ctreptow September 3, 2008 Share September 3, 2008 Has anyone experienced this much hair algae in a new startup. The tanks have had water in them for 2 weeks and they did the usual brown diatom the 1st week and then the hair came. Since the holiday was here my cleanup crew was delayed in getting here and this algae just keeps growing. I have installed my 2 phosban reactors with Phosar in them 2 days ago. Lighting is brand new T5 54w Icecap overdriven to 80W 3 Actinic Blue + 1 pure Actinic and 1 midday bulb. Photo period 10 hours a day, I did cut that back to just actinics today. New Sand and the 150Lbs of live rock are about 10years old. I was hoping that it would build up and start to die off once all the nutrients have been used up but now I am worried that with this much algae when it dies off it will cause bigger problems. BTW the second tank which shares the same sump has very little hair algae. PC Lighting. Any thoughts? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak September 3, 2008 Share September 3, 2008 (edited) You should open an algae wig store. Try manually fishing out the bulk of it then cut the lights off and let the fish live in the dark till it dissapears Edited September 3, 2008 by jason the filter freak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenophore September 3, 2008 Share September 3, 2008 Cut the lights to ~2hr/day, pull out the long fronds, add hermits, keep the skimmer clean and working. Should be gone in a week. ^^^ He's sitting right next to me, copying my advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctreptow September 3, 2008 Author Share September 3, 2008 I was thinking about the green wig store. I have cut back on the lights and the cleanup crew did arrive today I was really hoping to burn out the problem because as soon as the lights come back so will the algae.. I really need to get my cheato tub running. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k September 3, 2008 Share September 3, 2008 Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ne0eN September 3, 2008 Share September 3, 2008 How old is your RO/DI? --Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phisigs79 September 3, 2008 Share September 3, 2008 Is that the same tank with the rock and foam wall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extreme_tooth_decay September 3, 2008 Share September 3, 2008 That's crazy man! Just my opinion, others will vary: My feeling is that trying to do something about your nutrients to get rid of existing hair algae isn't gonna do much if anything. That's more of a "prevent hair algae" measure. If it was me (and it has been), I would: scrape it out, get clean up crew (turbos seem to eat it, and I got lucky with a hippo who decimated it when he got hungry) turn lights totally off for like 2 weeks if I had no corals Since the tank is new, the easiest thing might be to just start over. Take all the rocks out and just let them totally dry, and start over. good luck tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctreptow September 3, 2008 Author Share September 3, 2008 LOL!!! Yeah I feel that way as well... Except I could never get Chi Pets to graow... Go figure I needed to sumberge them. As for is this the tank with the Foam wall... Yes it is and I am hoping that it's not the foam causing it.. The RO/DI was less then 24 hours old when mixed, All new water. The rock spent the last year in my stock tank with my fish not really taken care that well.. So I don't know if it has soaked up some bad stuff that is being released now with this nice new water and super brite lights. Nitrates are 0 and I don't have a PO4 kit to test Phos yet. Lots of flow in the tank as well. I can really see how my oceans motions and powerheads move the water. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phisigs79 September 3, 2008 Share September 3, 2008 I ask if its the opne with the foam and rock because you said your tanks are plumbed together and one is having the issue but the other is not. Hate to say it but the foam might be whats causing it. I would check Phosphates and start manually removing the hair algae followed by a overloaded cleaner crew and some lawnmower blennies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctreptow September 3, 2008 Author Share September 3, 2008 Yeah I was thinking the same thing about the foam but I am hoping it has more to do with the bright lights instead of the foam. I have 400 Watts over this tank and only 200 over the other one. Only time will tell.. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenophore September 3, 2008 Share September 3, 2008 Don't worry about it. I doubt the foam is doing it. It's a natural cycle- nothing else is growing to outcompete it or eat it yet, much like primary succession in a freshly-burned forest. Don't take the rocks out, that will just reset the clock. Be patient and let the clean up crew work. Adding phosphate remover and cutting the photoperiod will help them get caught up quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefmontalvo September 3, 2008 Share September 3, 2008 The way I took care of a case of hair algea of that nature is not hard but it will take time. I would get about thirty hermits, since they love hair algea, then a hippo tank, yellow tank and a lawnmover blenny since they are also hair algea lovers. The fish are optional but the hermits are a good idea and work very fast. I used to keep two in my over flow and they kept the hair very low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctreptow September 4, 2008 Author Share September 4, 2008 I thought it was natural cycle but every time I cycled before I never saw it this bad, but the other times I did have my cleanup crew earlier. I am going to cut back photo period and this weekend I am going to build a cheato spinner in a 5 gallon bucket. Does anyone have some cheato to spare? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefmontalvo September 4, 2008 Share September 4, 2008 I thought it was natural cycle but every time I cycled before I never saw it this bad, but the other times I did have my cleanup crew earlier. I am going to cut back photo period and this weekend I am going to build a cheato spinner in a 5 gallon bucket. Does anyone have some cheato to spare? Chris I got some left over, in my fug. I'll send you a PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quazi September 4, 2008 Share September 4, 2008 Does anyone have some cheato to spare? Chris LOTS! and I need to get rid of some. PM me if you are interested. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st9z September 4, 2008 Share September 4, 2008 Wow i have not seen so much hair algae...try manually pucking out and scrubbing the hair algae. Turn the lights out for 3 days and use phosphate remover in a mesh bag....and replace the phosphate remover every other day. Most importantly don't give up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishcam September 4, 2008 Share September 4, 2008 Every other day? I've got some hair algae and I've been doing a cup every two weeks... does phosphate remover not work like carbon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefmontalvo September 4, 2008 Share September 4, 2008 Every other day? I've got some hair algae and I've been doing a cup every two weeks... does phosphate remover not work like carbon? It has been sometime since I had an hair aglea problem. The blue hippo tang keeps the stuff at bay along with the lawnmower Blenny. But the phosban and carbon work great, I place both in the reactor at the same time and have not seen hair algea in almost a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctreptow September 4, 2008 Author Share September 4, 2008 I am running some Phosar that Doug gave me a couple of years ago in 2 phosban reactors. I am looking to upgrade to the dual reactor that bulk supply has. 1 for carbon and 1 for GFO.. Chris It has been sometime since I had an hair aglea problem. The blue hippo tang keeps the stuff at bay along with the lawnmower Blenny. But the phosban and carbon work great, I place both in the reactor at the same time and have not seen hair algea in almost a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman September 4, 2008 Share September 4, 2008 Even I, the prince of nuisance polyps and algae, can't top that one. Best I can do: bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctreptow September 5, 2008 Author Share September 5, 2008 Yeah I win... Added cleanup crew yesterday and kept in the dark today and I see some rock.. The rest has put on another 1/2 inch but the crew is doing it's job. I still can't believe it grew some more even in total darkness.. go figure I found the hair algae that grows in the dark ... Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman September 5, 2008 Share September 5, 2008 Yeah I win... Added cleanup crew yesterday and kept in the dark today and I see some rock.. The rest has put on another 1/2 inch but the crew is doing it's job. I still can't believe it grew some more even in total darkness.. go figure I found the hair algae that grows in the dark ... Chris Get a baby-bottle brush, put it into the middle, and spin it around... it will grab bunches at a time. bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctreptow September 5, 2008 Author Share September 5, 2008 Hey cool idea I never thought of that.. I may need to start with a toilet brush 1st and work my way down to the baby bottle brush.... Patience patience.. patience... Chris Get a baby-bottle brush, put it into the middle, and spin it around... it will grab bunches at a time. bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefmontalvo September 5, 2008 Share September 5, 2008 What kind of fish to do you currently have living in your tank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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