it strips out elements, which is a key reason why I am actually considering getting rid of it.
Edit: Most importantly, it strips out elements, which is a key reason why I am actually considering getting rid of it.
Last edited:
I’ve been waffling on adding one to the new 150g, probably won’t bother as I can always add one down the road if I feel the need.
MarcosDelgado0
Supporting Member
Same. I think I’m going to get rid of mine. The new tank definitely won’t have one.
jonmedina
Supporting Member
Yeah - and I'd buy it again in a heartbeat. Keeps nutrients in a good spot even if you overfeed a bit (like I do), outcompetes display tank hair algae and isn't a huge PITA to clean. I scrape it down like every two weeks.
Update went to town on the scrubbing using a tooth brush took a long time to scrub some out but getting there.
I am also getting my phosphate nitrate in check and will see how we end up.
I did order an algae scrubber so will also give that a test down the line.
This is the same spot I posted in the beginning of thread.
I am also getting my phosphate nitrate in check and will see how we end up.
I did order an algae scrubber so will also give that a test down the line.
This is the same spot I posted in the beginning of thread.
MichaelB
Supporting Member
Night and day difference, if you add more turbos or some emerald crabs they could possibly maintain it, if it isnt long like it was. They eat agressively from my observations. My main tank I have mainly trochus and 2 emeralds, probably 10 regular hermits.
Which specie of emeralds crabs should i get?
Any recommendation
Arvin R
Sponsor
Do your research before going with an emerald crab. They are reef safe with caution as they've been known to sometimes go after coral.
MichaelB
Supporting Member
I just grabbed the common ones from lfs. I have 2 in each tank, and one pithos in another. I see them consistently eating all day and they leave the areas they pass through very clean. I recently grabbed a rock urchin (only had it about week my first ever urchin so no personal feed back on them yet though I heard many good things about them) I wouldn't put one in my main tank cause not all my sps is mounted firmly wouldn't want it getting knocked over.
+1 to @Arvin R nothing I say is based on years of experience, I haven't found any of them to bother any of my corals in any of my 3 tanks. Yet I wouldn't say they couldn't or won't.
Raj Gill
Supporting Member
Why no sea hare?