Bad brown hair algae please help!

[tyh]

Hi guys,

got some bad brown hair algae on my substrate, funny thing is that it only grows in a particular spot, radius of 2-3 inches. everything i remove it, or smother it under the sand, it reappears...even after only 3 hours!!! Its hair like..much like green hair algae.

Using T5 light, 2 feet tank close to a half year old, no livestock except for one crocea and a linkia that's all. healthy amount of live rock. so very low bioload. added rowa phos and phos guard so can't be the nutrients factor.

How in the world do i eliminate such algae?
please advise.

cheers,
tyh

 

[Len]

Hey tyh,

I have tried to siphon/remove that patch of sand instead of covering it up? It's worked for me in the past when cyano or dinoflaggelletes kept cropping up in one patch; I just removed the entire area of sand and it worked.

 

[Anonymous]

If you have algae you have nutrients. You just can't have one without the other.

To me about the only thing you can do is to keep removing the algae and continue reducing the nutrients available. I use other plant life to consume the nutrients to limit the unwanted algaes. I have found that to be the best method and the one that requires the least maintenance.

 

[ChrisV]

Algae such as this could feed off light and a few minerals alone, right? I agree that a nice plant refugium really speeds up the nutrient uptake and stunts algae growth... Maybe when you buy those bags of sealed wet sand it can cause nasty cyano and brown algaes. Seems like the sealed stagnant bag would fester quickly! Anyhow I have better luck with dry clean sand.

-CV