any suggestions for hair algae?

[alix]

OK i have hair algae in my tank on my live rock and power heads and stuff, but not as much as i used to have but still. heres what i tried to get rid of it-
-removing it by hand
-lawnmower blenny (lasted 1 day, it wasnt in good shape when i bought it but now i know better how to tell a fish is sick. my lfs is no good theyll tell you anything to make the sale.)
-2 emerald crabs (i have never once seen either of these guys picking at the hair algae. they stay under the rocks.)
-red, jade and blue legged hermits
-a shrimpgoby (actually i got him for my sand, but he still doesnt earn his keep.)
-nassarius snails (great for glass and diatoms, but not for the green stuff.)
-turbo snails (useless. waste of money. blah.)
i have no luck with shrimp im not even gonna go into that.
so if anyone has any suggestions for anything (preferably an invert) that will help with the algea, please, let me know!
PS all my levels are fine, almost no nitrate/ nitrite, ammonia etc, because i know someone's gonna tell me my nitrate/ nitrite is too high.
THANKS!

 

[me-n-my-fish]

Originally Posted by alix
PS all my levels are fine, almost no nitrate/ nitrite, ammonia etc, because i know someone's gonna tell me my nitrate/ nitrite is too high.
THANKS!
What about phosphates? How old, what kind of lights?

 

[alix]

3 1/2 years old, brand new lights (my old ones fell in the tank and we couldnt fix it.) theres a 65 watt actinic blue tube and a 10,000k 65 watt white tube, and blue LED moon lights. it is a coralife lunar aqualight.

 

[1journeyman]

The algae is feeding on something. Are you using RO/DI water?

 

[tahoetanks]

cut back on the lighting by a few hours? cut back on feeding? If worse comes to worse you can pull the rock out and scrub the algae off and see if that helps.

 

[alix]

i am not using ro/di water but i am using PUR filtered water because i know that straight tap water causes algae to grow like crazy.
i'll cut back some more on my lighting right now the main lights are on from 8am to 8pm, actinic blues on from 630am to 930pm and the night light on from 930pm to 630am.
i only feed once every other day (frozen mysis, tropical pellets) so i dont think thats the problem because they eat all the food but if cutting back on lighting doesnt work ill cut back on the amount fed.
i'd still like to get some kind of crab or something to keep it in check though because i have a feeling that even by changing these things i will not be able to completely eradicate the algae.
THANKS

 

[shrimpi]

you could pic up a dwarf sea hare. they love hair algae. Just a thought. they are kinda gooey looking but Ive seen some nice ones.

 

[alix]

arent these just nudibranches?
1 problem.
they eat all the algae and then starve or get sucked up in an intake, and nuke everything in the tank.
i've looked into them.
but if they are not the same thing please tell me.
thanks

 

[shrimpi]

they are a nudi but larger species so they dont get 'sucked up' too easy.
If you find a pretty one, just keep it and feed it algae sheets- it wont starve- just a suggestion on the sea hare, not necessarily a resolution to the problem.

this one is cool- for example

 

[cantbstopd]

something is not right with your water.....check everything again. When i had a problem with hair algae i got a big old sea hare. Kinda looks like a slug. get the biggest one you can find (had small ones and big ones and the little ones dont do anything). All they eat is hair algae.....

 

[shrimpi]

I think their main diet is supposed to be caulerpa if Im not mistaken. Thye are herbivores and will eat all algaes. You can supplement thier diet with boiled kelp or seaweed sheets.

 

[petjunkie]

Sorry to say but I doubt the PUR water filtration is doing anything. It's pretty much the same as running carbon, not removing most of the impurities. Try switching to RO/DI for six months and see if you notice a difference. It's something to try anyways.

 

[alix]

i know the PUR water is not ideal, but i dont have the money to buy a RO/DI system. like, right now i have $1.96 to my name. and i owe someone $70 before i can spend ANY more money. so the RO/DI is gonna have to wait.

 

[cantbstopd]

Originally Posted by Shrimpi
I think their main diet is supposed to be caulerpa if Im not mistaken. Thye are herbivores and will eat all algaes. You can supplement thier diet with boiled kelp or seaweed sheets.

yes they will eat just about any algae and everything in your fuse if you have one so dont put it in your fuse unless your thinning you crop. but most people dont have calupera growing in the main tank.....

 

[darknes]

Lol, your original post cracked me up.

Anyway, there isn't much that's going to feed on the algae. Hair algae generally feeds off of phosphates. What's your phosphate level?

 

[alix]

i have no idea.
when i make $70, pay off my mom, make $20 to pay for a test kit, find the test kit, buy it, figure out how to use it, i will tell you.
by then ill be able to start a LAS- local algae supplier.

 

[porthosandjazz]

Originally Posted by alix
i am not using ro/di water but i am using PUR filtered water because i know that straight tap water causes algae to grow like crazy.
Wait... people use TAP water in their tanks? I was lead to believe that's like putting poison directly into your tank. You might as well dump a gallon of beer in your tank...
That's just what I heard. Of course, I am the swf noob, so don't shoot me... I am just here to learn

 

[porthosandjazz]

Originally Posted by alix
i have no idea.
when i make $70, pay off my mom, make $20 to pay for a test kit, find the test kit, buy it, figure out how to use it, i will tell you.
by then ill be able to start a LAS- local algae supplier.

So you don't even test your water then?
We used to have a TON of hair algae when we first got the tank. The only thing we did to get rid of it was... suck it out with a turkey baster, do frequent water changes with RO water from the store, and by not over feeding. And now I don't even see any hair algae anywhere in the tank. It only took like a couple of weeks to get rid of it

 

[sflasurfer]

food for thought on ro/di water being expensive. I agree a systemis expensice however at my local grocery store "publix" they sell their own brand of bottled water After reading the labels I found the "purified" wate is purified through reverse osmosis and only costs .86 cents per galon and have been using it for over a year with perfect results I know this is kinda off topic but it might also be the source of the probleom. good luck

 

[shrimpi]

I usually get mine from my LFS, I get the salt and the RO from them.
I am also in S. Fl and I go to 'publix' and use thier distilled and 'purified' water in a pinch (like today- my lfs is closed and Im out!) im sure other grocery stores have the same thing. Its easy to find and readily available. They also come in 2.5g containers so you dont have to buy so many