Hair Algae...tell me all you know about it. How do I kill it!

[Jan]

I made the mistake of purchasing some pieces of coral on rocks that had hair algae on them. Now I have a serious problem. I keep pulling the stuff off and every few days it looks like it's blooming overnight. It's everywhere; in between branches of sps, on the base of rocks...you name the place and it's there. I can't stand it! How do I get rid of it short of tearing everything down and boiling it all? I've not put my fish back in the tank because I don't want to feed it. Cleaners wont touch it. Water changes aren't putting a dent in it.

[Ryan S]

Jan,

 

I did several things to get rid of mine. Not sure which worked or if it was a combination.

 

1. First, I did a water change and sucked out as much hair algae as I could pull off.

2. I turned the lights off for 3 days.

3. I added a BRS GFO reactor.

4. I added a 6500k light to my fuge/cheato, which I ran for the 3 days straight, then 12hrs/day.

5. After the 3 days with the light off, I did another water change. (And continued doing 10%/wk after).

6. I then only ran the lights for 4 hours a day, and increased by 30 minutes every week.

7. I added a bunch of snails and hermits.

8. After 2 months the hair algae was gone.

 

Here is an article that might help too:

http://www.melevsreef.com/gha.html

[Jan]

Thanks Ryan.

 

Jan,

 

I did several things to get rid of mine. Not sure which worked or if it was a combination.

 

1. First, I did a water change and sucked out as much hair algae as I could pull off.

2. I turned the lights off for 3 days.

3. I added a BRS GFO reactor.

4. I added a 6500k light to my fuge/cheato, which I ran for the 3 days straight, then 12hrs/day.

5. After the 3 days with the light off, I did another water change. (And continued doing 10%/wk after).

6. I then only ran the lights for 4 hours a day, and increased by 30 minutes every week.

7. I added a bunch of snails and hermits.

8. After 2 months the hair algae was gone.

 

Here is an article that might help too:

http://www.melevsreef.com/gha.html

[hypertech]

I think I am finally winning my battle.

 

I got a grout cleaning brush. I drilled a hole in the middle of it and zip tied a tube in it. Then I start a siphon and put the other end in a filter sock in my sump and scrub away. It makes pretty quick work of it. Between that and GFO, I feel that I have finally got the upper hand on the stuff. It's been plaguing me since I swapped out my sand bed.

[bbyatv]

The algae needs nutrients to grow. Remove the nutrients and kill the algae.

 

To do this:

Add lots of macro algae to your refugium and then once a week trim it back.

Feed a little less until you have the problem under control.

Make sure the water you are adding either via top off or water change has 0 TDS.

Make sure there is not some other source for nutrients in the system.

 

All the while suck the stuff up with a siphon (and replace the water sucked out).

 

Good luck,

Bruce

Edited September 26, 2011 by bbyatv

[bbyatv]

Carefull with the filter sock idea. This allows most of the nutrients back into the system. Water replacement as that dirty water comes out might be a better idea.

 

Bruce

 

I think I am finally winning my battle.

 

I got a grout cleaning brush. I drilled a hole in the middle of it and zip tied a tube in it. Then I start a siphon and put the other end in a filter sock in my sump and scrub away. It makes pretty quick work of it. Between that and GFO, I feel that I have finally got the upper hand on the stuff. It's been plaguing me since I swapped out my sand bed.

[hypertech]

That would be way too much work. All the algae gets caught and is removed. I don't know what other nutrients you are talking about.

 

I started doing it with water changes For whatever reason I'm having better success without them. I do use rodi with 0 tds, so I don't have a good explanation for why this is the case.

[Ryan S]

Jan, an algae scrubber would solve your problem too, if you had the space to set one up...

[bbyatv]

Maybe do a test. Compare the amount of algae that comes out if you suck it into a bucket vs. how much you catch with a sock. The algae breaks up as water rushes through the sock and much of it will return to the tank in micro size.

