Hair algae is running amuck!

snowflakejason

snowflakejason

Member
So I set up a 12 gal aquapod and after the cycle I know it's common to get SOME algae growth but this is out of hand. I did a final water change after my cycle finished and I purchased a couple pieces of coral because my nitrates were less than 20ppm. I have the lights on for maybe 8 hours a day max. The front of the glass is pretty nastily covered in brown algae and then there is hair algae coming off the rock within. How do I combat this? Please only responses from people who have the knowledge/experience to answer
Thanks much for any information that you guys can give me.
 
hagfish

hagfish

Active Member
You're still getting nitrates and/or phosphates. The algae needs one or both to grow (plus the light). But any time you have hair algae growing there is really little need to bother testing for nitrates or phosphates because the existence of the algae tells you they are there. Now, you might test for them and get no reading at all. Ignore that though because that just means the algae is consuming these things faster than you can test for them.
And I do not recommend an algae blenny unless it's something you really want. It's too small a tank to get fish just because they are good workers. Plus, I bought one for an 80 gallon with GHA and it did eat it all, but wouldn't eat anything else. It wouldn't even eat nori. It did eat romaine lettuce a few times. But it stopped after a while.
Bottom line is you have to get the nutrients down. What kind of filtration and clean up crew do you have?
 
snowflakejason

snowflakejason

Member
Originally Posted by hagfish
You're still getting nitrates and/or phosphates. The algae needs one or both to grow (plus the light). But any time you have hair algae growing there is really little need to bother testing for nitrates or phosphates because the existence of the algae tells you they are there. Now, you might test for them and get no reading at all. Ignore that though because that just means the algae is consuming these things faster than you can test for them.
And I do not recommend an algae blenny unless it's something you really want. It's too small a tank to get fish just because they are good workers. Plus, I bought one for an 80 gallon with GHA and it did eat it all, but wouldn't eat anything else. It wouldn't even eat nori. It did eat romaine lettuce a few times. But it stopped after a while.
Bottom line is you have to get the nutrients down. What kind of filtration and clean up crew do you have?
Thanks very much for all the information. Yeah the tank was clean when I put the corals in but I guess I jumped the gun a bit on that one

Is hair algae going to damage any of the creatures in my tank aside from making everything look ugly? I understand hair algae means higher than diserable nitrates and that the nitrates themselves could harm my coral/inverts, but will the hair algae itself do any damage?
Would it be best to remove the hair algae by removing rock and scrubbing it off or should I just do a good water change and let it go away on it's own?
I have the "stock" filtration that comes with the deluxe 12gal Aquapod. I also 5 hermit crabs, 5 snails and a blood shrimp. I have 18lbs of live rock.
 
bonebrake

bonebrake

Active Member
All you need is three Mexican turbo snails and it will be gone in a week.
I speak from experience.
:joy:
 
bonebrake

bonebrake

Active Member
I added a Ricordea florida as soon as my cycle finished and I had a huge amount of hair algae, but my water parameters were perfect because the algae consumed them. The same ricordea is with me one year later and has quadrupled in size. If you have light demanding corals you need to up the light cycle to twelve hours a day. Get the Mexican turbo snails ASAP.
I hope this goes without needing to be said, but only ever use RO/DI water to mix your salt. If you are unsure of the quality of the RO/DI water buy a TDS meter from

[hr]
.
:joy:
 
hagfish

hagfish

Active Member
The hair algae can overgrow certain corals and make it such that they can't open or receive light. Zoanthids are one that can struggle with hair algae.
You mention nitrates as feeding the hair algae and that is probably part of it. But don't forget phosphates.
I don't know what stock filtration is on that tank. If you don't have a quality protein skimmer then I recommend getting one. That should help quite a bit. In the mean time, do some big water changes to get nutrient levels down. And yes, scrubbing the rocks can help to remove the algae. I did so with a tooth brush.
 
hagfish

hagfish

Active Member
What kind of lights do you have?
The snail will help with the algae. But it's best to get nutrients down. Especially if you are keeping corals.
 
bonebrake

bonebrake

Active Member
Check the nitrate and phosphate, if they are extremely elevated do a water change. If they are both zero because the algae is consuming them to quickly then a water change is not going to help in any way. If the algae is really out of control, take the rock out and physically remove it with a new stiff bristle brush and/or with your barehands until you can get a more effective clean up crew.
:joy:
 
snowflakejason

snowflakejason

Member
Ok I will pick up those Mexican snails, I need some more cleaners regardless so even if they do not eat all my algae they will still do good, I think my 5 other ones are very lonely haha.
My lighting is 2x27w Dual Sunpaqs w/lunar lights, so i'm over 4 watts per gallon.
I was afraid to scrub the rocks as I do not want to create a lot of die off and then start a mini cycle, that's my only fear with that one :(
I know how nitrates form, but where do phosphates come from?
Thank you all for your guys responses, they have been great and very informative.
I do have a little mini-protein skimmer, so i will hook that guy up as well.
 
bonebrake

bonebrake

Active Member
You won't have a mini-cycle if you scrub your rocks.
Take the rock out, do it quickly and put in back in the water. Very little if anything will die off if the rock is only out of the water for 30 minutes or so.
Use a tough brush that is not pretreated with any chemicals.
Phosphates come from:
Poor quality water in water changes, poor quality salt mix, or poor quality activated carbon.
Dead, dying, or decaying animals or corals in the tank.
Overfeeding.
Excessive fish waste.
:joy:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top