Hey Ive been googling around and couldn’t get a straight answer… what eats red turf? This stuff has been spreading pretty heavily in my tank on rocks that didn’t have it before. I’ll try to take some pictures to show…
A Diadema urching probably would, but then you have to feed it once it is done eating. You also would need to find something that eats the green stuff in the image as well. And if you find something that eats every type of algae you’ll have to deal with the bacteria that grows instead.
Looks as if your best bet may be to reduce the nutrient load. 0ppm TDS RODI? Phosphate remover? Skimmer?
I use RODI that’s between 0 - 10 TDS as for phosphate remover, I do not have one but I do have a sump with a reef octopus skimmer. How are tuxedo urchins or mexican turbos against this stuff?
Your algae doesn’t look too bad at all, you’ll laugh at that picture someday. I don’t want to sound discouraging, but some nasty algae outbreaks are quite common.
Do you have any tangs? Algae/sailfin blenny… both eat a ton of plant material, and eat frozen foods if the “fresh” runs out.
I agree with Jon though, some algae will always be there, and is beneficial.
I have a blue tuxedo/ or pin cushion urchin(depending who sells it) that eats nothing but coraline algae off my back glass…hasn’t left it for a year and a 1/2.
I have mexican turbo snails, and astrea snail that do a great job. Just add them slow, try one of each and give them a month. you’ll be able to tell where they’ve cleaned, add more if there’s still a lot left, but if there’s nothing for them to just continually graze on, them seem to starve if they have to hunt it down.
When buying any snails though, always give them a good inspection, and a slow drip acclimation. pay particular attention for these…
pryramidellid snails… fast reproducers that suck the life out of mollusks, for us, its main prey is any snails larger then them, and CLAMS!
Large Turbo snails DEVOUR it, I put 6 in my tank and I had about 20% coverage on my rocks and in 3 days had none.
Talk with Charlie at DPA. They’ve ordered in Tuxedo Urchins from 3-4 different places in the past, and one particular place has a MUCH greater success rate from what he was telling me. May want to put a request in and see if you can get one.
I had a tuxedo for a while and loved it. We called it goofball. Used to find feather dusters, rocks, algae, frags, and even full sized snails stuck on it’s back struggling to get off. Here he is: http://www.terrareef.com/#!pictures/photostackergallery6=19
I would seriously consider adding phosphate remover first. You can purchase a phosphate reactor inexpensively or for a dollar by a nylon stalking and fill it with phosphate remover(Phosban is a popular brand) and just set it in your sump. You have significant phosphates in your tank which will grow algae and slow the growth of corals.
I say significant, but every aquarium does have significant compared to the wild and pretty much all aquariums would benefit from having some of it removed. As with anything in the hobby don’t trust one source, read up on it a bit, and start it’s use slowly and carefully.(don’t put two pounds into your tank at once, figure out the amount you need and put less then recommended in to start)
Best of luck to you. Happy reefing.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:7, topic:4671”]
I would seriously consider adding phosphate remover first. You can purchase a phosphate reactor inexpensively or for a dollar by a nylon stalking and fill it with phosphate remover(Phosban is a popular brand) and just set it in your sump. You have significant phosphates in your tank which will grow algae and slow the growth of corals. [/quote]
I was under the impression, and also IME that phosphate removers effectiveness (gfo to be specific) to be ALL about the proper flow (too much and it breaks down, too little it does nothing) Aluminum based (phosguard) requires more flow then gfo. I don’t know if its effective, cost or result wise, to put it in pantyhose and drop it in the sump.
phosphate removers are pretty expensive, and reactors are fairly inexpensive. . IMO, gfo should only be used in a reactor. :TWOCENTS
It is probably about 80% more effective with a reactor then in a stagnant corner of a sump, but if you find the right position near your drain pipers where it isn’t too low or too high it is a lot more effective then running nothing.
As I stated above everyone should do their reading. Just about everything you read will recommend running phosphate remover no matter what and they’ll typically convince you to use a reactor as well.
Many people who hit the forums are looking for cheap DIY solutions. The phosphate will help more then hurt a tank if left in for 3 months in a sock. Better to get people doing something additional for their tanks then nothing.
When people are debating trying the $3 snail before forking over $18 for the urchin, hearing they really need a $65 reactor and $15 media may convince them just to stick with the snail.
