hair alage is driving me nuts

posiden

posiden

Active Member
Originally Posted by rgaynor81
http:///forum/post/3171763
it goes threw two diffrent filtering pads before it hits the bio balls. TDS? i buy my ro water from a lfs never and any problems. just enough before it hits the sand. exporting nutrients? 2 #2 korllia power heads. CUC do you have?
TDS= Total Disolved Soilds. It lets you know if the RO membraine is working right or not. A handheld unit is pretty cheap and good peace of mind since you aren't the one making the water. You could ask to see the reading at the store. If they aren't hiding anything then the visual shouldn't be a problem.
Exproting nutrients, ie....Cheato, Calupra, some sort of media.
CUC= Clean up crew. ie.....snails, hermit crabs......
Yes I have one, if you were asking.
What is your return pump pushing? GPH
 
rgaynor81

rgaynor81

Member
Originally Posted by Posiden
http:///forum/post/3171769
TDS= Total Disolved Soilds. It lets you know if the RO membraine is working right or not. A handheld unit is pretty cheap and good peace of mind since you aren't the one making the water. You could ask to see the reading at the store. If they aren't hiding anything then the visual shouldn't be a problem.
Exproting nutrients, ie....Cheato, Calupra, some sort of media.
CUC= Clean up crew. ie.....snails, hermit crabs......
Yes I have one, if you were asking.
What is your return pump pushing? GPH
got ya ok. Exproting nutrients cheato. CUC i have various types of snails and hermit crabs and GPH not really sure without looking
 
nycbob

nycbob

Active Member
once u hv hair algae, its very hard to get rid of it. try having cheato to absorb excess nutrient, change water with ro water, use chemipure to absorb chemicals, and get a sea hare. overtime, the hair algae will go away. this is a long process, 2-3 months.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by nycbob
http:///forum/post/3171777
once u hv hair algae, its very hard to get rid of it. try having cheato to absorb excess nutrient, change water with ro water, use chemipure to absorb chemicals, and get a sea hare. overtime, the hair algae will go away. this is a long process, 2-3 months.
Can you put Chemipure in a fuge/sump if you hang it in a filter bag????
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by rgaynor81
http:///forum/post/3171779
i must ask if phosphates are persent in the water what is the best way to reduce? by water changes?
I have been doing water changes, using phosphate pads, and feeding good frozen foods.....supposedly this should be working...LOL...
It's not yet
....I am going to start doing larger water changes this week...
SOOOOO...get rid of the pellets first of all....and yes continue the w/c's, and some type of phosphate remover also
 
rgaynor81

rgaynor81

Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3171784
I have been doing water changes, using phosphate pads, and feeding good frozen foods.....supposedly this should be working...LOL...
It's not yet
....I am going to start doing larger water changes this week...
SOOOOO...get rid of the pellets first of all....and yes continue the w/c's, and some type of phosphate remover also
okay will do thanks
 
posiden

posiden

Active Member
You just got some good advice from them.
Do manual removal of the HA. It sucks but, picking at it does help. Just do it one pinch at a time, rinsing your fingers off in water before going back in. When your arm gets tired switch arms.
It sucks. But removing it will help you remove nutrients from the tank. With each pinch you will be removing bound up nutrients, thereby removing them from the system.
I agree with a algae eating resident of some sort. It will help.
You might look into a GFO reactor to help absorb some of those nutrients.
How dose your cheato grow? Good? Do you trim it weekly? Trimming it stimulates it. Don't cut it just rip it. The jagged edges are better. It is also less likely to release spores causing yellowing of your water.
I know I asked a lot of questions without a lot of feedback but, knowing where you are comming from is important. You let us in on a lot of problem areas of your tank. Remember, As mentioned. This will take time.
 
