lubbockfishdude
Member
I was wondering what the best solution to rid your tank of hair algae, other than picking it off? Is there an invert that eats it or maybe even a fish? I have reduced my lights to 9 hours per day. Thanks reef buddies.
Best solution for hair algae?
- Thread starter lubbockfishdude
- Start date
L
lexatomic
Guest
...dude...there's alot about this subject here on the board. search for it, and you'll find some good answers.
what i've heard so far...lawnmower blennies, turbo snails, or hermits. these are subjective arguements that are taking place in the SW community...so search this board for further info.
what i've heard so far...lawnmower blennies, turbo snails, or hermits. these are subjective arguements that are taking place in the SW community...so search this board for further info.
carrie1429
Active Member
Fish and inverts that eat hair algea are: yellow tang, flame angel, lawnmower blenny, hermit crabs, turbo snails, arrow crabs. My cleaner shrimp likes to eat it too. There are probably more but I can't think of them now.
steamboat1569
Member
In the five yrs. that I have had a reef tank, I have discovered that the best defense against hair algea is a tooth brush. I cannot depend on my tang or scarlet crabs or my emerald crabs. The snails do nothing for it, and I have to end up brushing it off their shells. Find the source of the contamination, ie nitrites. Do frequent water changes. If you have crushed coral as a substrate, get rid of it, and go with a sand bed.
sgt__york
Member
Are you saying that seafloor (small shells) and/or crushed coral lead to hair algae? If so, can you explain? I understand that live sand beds can as well - if not done properly.
I am actively searching for info on bases right now, as i am just getting started again - and currently have 1.5" of seafloor as my base.
I am actively searching for info on bases right now, as i am just getting started again - and currently have 1.5" of seafloor as my base.
steamboat1569
Member
I am saying that I now have a crushed coral substrate. I am in the midst of building a new aquarium, and cannot wait to get rid of the crushed coral because it is a trash bin. I am tired of sucking up all the crap that settles on the bottom, and high nitrites and nitrates that it causes. I believe that this is the cause of the hair algea in my tank.
I will be switching to a sand bed as soon as I can.
I will be switching to a sand bed as soon as I can.
byrself
Member
obviously, imo, the best way to rid of hair algae is to cut off it's fuel. either overfeeding, underskimming, dirty filters, phosphates from source water, or excess nutrients from some supplements can all be causes. one or more than one. i'd say look at what you are doing with your tank, and see if there's a possible cause from your own actions. this would be the best way imo, to eliminate the source of the fuel for the algae...imo.
also, blue legged hermits will eat the hair algae once it gets long. snails will only help keep it down once it's gone. i've had good luck with the blue legs and snail tandem, and you don't really need a whole lot of them. just a few small ones, and give them time. cutting your lighting can help, but ultimately you need to find the source the algae is feeding off of and cut it out from there. once you get it to stop growing, the blue legs will clean it up nicely. jmo, hth, good luck..=)
hey steamboat, i don't think scarlet crabs or emeralds are really known to eat hair algae. i have blue legged and red legged scarlet reef crabs, and have had an emerald, and the blue legged are the only ones i saw that actually ate hair algae, be it green or red. i had removed all of the crabs out of my 20g, because they were crawling on my corals, but hair algae broke out on a rock i got with shrooms on it, and i put a couple small blue legs in there and within a week, the rock was totally cleaned off =) now my snails tend to keep everything in check pretty good. i do try to feed as little as possible, and don't really add a whole lot of supplements either. also, i got tons of lighting that stays on for 14 hours a day. hth.
also, blue legged hermits will eat the hair algae once it gets long. snails will only help keep it down once it's gone. i've had good luck with the blue legs and snail tandem, and you don't really need a whole lot of them. just a few small ones, and give them time. cutting your lighting can help, but ultimately you need to find the source the algae is feeding off of and cut it out from there. once you get it to stop growing, the blue legs will clean it up nicely. jmo, hth, good luck..=)
hey steamboat, i don't think scarlet crabs or emeralds are really known to eat hair algae. i have blue legged and red legged scarlet reef crabs, and have had an emerald, and the blue legged are the only ones i saw that actually ate hair algae, be it green or red. i had removed all of the crabs out of my 20g, because they were crawling on my corals, but hair algae broke out on a rock i got with shrooms on it, and i put a couple small blue legs in there and within a week, the rock was totally cleaned off =) now my snails tend to keep everything in check pretty good. i do try to feed as little as possible, and don't really add a whole lot of supplements either. also, i got tons of lighting that stays on for 14 hours a day. hth.
grayne
Member
I had a small outbreak of green hair algae and turbo snails cleaned it up very quickly (almost overnight). I can't say enough good things about them...I also can say a few bad things as well, but if you don't mind a huge clumsy snail knocking stuff over once in a while, I would recommend the turbos.
bluemarlin
Member
Steamboat nailed this subject in my opinion. I have had no success in anything touching the red hair algae that I have in my tank. My yellow tang doesn't touch it, my hermits avoid the areas and my turbo snails do nothing but drag it around once in a while as they go through it. (Without eating it)
I agree 100% that the best way it to avoid it. Remove the nitrates by doing the water changes and try to keep your phosphates down as well. Check the water you are using when making changes. SOmetimes the biggest culprit of algae outbreaks are the nitrates and phos that are in the new water.
I agree 100% that the best way it to avoid it. Remove the nitrates by doing the water changes and try to keep your phosphates down as well. Check the water you are using when making changes. SOmetimes the biggest culprit of algae outbreaks are the nitrates and phos that are in the new water.
blondenaso1
Member
I have also heard that keeping your pH around 8.4 will knock out hair algae, but I am not sure which type that works on.
twoods71
Active Member
The best defense IMO is manual removal. If you try this method be careful not to spead the algae all over the tank.
I've tried just about everything ever suggested to rid a tank of hair algae and while they all helped a little by far the best thing to do is reach in and pull it out.
I've tried just about everything ever suggested to rid a tank of hair algae and while they all helped a little by far the best thing to do is reach in and pull it out.
anthony812
Member
whoever said get the sandbed is right, now i'm not saying bad things about crushed corals but a deep sandbed has a more surface area on each grain of sand which means more bacteria to live on which means converting ammonia to nitrite to nitrate and nitrate bubbling up in the air 