how do you get rid of hair algea

[big-fish]

i have some patches of green hair algea. what can i do to get rid of it
all of my levels in my tank are perfect and i would like to stay away from uses of adding chemicals???

 

[fenrir]

I am battling this right now, and I am begining to win the battle. The best thing you can do is do frequent small water changes and less lighting through out the day. Are you using RO/DI water? If you aren't thats the reason right there. I've had the most succes by taking the water that I took out durring a water change and taking the pieces of live rock out and scrubbing the hair algea off in the water. Then after your done scrubbing take some of the water that hasn't had any hair algea scrubben off into it and rinse your live rock. I haven't had any hair algea grow back ont he rocks that I have done this too.
Hope that helps and good luck!

 

[big-fish]

thanks,,the bad part about scrubing the rocks is that the hair algea is only on my corals, (yellow polyps and my feather duster)
do you know of any crabs that eat it???

 

[brewski4u1]

lawn mower blenny ! but once all the hair algea is gone you will have to supplement food or he will die

 

[snaredrum]

What size tank? It might be to small for a lawnmower. How old are the lights? I changed my lights and problem solved. My PC's only lasted 10 months.

 

[big-fish]

i changed my tank lights last august and i heard that you cant mix blennys in the same tank,,,,,and it is a 30 gallon

 

[scotts]

The best way to get rid of hair algae is to get rid of the source (ie the food) that is feeding it. Any excess waste such as extra food will break down into a food source for the hair algae. What type of clean up crew do you have? Hermit crabs are great for eating this waste and elimianating it before it can turn into food for your hair algae. As a side note when I got some blue legged hermit crabs from this site they ate the hair algae as well.