Hair algae

[Clyde]

Hair algae is making me crazy :x on my rock work and growing around my zoa. All my parameters are in check, at least the ones I check. Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, Ph, SG, calcium and phos. Still I have hair algae :twisted:

I have done what I know I shouldn't do. Try and pluck it on with my long thumb forceps. Now it seems the parts that float away have attached to knew areas in my tank. I might throw something. AAARG!!!!

I just throw my cat I feel better. Haha.

Any suggestion here. I know if I starve it it will go away. How long does this take? am i too impatient? Please help.

[zygote2k]

how old is your tank?

[astroboy]

Hair algae is making me crazy :x on my rock work and growing around my zoa. All my parameters are in check, at least the ones I check. Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, Ph, SG, calcium and phos. Still I have hair algae :twisted:

I have done what I know I shouldn't do. Try and pluck it on with my long thumb forceps. Now it seems the parts that float away have attached to knew areas in my tank. I might throw something. AAARG!!!!

I just throw my cat I feel better. Haha.

Any suggestion here. I know if I starve it it will go away. How long does this take? am i too impatient? Please help.

 

I got rid of mine by upping my Mg to 1550. Killed my bryopsis too. You can find alot of debate about this on the web, although I can't recall specific sites at the moment.

[jamal]

how long have you been fighting it and how long have you had it?

[Origami]

Just because your nitrate and phosphate levels test low doesn't mean that you don't have a problem with them. It's very likely that your hair algae is trapping and exporting the extra nutrients and is part of keeping those levels low. Take a moment to describe your setup, parameters, livestock, and feeding regimen. Any other problems with algae? Cyano?

[trockafella]

What kind of cleaner crew do you have..? Hair algae would cover everything in the ocean if it werent for those that feed on it... I battled it for a long time in an old tank i had, but now i never see it... Lots of snails. crabs etc... Oh and good water quality too.. But i still have both nitrates and phosphates, just no hair algae... How old is thelightingand do you have a fuge..?

[Clyde]

This tank a 24 gallon nanocube has been up and running for about 5-6 months. I have been fighting it for about 2 months. No fuge. I do water changes 5 gallons every week with rodi water and H2Ocean salt. Stock: Ocilar. clown, pygmy angel, purple stripe psuedochromis and a blenny. Cleaning crew: 8 tonga snails, 1 shooting star snail ( I want more Sean), 3 blue leg crabs and 2 emerald crabs. Lighting is brand new 150w halide with actinics. I feed small amount of flake one day and then a small mix of mysis and baby brine the next. I think that covers it

[onux20]

This tank a 24 gallon nanocube has been up and running for about 5-6 months. I have been fighting it for about 2 months. No fuge. I do water changes 5 gallons every week with rodi water and H2Ocean salt. Stock: Ocilar. clown, pygmy angel, purple stripe psuedochromis and a blenny. Cleaning crew: 8 tonga snails, 1 shooting star snail ( I want more Sean), 3 blue leg crabs and 2 emerald crabs. Lighting is brand new 150w halide with actinics. I feed small amount of flake one day and then a small mix of mysis and baby brine the next. I think that covers it

I would say that rinsing your mysis before you feed the tank may help. Once I started doing that my problem algae began to lessen. Also if you just added the MH, cut back on the light cycle to give your tank time to adjust.

 

Ron

[Rascal]

Just because your nitrate and phosphate levels test low doesn't mean that you don't have a problem with them. It's very likely that your hair algae is trapping and exporting the extra nutrients and is part of keeping those levels low.

 

Exactly. Consider the hair algae itself as your test kit. If it is growing you have excess nutrients. When it starts to die off, you are winning. Pull it and keep doing whatever you did to make it die off.

 

What kind of cleaner crew do you have..? Hair algae would cover everything in the ocean if it werent for those that feed on it...

 

Agree with this too, in part. A lot of people skip the water quality part and just start adding herbivores willy nilly out of desperation (been there, done that). It is very hard to deal with an existing problem this way, and sometimes the new stuff just dies or eats each other (like hermits vs. snails) and makes the problem worse. I think herbivores are an important component in the battle, but water quality should be the #1 priority IMO.

 

 

This tank a 24 gallon nanocube has been up and running for about 5-6 months. I have been fighting it for about 2 months. No fuge. I do water changes 5 gallons every week with rodi water and H2Ocean salt. Stock: Ocilar. clown, pygmy angel, purple stripe psuedochromis and a blenny. Cleaning crew: 8 tonga snails, 1 shooting star snail ( I want more Sean), 3 blue leg crabs and 2 emerald crabs.

 

Skimmerless? Since you are having algae issues maybe try doing WC's 2x week and see if that helps. A little more diversity in the cleaning crew w/re: snails would be a good thing too. In stead of 8 tonga maybe a couple each of tonga, cerith, nerite, . . . .

 

I would say that rinsing your mysis before you feed the tank may help.

Agree with this too.

 

Do absolutely everything you can think of to minimize nutrient import and maximize its export. When you have tried everything else and are still having the problem, do a lot of reading on GFO and Vodka/carbon dosing and consider those options.

[walter]

2 words. Sea Hare

[Highland Reefer]

Depending on your phosphate kit, you may have levels just below 0.5 ppm. Many kits will read zero at that level.

 

I would run GFO to get your phosphate levels down lower. When the microalgae starts do die off then you are there. You can adjust your GFO by increasing the amount you add to a reactor and/or replacing the GFO more often.

[zygote2k]

2 words. Sea Hare

 

When I had a problem with nuisance algae and cyano, but couldn't figure out anything else to do about it, I added a Sea Hare.

It was about the size of a golf ball and literally consumed everything it could reach. After a few weeks, there was no more hair, cyano, or diatoms.

 

I then placed it in the 150 maint. tank and it did the same job there.

 

I'm a firm believer in natural filtration and natural remedies when all else fails. Rather than add a chemical or an adsorption media or a carbon source, find the natural route to the problem. I also agree with others' saying not to throw random cleaning critters into the mix without doing research on their individual tastes and cuisines.

[lanman]

When I had a problem with nuisance algae and cyano, but couldn't figure out anything else to do about it, I added a Sea Hare.

It was about the size of a golf ball and literally consumed everything it could reach. After a few weeks, there was no more hair, cyano, or diatoms.

 

I then placed it in the 150 maint. tank and it did the same job there.

 

I'm a firm believer in natural filtration and natural remedies when all else fails. Rather than add a chemical or an adsorption media or a carbon source, find the natural route to the problem. I also agree with others' saying not to throw random cleaning critters into the mix without doing research on their individual tastes and cuisines.

 

And what do you do with the sea hare after all the algae is gone? Rent him out?

 

bob

[Clyde]

Sean at TACo has a sea hare for me I will P/U as soon as I have time. He said he should call it a sea buffalo it is so big. Should be fun! Also, I am trying something a bit off. I will be doing 2gal water change every day for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

Edited January 8, 2009 by Clyde