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How many of your Zeo users have algae problems??

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  • #1

    How many of your Zeo users have algae problems??

    I have been battling red turf algae for awhile now. And hoped using the Zeovit would help cure this problem. So far no changes in the red turf, it continues to grow. I also have byrosis and some macro that is persistant. Has anyone else had this problem. I have added Mex trocus to help eat this crap, they are trying to. Anyone have any advice on how to get rid of it??
    It seems to grow the best in high current areas of my tank, right where the streams are pointed. Thanks for any advice. This stuff drives me crazy!
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Greetings All !

    Znut Reefer,
    When you say "red turf algae", are you talking about this stuff?



    I also have byrosis and some macro that is persistant.
    Me too ... very annoying. The good news is that none of the persistent algae are showing anything resembling their typical growth rates. In fact, I'm seeing no "spread" at all, but they "just won't die" ... very annoying. I'm currently assaulting them with Astrea snails, reef hermits, and my favorite "shock troops" ... amphipods. I'm clearly "winning", but it's taking longer than I had hoped.

    HTH
    "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
    Hunter S. Thompson

    Comment

    • #3
      Znut zeovit used at the correct dosage will reduce nutrients. IMO the problem you describe is usually caused because the tank has been run for some time with higher than desireable nutrients, and these have been absorbed into the rock / substrate.
      Then the person starts to use zeovit, but as soon as the water nutrient levels are lowered, some is released from the rock to make up the balance. This situation has continued in some peoples tanks for many months, but those who have persisted have eventually succeeded, suddenly finding that their tank cleans up and algae dissappears, this situation coming about once the residual nutrients in rock etc are no longer in high enough amount to be a problem.

      Comment

      • #4
        Wasp... I think that may be true. I however see it growing on the glass and other none rock/sand area's in my system. I have no sand and only about 70 lbs of rock rubble in my 350g system which was all new as of January this year.
        I'm not aiming for ultra low nutrient levels as many others are though.
        This stuff can get way out of control and live on while other algae seems to fade away at moderate nutrient levels. I've pretty much gotten the growth of it under control with the use of sea hares to do the harvesting for me. I have two of them and just move them from tank to tank. One can clean one tank 72" x 12" x 12" in about 1-2 weeks depending on how fast it's growing.
        My past experience with zeovit and this red hair algae was that if I maintained PO4's at .03 or less it would in time stop growing in most areas of the system.
        SteveU
        “People are very open-minded about new things - as long as they're exactly like the old ones.”
        ...Charles F. Kettering

        Comment

        • #5
          This is what I mean by red turf algae:



          I have had three sea hares, but they didn't touch this stuff. I think they died of starvation. This is an older pic, it's not as bad in this area, but is growing other places of my tank.

          Comment

          • #6
            Here is another older pic of the red turf. Does yours look like this?? You can also see by this pic that it can get really thick.

            Comment

            • #7
              i have that in my tank, but i dont use zeovit. strangely though, although my tank is dirty (it must be, algae grows like crazy) this particular stuff didnt spread....i just pull it out every once in a while...

              Comment

              • #8
                Jonah310

                Thanks for your reply. I'm sure I do have alot of nutrients stored up in my rock. Just like most older reef tanks.
                This stuff does spread like wild fire, theres no pulling this out unless I remove the whole rock. You can't pull on it, it seems to attach very firmly to the rock.

                Comment

                • #9
                  I guess I've been lucky with the sea hares. When I move them from tank to tank I always set them on a pile of this stuff and I can watch them suck it up like pasta.
                  Biggest problem I have is finding them when I'm ready to move them.

                  SteveU
                  “People are very open-minded about new things - as long as they're exactly like the old ones.”
                  ...Charles F. Kettering

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    yea, that stuff is so tough

                    i recently took my rock out to cook it

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      I have had problems with that stuff in the past myself, the only way I had any impact what-so-ever is with turbo snails, they do not eliminate it all together, but they do knock it down quick......
                      IF IT IS WORTH DOING, TAKE YOUR TIME AND DO IT RIGHT..........

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Thanks John,

                        I did add 12 large Mex turbo snail this past Fri. They seem to be eating on it. I know they can't eliminate it all together, because this stuff send roots into the rock. But hopefull they can keep it under control. I plan to upgrade to a 450 in the near future and may end up having to cook this rock to get rid of it all together.
                        Not looking forward to it, I have around 300 lbs of rock!

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          While I do not have that red stuff I have this purpleish blueish macro algae that I really HATE :smash: It is kinda cool looking though but it is starting to creep onto another rock. Both my tang and angel eat it but where it grows mostly is in areas that they can not reach. It is quite tough and attaches well to rock and glass. I spoke with Gary about it a while back and he said it likes to grow in clean water. Anyone ever seen this before?

