Is this hair algae or what?

[Ab129]

Treated the tank with fluconazol 8 days ago and still waiting.
No noticeable changes. It does say allow 10-14 days but I’m not too hopeful.
It does say it only works on hair algae.
If this isn’t hair algae can someone please tell me w t f it is!
I’ve already killed almost all my fish and my few corals look like crap trying to get rid of this crap.sorry the image is not good but I had to downsize so it would upload.

[Ab129]

Better pic?

[djryan2000]

If it’s not GHA it’s bryopsis.

Instead of algae killing additives, I recommend a different approach. This is the approach that the YouTube channel Meleev’s Reef recommends that worked for me.

Firstly, knock down your phosphates either through phosphate rX or doing multiple large water changes.

Once your phosphates are knocked down, pluck all of the algae out that you can. I had a bowl of (warm) water that I’d pluck it out and put it in the bowl of water.

Finally, once you pluck all of algae out that you can, go buy a good sized CUC - a bunch of hermit crabs and snails. They’ll finish off what’s left.

PS - your corals can survive on just blue light if you want to also incorporate no whites for a week. Algae doesn’t grow well in blue light.


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[Sk8r]

Main thing when dealing with a 'bloom' of something---be calm, go slow, and if it's algae, knock your phosphates down with ro/di, water changes, and absorbents designed for phosphate, like granulated ferric oxide (gfo) reactor. Algae depends on phosphates. And your fish don't need an overload.

Unhappily, you can get a phosphate seep from unconditioned rock and sand, and if it's continually leaching out after water changes, it can be a long difficult battle. Or if you're not using ro/di---comes form tap water, frequently.

[wsboyette]

As Sk8r pointed out, municipal water supplies often contain phosphate; if you use conditioned tap water like I do, then you will need to treat it with something like Red Sea's Nitrate & Phosphate Reducer (it's reef safe). That is what I am treating my fish-only with, and so far no algae.

[Ab129]

I make my own rodi water and it’s a funny thing but after close to two years with the original filters in my rodi unit, I replaced all of them with brand new ones from the manufacturer. It was shortly after this that the algae problem started. I chalked that up to coincidence because replacing the filters was very easy and I don’t see how I could have screwed that up.
And believe me, I’ve been patient. I am dealing with this for more than 6 months prior to treating the tank.
Those phosphate tests are so hard to read I am really not sure what my levels are.

[Sk8r]

I find it suspicious that the problem started with the filter change. Have you checked the tds of both your ro/di and your tapwater? (TDS total dissolved solids). And have you been using phyto or 'green' food---source of phosphate. What brand phosphate tests?

[Ab129]

Funny thing about the TDS My rodi unit has two digital meters. Looks like one before the membrane and one after. The only one I ever paid attention to was the latter. I was only concerned that the water coming through there read zero. From the time I bought the unit until the filter change I would turn the water and the meter on and the meter would read anywhere from 10-30 tds. I would let it run into the drain and watch the tds decrease to zero over the course of a minute or two and then once it read zero I would start to feed the water into my mixing container.
Ever since the filter change, when I first turn on the water and the meter it immediately reads zero. This didn’t seem right to me so what I do now is I don’t even use the meter. I let my water run into the drain for a couple of minutes and then I start filling my container.
I just assumed the meter was wacky and stopped using it.

I feed frozen cubes food. I rotate 3 different kinds for variety. One of them is green.

[Oldreeferman]

Id go slow like stated & do a few additional things like filtering the frozen cubes after thawed then adding vitamins or amino acids to them before feeding & only feed what the fish will eagerly consume then stop and only once a day till the algae is gone.

Id have that water tested with a good TD meter next to be certain its low.

You might want to look into dosing also, i'm a big fan of Red Sea No-Pox, it drops nitrates & phosphates to as low as you dare, safe & easily im using it & all my algae is gone & the nitrates are at .025. I feed 2 times a day & do spot feeding on my LPS & the SPS that will take it eagerly. My nitrates were 25 when i started & in 2 weeks id gotten them down slowly to the .025. Works that fast. I started with 1/4 the dose recommended but TBH id probably go no less then 1/2 the recommended dose 1st day or so then dose more & do nitrate tests at least once a week to know exactly what amount is needed to reach new salt water lvls.

I think using chemicals to kill algae is a bad idea for the entire tank and its inhabitants, go as natural as possible to slowly remove & stabilize it back to normal.


Ive tried crabs etc.. in the past its a coin toss if the wrong ones are introduced they can eat things you don't want them to eat.
Red leg hermits are about as reef safe an algae eater there is far as crabs go & you can safely mix snails with them they are herbifors.
Only thing is when the algae is gone you have to get rid of the hermits or feed them. Been there & did that it did help & they are a nice looking crab.