Hair Algae Problem

[davidk]

I'm currently battling an outbreak of hair algae and think it may be due to overfeeding since my water parameters are ok. I currently feed 2 - 3 times a day (pinch of Ocean Nutrition flake once or twice and a cube of frozen Mysis/Cyclops once). Does this sound like a normal feeding routine or am I overfeeding as I suspect?

 

Thank you

[gmubeach]

Over feeding what is your bioload? and how many fish do you have!

[jason the filter freak]

I feed once a day if not every other day

[Coral Hind]

It really depends on what livestock you are feeding. Without knowing what fish you have we can't really give you much help. Three pinches of flake food a day would be nothing for my gouper but for a goby it may be to much.

 

I would think that if you were overfeeding your nitrate levels would be higher then normal.

[gmubeach]

I feed mine 10-15 micro pellets once a day and a squirt of invert food every 3 or so... I have a 24 galllon nano and its heavly stocked at the moment... The key in my experience to stopping the hair algee is phosophorus do a water change and maybe run some phosband... and look into animals that will eat the stuff depending on the size of your tank. If you would like more advice you could always list a stocking list and equipment list... and its alot easier to help.... oh and do you use ro/di water? I've heard of people having problems from using tap water anyway best wishes Troy

[jamal]

here is why i would suggest that the amount of fish dont matter. at one point in my tank i had to fish including three large tangs and i fed way more generously than most people and i fed my corals and had no hair algae or any nuisance algae. i was down to 0 fish and now i have hair algae cyano and bubble algae. not because of my bioload. my nitrates are below 1 mg/litre but acros are dying and algae is rampant because of phosphates. at 1ppm it is destroying my tank. getting it under control but i say this because nutrients are the problem here. check nitrates and phosphates and you wont be surprised. good luck

[davidk]

I have a 135 with a 25 gallon sump. Current inhabitants:

 

Midas Blenny

Mated Percs

Hippo Tang (medium)

Regal Angel (medium)

Six Line Wrasse

Damsel

Pygmy Angel

Algae Blenny

[dschflier]

When asking people to try and figure out the problem it is important to give the full picture and be as accurate as possible. What type of filtration, skimmer, water movment, lighting, type of fish size, how much do you feed when you feed and what do you feed. The point is the more info you can give the better. I have a good number of fish and corals in my tank I feed them 3 to 4 times a day and have no algea problems I used to have a tremendous hair algea problem.