[Mare100]

Hi everybody!

I'm hoping somebody can give me a little help with some algae issues. We have a 120 with approx. 135 lbs. of live rock in there...which has been up and running for several weeks now. We've been through the cycle and ammonia and nitrite levels are down to 0. We've been through a brown algae issue....but that seems to have calmed down some.

Right now, in the tank we wanted to put some cleaner guys in there and have put in 2 serpent starfish, 2 hermit crabs and 2 turbo snails. The major issue we are having right now is this abundant growth of what I think is long, green Hair Algae. Here is a picture of it. It's really spreading and growing like crazy!



What can we do to control this stuff?

Also....a question about the crabs. The LFS just had them listed as hermit crabs. I thought they were red hermit crabs....because they are red....but they have white tips on the ends of their legs. The other problem is that twice tonight....we had to rescue one of the snails because the crab was all over him! Looked like he was trying to dig him out of his shell. I didn't think the hermit crabs would go after the snails. Do you think he is just trying to get his shell?

Any help would really be appreciated. Thanks so much.

M

[RyanG]

Crabs are known to steal shells from snails or all together kill the snail for food.

Yes that is definitely hair algae. Ways that you can combat it are:

Remove as much as possible, cut back on your lighting period, if you are feeding frozen foods let them de-thaw in RO water first, get a phosphate reactor to remove phosphates, or set up a refuge and grow macroalgae in the refuge, this will GREATLY help with algae in your main display tank.

I highly recommend the refuge idea.