                          Dustin

                          "Water is the driving force of all nature"
                          Leonardo da Vinci

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Greetings All !

                            Your pictures definitely help! It's either Gelidiopsis (if the filaments are rounded), or Gelidium (if the filaments are flattened). My guess is Gelidiopsis.

                            Sprung has some things to say about it ...

                            Gelidiopsis

                            Common Name: Wire Algae.
                            Description: Red or brown tough, wiry filaments.
                            Features: Palatable to many herbivorous fishes. Slow growing, but can smother corals and tends to grow over damaged edges.
                            Controls: Removal by hand. Herbivores.
                            Herbivores: Surgeonfishes, Diadema urchins.

                            Extracted from:
                            Algae. A Problem Solver Guide.
                            Julian Sprung, Ricordea Publishing, 2002.
                            This stuff does spread like wild fire ...
                            This can be a downside to its growth/habit ... it's attached right at the microclimate of nutrient release from the rock. The bad news is that you may well be battling this one for a while, and manual removal is a pain. The good news is that once the nutrients are depleted, it should be much easier to remove, and its growth will become very slow.

                            Does yours look like this??
                            Nope ... the red clump in the pic I posted is Asparagopsis taxiformis ... in its gametophytic stage. VERY pesky stuff to be completely rid of ... I would much prefer to be wrestling with Gelidiopsis, irritating though it is for you right now.


                            ... this stuff send roots into the rock ...
                            Sorry for this macroalgae-geek commentary, but ... algae do not have roots (although they can have "root-like" rhizomes). Only vascular plants have roots. Even so, your observation is dead-on correct: Complete removal will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, because thalli have grown into cavities/spaces within the rock where you can't get at them.

                            ... turbo snails, they do not eliminate it all together, but they do knock it down quick...
                            Herbivores are my friends ... ...

                            HTH
                            "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
                            Hunter S. Thompson

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Greetings All !

                              Dustin_Y,

                              Anyone ever seen this before?
                              It's a red alga named Ochtodes ... very cool stuff ....

                              Calfo and Fenner in Reef Invertebrates (2003) list it as an excellent nutrient-export species for algae refugia, along with Chaetomorpha and Gracilaria. Reef Invertebrates has some good pics of it on page 69 and page 71.


                              Fenner has posted about it on WetWebMedia ...

                              Caulerpa\phosphate\nitrates

                              Hi,

                              Hello there

                              I was reading some articles on reducing phosphate and came across Phosphate solutions 7/31/03 stating "I'll put some Caulerpa too for helping to reduce phosphates.

                              do consider a safer and more stable macroalgae like Chaetomorpha, Ochtodes or Gracilaria for this purpose

                              What are the problems with Caulerpa?

                              There are some folks here that believe that the likelihood of species of this genus going reproductive and thereby toxic (and unattractive mess) too much trouble... as well as Caulerpas being too aggressive growers... taking too much out of the water that reefers might want for other life's use... and that their growth discolors the water too much... and that it grows so quickly as to be a pain to keep harvested

                              My understanding is that Caulerpa, Chaetomorpha, Ochtodes or Gracilaria will
                              help reduce phosphate and nitrate.

                              Yes

                              Is that correct? Is there anything else that they help reduce?

                              Most any, all nutrients, biominerals... if boosted (with light mainly)

                              I was unable to find a picture of Chaetomorpha, Ochtodes and Gracilaria due
                              to my browser at work, is it possible to e-mail me a picture of what
                              Chaetomorpha, Ochtodes and Gracilaria looks like?

                              Mmm, some of these may be presented on WetWebMedia, but you're likely to get them fastest by doing a Google search and looking through their "pictures" feature. Bob Fenner

                              Thanks
                              Mohamed.

                              Extracted from:
                              FAQs about Using Marine Macro-Algae 4
                              http://www.wetwebmedia.com/maralgfaq4.htm
                              Inland Aquatics sells it sometimes with their refugia kits ... (no picture ... just price list)
                              http://www.inlandaquatics.com/prod/tr_algae.html

                              Algaebase.org Ochtodes page
                              http://www.algaebase.org/generadetai...0CEESiW2D792A2


                              It even has some specialized uses ...

                              Halogenated monoterpene production by microplantlets of the marine red alga Ochtodes secundiramea within an airlift photobioreactor under nutrient medium perfusion.
                              by Polzin JP, Rorrer GL.
                              (Abstract) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

                              HTH
                              "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
                              Hunter S. Thompson

                              Comment

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