Hair Algae? HELP!

jerseysaltwater

jerseysaltwater

Member
ok, showing my new-ness again. it's been two weeks with just live sand and live rock in my 26gal. brown diatoms started appearing last week, and now cover my sandbed and my liverock, except for some of those red crystalline things on the rock (coralline algae?) - the brown diatoms have not covered those red spots. I'm now seeing a brown stubbly beard growing on the rock, maybe 1/4" long, and also some finer brown stubble on my sand. Is this the infamous hair algae i've been hearing about on here? I'm going away this week on vacation, returning aug. 16th. is this algae something that a cleaner crew would eat? can i wait the 10 days more before putting snails and hermits and peppermint shrimp in the tank? or will it be outta control by then? i don't think i should add them in now and go away for a week leaving them unwatched. which cleaner critters are best for this? please advise asap - thanks - eddie
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
The brown algae on your ls and lr feed off phosphates. Most new tanks after a couple of weeks experience this. As the phosphates are consumed, the algae will slowly turn to green.
A cleaner crew will eat the algae. If you do not have some form of desirable plant life (like macro algae or marine plants), then you will continue have algae. you might want to try adding some plant life to help balance out and stabilize the system.
Welcome to the hobby. and yes your experiences are normal. Also most tanks even with fish, can be left alone for a week with no ill effects.
 
jerseysaltwater

jerseysaltwater

Member
thank you bob - any other opinions as to what exactly the brown stubble is and which cleaners are best for it? i know the brown coating was made up of diatoms - but the stubble? is this also diatoms?
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member

Originally posted by JerseySaltwater
thank you bob - any other opinions as to what exactly the brown stubble is and which cleaners are best for it? i know the brown coating was made up of diatoms - but the stubble? is this also diatoms?
If it was like my system, it is brown algae. When I first set up my 55g turbo snales made quick work of the algae on the rocks. I recently added lighting and got an algae bloom. The snales seemed to have slowed down. I found that by reducing my feedings from twice a day to once, the rocks are clearing up all by themselves. And now the snales have taken an interest in the rocks also. I guess they had been finding a lot of food at the bottom of the tank.
 
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