You say GFO should “only” be used in a reactor is like saying people should only use cone skimmer as the rest are just inefficient. Really using a cheap skimmer like Ken uses will help oxygenate the tank and be better then nothing. Phosphate remover in a sock is better then no phosphate remover and if you can afford a snail you can afford the sock.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:9, topic:4671”]
It is probably about 80% more effective with a reactor then in a stagnant corner of a sump[/quote]
I was hoping you’d have that kind of answer, to better clarify.
Thats why i said “only” used in a reactor in my opinion.
[quote=“Gordonious, post:9, topic:4671”]
Many people who hit the forums are looking for cheap DIY solutions. [/quote]
I don’t know how fair or accurate that is. I’d like to think people are here to find out the “best” thing to do for their animals, from experienced fellow reefers. The “cheap” part, unfortunately comes to play for a lot of us simply by necessity.
Regardless if cheap comes by necessity or by just being cheap it comes frequently. You don’t know how fair or accurate that is, but you say the cheap part comes to play a lot. 
I myself can remember college days when I was psyched to find the number of DIYS projects that were out there where I could just put more work in and save a couple of bucks. I remember seeing prices of cheap basic skimmers and thinking OMG, no way will I ever buy one of those things.(looking at $150-$200 price tags, when I use one now that costs 6-7 times that)
The rest of the sentence you didn’t quote is the important part. “but if you find the right position near your drain pipes where it isn’t too low or too high it is a lot more effective then running nothing.” I would say you could increase the efficiency depending on where you place it in the sump by 100 fold. All the numbers are off the top of my head and if you try to find hard facts and you’ll come up short.(it’s impossible to say place your bag at position X and it will receive X flow and be 70% as efficient as running it in a reactor, as everyone’s aquarium is different) In terms of how much more efficient it is to run in a reactor I go by gut feeling.
(note: off the top of my head/gut feeling is from running phosphate remover in at least 80 aquariums over the course of many years both with and without reactors. I have also spoken with many people on this issue one of them the owner and founder of one of the biggest names in the industry who thinks reactor in general are “unnecessary gadgetry”, but admits the cool gadgets are a big part of the industry. In my basement I have aquariums with reactors and some with just the media in a bag)
This is all an aside from the topic originally posted. Big take home point, lack of phosphates and nitrates will eat away at the ability for most algae to survive and reproduce. Placing phosphate remover in your aquarium will likely help in the fight. Using it in a reactor will increase it’s efficiency, but is not at all required for it to help significantly.
Usually you give the “full length” , “all points get covered” on your first response to posts, why’d you have to “start cheap” and make me beat, the “industry standard” , or “most commonly and effectively used” ways out of you this time?
slap-stick
oh yeah… lOl
Hey, I know a lot of the guys and girls don’t like to read books.
I have no time, but still try to find the time to help out when I can.(Luckily things with this business are really picking up!) Enough people have written about phosphate removers elsewhere, all the original poster needed to know was it’d be wise to use um.
I’m going to get one of these DIY kits with the pinwheel Sicce pump for the next tank. rated pretty good by reefbuilders.
http://www.avastmarine.com/ssc/do/product/youbuilt/CS1-Cone-Skimmer-Kit
I wont need the windshield wiper or dump bucket.
[quote=“kaptken, post:14, topic:4671”]
I’m going to get one of these DIY kits with the pinwheel Sicce pump for the next tank. rated pretty good by reefbuilders.
http://www.avastmarine.com/ssc/do/product/youbuilt/CS1-Cone-Skimmer-Kit
I wont need the windshield wiper or dump bucket. [/quote]
That skimmer looks like a fun little assembly project :
:
maybe if you get it now, and put it together and have to stare at it, that’ll get you making a plenum for your new 180 :BEER
just a thought :-)lol
ok soooo i’ll buy some mexican turbos, and if that doesn’t go well enough perhaps an urchin or get a reactor going… it seems like reactor is my best bet if I’m willing to shell out more money
Snails are cheaper, but you’ll also need to buy some glue to keep your frags in place as they’ve been referred to as bull dozers. Removing the phosphate will help prevent the next pest algae or bacteria from springing up and also make your corals grow faster and look prettier.
[quote=“snupa, post:16, topic:4671”]
ok soooo i’ll buy some mexican turbos, and if that doesn’t go well enough perhaps an urchin or get a reactor going… it seems like reactor is my best bet if I’m willing to shell out more money[/quote]
:: let us know how the turbos do.