 

Good luck,

 

Bruce

 

That would be way too much work. All the algae gets caught and is removed. I don't know what other nutrients you are talking about.

 

I started doing it with water changes For whatever reason I'm having better success without them. I do use rodi with 0 tds, so I don't have a good explanation for why this is the case.

[SunWyrm]

Buy a lawnmower blenny. No joke, when I first bought mine she ripped through our 75's hair-algae-gone-mad in a few days. Before that I'd tried ripping it out, all kinds of cuc critters, and phosphate removers. She's very friendly to my other fish and is the first to greet a new one.

 

 

My fish would kill for a rock with hair algae right now. Even my rabbitfish love the stuff. If I put any in there it's gone in under 15 minutes.

 

On second thought...if anyone has a ton they'd like to part with, I'd love to grow it out in a tank - crazy right? lol

[YBeNormal]

Jan,

 

There are many things you can do to make the HA go away, but all of them in isolation only mask the underlying problem. For HA to grow out of control, you need several things:

 

- Light of the appropriate spectrum (and it is broad) and duration

- Nitrates

- Phosphates

- Lack of herbivores that will eat HA

 

Eliminate any of the first three and the problem is gone. Reduce any of the first three and the problem will become less severe. Add lots of the last item and the problem will either go away or you will have fat and happy herbivores. Although I did not have a major problem with it, my personal experience with HA was that I had elevated phosphates, accompanied with slight but almost unmeasurable NO3. I cut the lights for several days (coral actually liked this!), used some phosphate removers, and ordered a few extra snails for good measure. The problem went away. HTH

[lanman]

There are certain GHA's that are almost virulent. I have two different ones that can grow inches a day. I am trying to figure a way to produce bio-fuel. Be VERY careful with your light spectrum. I had a pair of bulbs stop working in the middle of a fixture and didn't notice for a while. I was removing a pound a day, and barely keeping up! And that was in a 33-gallon tank!!

 

Pure evil!

 

bob

[lowsingle]

Hi Jan, I had a severe hair algae outbreak and in addition to nutrient control methods (such as water changes, carbon, GFO, and bio-pellets) I found that purchasing a 2 bar rabbitfish was probably the best solution. He ate every piece of algae in my tank except green bubble algae (which I had very little of)......I sold him for $25 a few weeks ago when I downsized my tank....he was worth his weight in gold if you ask me.....

 

Darren

[Jan]

Ok, this is just not fun anymore... this stuff is wicked! I pulled fists full out of my overflow this afternoon. There's a lot in various parts of my aquascape but not enough where I can yank it off clean in mats. It's so fine that when I rip it off some floats away. So I'm spreading it at this point. I just replaced lights about a month or so ago and ever since I added the new lights it's been taking off. I have two types; one fine dark green that grows deeper in the tank and one that's thicker, longer and lighter that grows closer to the lightat the top portion of the tank.

 

Thanks everyone. You've all given me a lot of good information. I appreciate it.

J

[hypertech]

Do you have an overflow cover? I bought one off ebay. In addition to making it quieter and keeping the fish and snails out, it also blocks the light and keeps the algae from growing in there and messing with the plumbing.

 

It wouldn't be hard to make. Just a piece of black acrylic cut to match the size of the overflow and another piece glued to the bottom to hold it in place when set on the overflow. But, for $20 or whatever it was, it was easier just to order it and be done with it.

[hypertech]

Also, and I have yet to try it, but when it was nearly smothering every coral I had (I've knocked it back quite a bit since that point), I figured I didn't have much to lose and started researching hydrogen peroxide dosing. Apparently, in the right concentrations, it kills the algae and supposedly doesn't hurt the corals. I would follow that up with massive water changes and lots of GFO to get it out, but if you need a stop gap measure to keep it of the corals long enough to solve the root problem, it may be worth researching.

 

Also, if one is bryopsis, for whatever reason, people have more luck raising mag with Tech M. It has to be the Tech M, so I'm not completely convinced it is the magnesium itself but maybe some other impurity.

