red turf algae..ugh!!

[Jason7504]

well ive been fighting red turf algae for the past 4 months and I have heard that some turbo snails and yellow tangs will eat it. I'm going to try a turbo and see how it does. Has anybody fought it? if so, how?

[muttley000]

What are the specs of your system? You should probably be concentrating on removing nutrients instead of adding more livestock.

[muttley000]

What are your equipment specs? You should probably concentrate on removing nutrients instead of adding livestock,

[muttley000]

What are your equipment specs? You should probably concentrate on removing nutrients instead of adding livestock.

[muttley000]

I don't know why this forum always tells me to wait 15 seconds to repost and then I get 3 posts, but apologies anyway!

[jasonrp104]

How much of the stuff do you have. I get it every once in awhile but I kind of like the look and it's never taken over. It'll be there for a month or so, then die back

[weimers75]

Red turf algae is not dependent on nutrients. Part of the reason this stuff is so difficult to get rid of is that it LOVES clean water. I'm battling it myself...and it is by far the worst thing I've ever experienced. You can't even pull it off, the stuff is super strong. I've heard long-spine urchins will help, but have yet to try that.

I've also heard of raising the magnesium, but again this doesn't effect it. I've had my magnesium in the 1500 range for nearly two months.

[DFason]

I've been pulling mine out by hand and cutting it with small sowing clippers.

-Dave

[John Zillmer]

Manual removal and turbo snails are knocking it down in my 'fuge. It does not seem to respond to nutrient control measures.

[poolkeeper1]

If possible to remove the rock, Soak It In a solution of bleach and RODI water for several day's until It turns white. This Is the only way I've found to get rid of this hidious pest algea. Plus make sure you rinse the rock well and let It air dry until the bleach smell Is gone B4 returning to the tank. It's drastic but It will become live again In no time and the turf algea will be gone.
Bill

[Frogmanx82]

Hermits love that stuff. Get a few redlegs.

[plyle02]

None of the above have worked for me:
Zeovit Tank-Certainly this stuff in not nutrient dependant
Longspine-Have 2 they do work behind my multicolored urchin(explain later)
Hermits-have variety, they do not do any work on it
Filter Socks-Run 25 micron socks soaked in bleach and washed with bleach
Mexican Turbos-Added 2 they died quickly, (I will be trying again, I will let you know)
Magnesium-1500ppm, not the case, per Zeovit spec, this is they highest value I can run

Here is what has worked for me:

Multicolored Urchin-Problem, he is fat, cannot get into nooks and crannies... However, the longspines seem to clean up behind him, probably cause he is getting turf out of the way of a desirable algae beneath the turf, just speculation. I do have a smaller longspine that gets into small spaces.

I have used a toothbrush on my liverock, that only makes this stuff come back stronger

I have heard of large mexican turbos working well, but they need to be acclimated better than me just tossing them in the tank. I will also place them in red turf challenged areas directly this time.

Tuxedo Urchins- They seem to work the best, based on the tons of research I have done regarding Red Turf Algae. I have spend countless hours reading every thread I could find looking for the magic bullet, guess what, it does not exist. Some have had luck with the above and some have had zero luck with the same CUC. I will not stop my efforts until this stuff is completely erradicated from my tank. I will also subscribe to any thread that is on topic. Good luck guys, this is the hardest algae out there to get rid of...
Regards,

[plyle02]

Just picked up 6 mexican turbos, 10 red leg hermits, and 2 more urchins...
I will let you guys know:)

[Jason7504]

well my tank is a 34g with no nitrates and phosphates and yeah this stuff isn't nutrient dependent from what i've read. my tanks been up for almost 11 months and ive been fighting this for about 4 months now. It's the hardest thing ive come in contact with and i even had dino's which i eradicated from raising the pH.

mine grow's like 3" long if i dont pull some out..it gets everywhere though if you pull it out and the pieces get stuck somewhere else in the tank. I don't want to get an urchin if i dont have too since i dont want it knocking stuff over. but i guess if i have too i will need to get one

[Jason7504]

Just picked up 6 mexican turbos, 10 red leg hermits, and 2 more urchins...
I will let you guys know:)

yeah let me know if it works. did you get tuxedo urchins?

[Toddrtrex]

In the past I had good luck with Mexican turbos, and need to get some more. And I want to say that my purple tang was eating it. The reason I say this is that I sold him -- and decreased my bio-load by selling some other fish at the same time -- and now the stuff has taken off.

I have watched my Talbot's damsels eating the stuff, to the point that they are getting really fat. However, there is too much of the stuff for them to make a dent. I am thinking, after the holidays, of removing the bad rocks and scrubbing them. And then hope that the clean up crew will keep it in check.

[Psychographic]

Scarlet Hermits have always taken care of it for me.

[plyle02]

Scarlet Hermits have always taken care of it for me.


I have 4, but they have not done anything to it, great scavengers though, my favorite of all hermits by far...

[plyle02]

I also have another theory regarding nutrient load and this red turf algae. I noticed hermits picking at it, but did not see any turf removed... I think the turf becomes it's own nutrient sink, clearly it binds all sort of stuff, my thoughts are detritus and nutrients as a main component that leads towards it's growth. I am going to start using a turkey baster, several times per day, blowing off the turf spots. I am thinking this will at least halt the growth, perhaps allowing for my CUC to make a dent. This is why I think this stuff is not nutrient dependant, the water tests fine, meanwhile the nutrients are locked beneath the surface of the algae. Any thoughts on this???

[RRaider]

I doubt that will work, that stuff will grow on the coraline algae on the glass. Mexican Turbos work for me.

[John Zillmer]

I also have another theory regarding nutrient load and this red turf algae. I noticed hermits picking at it, but did not see any turf removed... I think the turf becomes it's own nutrient sink, clearly it binds all sort of stuff, my thoughts are detritus and nutrients as a main component that leads towards it's growth. I am going to start using a turkey baster, several times per day, blowing off the turf spots. I am thinking this will at least halt the growth, perhaps allowing for my CUC to make a dent. This is why I think this stuff is not nutrient dependant, the water tests fine, meanwhile the nutrients are locked beneath the surface of the algae. Any thoughts on this???

Hmm. My situation became bad under low flow conditions in the 'fuge (which is where the algae is in my system -- there is none at all in the DT), and has improved after adding a powerhead (there is less red turf growing on the Caulerpa, which is probably not being grazed by the Turbos I put in there). Good theory.

[Stripe01]

Tuxedo urchins, tuxedo urchines, and tuxedo urchins.