posiden

posiden

Active Member
Originally Posted by rgaynor81
http:///forum/post/3171797
i just tested my phosphates and they came up 0 does that make any sense? The test kit is only a month old
Yes, it makes good sense.
The fact that it reads zero just means that the algae is using up the phosphates as fast as they are becoming avalible. Giving you a un measureable reading. As I mentioned in my last post, the phosphates are bound up in the algae.
 
rgaynor81

rgaynor81

Member
Originally Posted by Posiden
http:///forum/post/3171798
You just got some good advice from them.
Do manual removal of the HA. It sucks but, picking at it does help. Just do it one pinch at a time, rinsing your fingers off in water before going back in. When your arm gets tired switch arms.
It sucks. But removing it will help you remove nutrients from the tank. With each pinch you will be removing bound up nutrients, thereby removing them from the system.
I agree with a algae eating resident of some sort. It will help.
You might look into a GFO reactor to help absorb some of those nutrients.
How dose your cheato grow? Good? Do you trim it weekly? Trimming it stimulates it. Don't cut it just rip it. The jagged edges are better. It is also less likely to release spores causing yellowing of your water.
I know I asked a lot of questions without a lot of feedback but, knowing where you are comming from is important. You let us in on a lot of problem areas of your tank. Remember, As mentioned. This will take time.
I only put the cheato in about a week ago and its almost double in size and thanks for all your help
 
posiden

posiden

Active Member
Originally Posted by rgaynor81
http:///forum/post/3171801
I only put the cheato in about a week ago and its almost double in size and thanks for all your help
Your very welcome for all the help. I wasn't looking for praise, I wanted you to know where I was going with all the questions. I would like you to get this under controll. I and others can now read and think about where your issues may be comming from.
The cheato doubling in size in a week is a very good thing.
The HA will/can out compete the cheato for the nutrients. It is much better suited at utilization then the cheato is. Keep an eye on it. If it looks like the HA is winning and the cheato is shrinking then the cheato is dieing and the HA is feeding on the nutrients the cheato is releasing back into the tank. Keep the HA groomed as best you can. It is going to suck for a while but you can beat this. You and your tank will be stronger in the end.
Have you ever had an algae outbreak like this in your tank? All new tanks go through them. I am asking if this is your second battle with it? All tanks mature at different rates too.
 
rgaynor81

rgaynor81

Member
Originally Posted by Posiden
http:///forum/post/3171805
Your very welcome for all the help. I wasn't looking for praise, I wanted you to know where I was going with all the questions. I would like you to get this under controll. I and others can now read and think about where your issues may be comming from.
The cheato doubling in size in a week is a very good thing.
The HA will/can out compete the cheato for the nutrients. It is much better suited at utilization then the cheato is. Keep an eye on it. If it looks like the HA is winning and the cheato is shrinking then the cheato is dieing and the HA is feeding on the nutrients the cheato is releasing back into the tank. Keep the HA groomed as best you can. It is going to suck for a while but you can beat this. You and your tank will be stronger in the end.
Have you ever had an algae outbreak like this in your tank? All new tanks go through them. I am asking if this is your second battle with it? All tanks mature at different rates too.
Never before did i have hair alage nor did i know that it would be so hard to get rid of. But o well just got to deal with it now.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by rgaynor81
http:///forum/post/3171807
Never before did i have hair alage nor did i know that it would be so hard to get rid of. But o well just got to deal with it now.
Hard to get rid of...lol....MAN I AGREE WITH YOU THERE

My chaeto has never grown.....my HA has,,,
 
posiden

posiden

Active Member
Originally Posted by rgaynor81
http:///forum/post/3171807
Never before did i have hair alage nor did i know that it would be so hard to get rid of. But o well just got to deal with it now.

This just may be your time to go throught it then. You'll get throught it.
Gonna go for the night. Good Luck.
 
bigdaddyc

bigdaddyc

New Member
I had a wicked case of Hair Algae. I killed it by hours and hours of pulling it, along with 3 days of no light, (recomended by lfs) and a phosban reactor. It has worked for me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top