[Jan]

I'll use hydrogen peroxide as a last resort. Thank you.

 

It's not bryopsis. I've dealt with bryopsis and got rid of it by using Kent Tech "M". I dose Kent Tech "M" all the time. I've poured it directy on this stuff, the same way I did with bryopsis, and nothing. I swear it feeds it. There's something in Kent magnesium that kills bryopsis and also helps to keep the pulse in pulsating xenias. Sally Jo Headlee of GARF told me about it when I had a xenia that lost it's pulse. Been using it ever since.

 

Also, and I have yet to try it, but when it was nearly smothering every coral I had (I've knocked it back quite a bit since that point), I figured I didn't have much to lose and started researching hydrogen peroxide dosing. Apparently, in the right concentrations, it kills the algae and supposedly doesn't hurt the corals. I would follow that up with massive water changes and lots of GFO to get it out, but if you need a stop gap measure to keep it of the corals long enough to solve the root problem, it may be worth researching.

 

Also, if one is bryopsis, for whatever reason, people have more luck raising mag with Tech M. It has to be the Tech M, so I'm not completely convinced it is the magnesium itself but maybe some other impurity.

[steveoutlaw]

Rabbitfish! When I had my 120g I bought some rock that was covered in it. I put in a Gold Spotted Rabbitfish and it was gone in a week. And this was not a little spot of GHA, these were large rocks that were covered in it. Best part about it is the Rabbitfish will ensure that is doesn't come back.

[Jan]

I only have a 75 gallon. Gold spotted rabbitfish grow to over a foot in length. It's going to need a bigger tank. Thanks Steve.

 

Rabbitfish! When I had my 120g I bought some rock that was covered in it. I put in a Gold Spotted Rabbitfish and it was gone in a week. And this was not a little spot of GHA, these were large rocks that were covered in it. Best part about it is the Rabbitfish will ensure that is doesn't come back.

[trockafella]

Any of the rabbits/foxfaces will be fine. I had a 2 barred rabbit in a 72 and it couldnt have been happier. It went to live in a 60 cube where it did great as well.. The rabbits are algae machines, I didnt see any nuisance algae til I got rid of the rabbit. Though they can get big in due time, there swimming needs/habits are much different from tangs. Get yourself a nice 2" rabbit and let him go to work.. Just make sure after the algae is gone its kept well fed.

[Jan]

Okay. Time to visit my LFS that aren't so local but definatley worth the trip. Thanks Travis.

 

Any of the rabbits/foxfaces will be fine. I had a 2 barred rabbit in a 72 and it couldnt have been happier. It went to live in a 60 cube where it did great as well.. The rabbits are algae machines, I didnt see any nuisance algae til I got rid of the rabbit. Though they can get big in due time, there swimming needs/habits are much different from tangs. Get yourself a nice 2" rabbit and let him go to work.. Just make sure after the algae is gone its kept well fed.

[Origami]

Jan, Cliff Babcock (HighlandReefer) started this thread a while back on ReefCentral. He tested AlgaeFix Marine. I actually tried it as well on a BioCube setup some time ago. It worked reasonably well and I'd call it effective.

[trockafella]

Ive used the AlgaeFix as well. It does help out.. But I wouls still go with the rabbit.. BRK usually has some instock, and usually they are nice and healthy.. Honestly, I think you will love the rabbit, they get a great personality over time. I could practically hand feed it.. I will ddefinitely get another once my tank is back up and running.

[Ryan S]

Ive used the AlgaeFix as well. It does help out.. But I wouls still go with the rabbit.. BRK usually has some instock, and usually they are nice and healthy.. Honestly, I think you will love the rabbit, they get a great personality over time. I could practically hand feed it.. I will ddefinitely get another once my tank is back up and running.

 

just be careful b/c the spines of some (all?) rabbits are poisonous, right?

[Chad]

Yes, they are venomous in their dorsal spines. It is a good thing to be aware of, but IME, unless you are handling in a net, a sting is less of a risk than a sting from a lionfish based on their behavior.