Hair Algae Coming Back!!!

a&m aggie 04'

a&m aggie 04'

Active Member
I was battling hair algae a few months back so I completely broke down my tank, cleaned the entire tank, removed the rocks - scrubbed the rocks to rid the algae, washed them with salt water, scubbed them again, etc.
In the meantime, I replaced my RO/DI Unit with a 5 stage. I'm getting 0 on my tds meter (tried multiple ones) so I don't think my water is the problem. I'm using a phosphate sponge to see if that helps...but havent actually tested for phosphates.
I kept the rocks completely out of light for about a month and it appeared all the algae had dissappeared. I re-stacked all my LR in my tank and after a few weeks saw a few patches of HA starting to form...now it's in quite a few places and increasing every day.
A sea hare is next on my list to let it have a go at this stuff but is there a chemical that works to kill this algae? I know how quickly this stuff can take over so I need to act rather quickly. I've turned all my lights off to hopefully stop the growth since I'm going out of town all of next week and won't be able to do anything for a few weeks.
I don't have any fish in the tank right now only snails and hermits, which i could remove if i needed to heavily dose.
MD
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
I purchased a blue spotted Kole tang and a lawnmower blenny. I cleaned the rock the best I could and the two algae eaters have kept things clear. I no longer have hair algae. Mind you I had plenty. There is not a strand to be found.
The Kole tang looked brown when I first got it, not it has awesome color. Light tan with little blue spots on the body, and a yellow/green tinge to the fins and big yellow eyes.
The blenny isn't much for color but it has personality! He even has eyebrows.
This worked for me, it may work for you.
 
fishstick4sale

fishstick4sale

Member
im havin the same problem mine wont go away i dont use water from home anymore i buy my r/o now and i use phosphate remover... i noticed it stopped growing and spreading but the spots that had it befor still do, i need something to eat it good.
 
pbienkiewi

pbienkiewi

Member
What kind of lighting do you have and how old are the bulbs? How long do you run the lights for? What kind of food/s are you feeding and how often do you feed them?
 
posiden

posiden

Active Member
You cooked the rock but not long enough. When you placed it in the dark did you test the water to see if it was without N or P?
If your rocks are loaded with nutrients and you are treating the water column, then the rocks will leach out the nutrients. Think of brining a turkey. It's a matter of Osmosis, things are trying to balance themselves. So while this is happening you will see algae. In the meantime you get to remove the nutrients in the form of algae.
As mentioned above on the algae scrubber, a lot of folks see an increase of algae in their tanks then they get to watch it die off and disappear. This all takes time of course.
 
a&m aggie 04'

a&m aggie 04'

Active Member
lights are only a few months old...4 VHO's
lights are on for approximately 9 hours...i've since completely turned them off while I'm out of town.
Not feeding anything right now as I've removed all the fish from the tank.
When I get back I'm going to order a sea hare and let him have at it. Do you think he'd go in between the zoanthid's that have hair algae forming around them or would it stay away from being stung?
MD
 
posiden

posiden

Active Member
If the lights are off while you are out of town, then you may not have corals when you get home.
How long have the lights been out?
 
drakken

drakken

Member
Originally Posted by A&M Aggie 04' http:///forum/post/2984651
I do have a sump...I will get some macro in there when i get back. Maybe it'll outbattle the hair algae.
MD
An algae scrubber does this much more effectively than growing macros. If you haven't done so already check out the giant thread on this. I set up one a little over a month ago and my hair algae has disappeared and my nitrate and phosphate levels are 0.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/330606/mega-powerful-nitrate-and-phosphate-remover-replaces-skimmer-refugium-everything
 
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