Hair Algae Problem

krunk · Apr 27, 2003

I have hair algae all over. I wasgoing rub it with a tooth brush, but someone on this board said it is bad for the rock? Also, i probley shouldnt buy crabs and snail, since i have two triggers in the tank. I was thinking setting up a 10 gallon, put some crabs in there then put it back in the main tank? Turn of the lights then add crabs in the main tank?
Light is on for: 8 hours a day
Feed: every other day.

tony detroit · Apr 28, 2003

Try a phosphate removing product if that doesn't work an RO water filter will work. An RO unit will cut your algae growth bigtime. Try adding some turbo snails as well.

krunk · Apr 29, 2003

The triggerfish would eat the snails though wouldnt they?

makai · Apr 29, 2003

Bought two big mexican turbo snails. get them big...mine are the size of a ping-pong ball. i have a 3" niger and a 2" undulated. Both my snails have been alive and eating my hair algea for at least a month now.
my $.02

krishj39 · Apr 29, 2003

I struggled with hair algae for months, though I didn't have any of the normal causes for an outbreak (water quality pristine, bulbs not old, etc). I finally got it under control by scrubbing with a toothbrush. I don't doubt that it kills or injures some little animals like tube worms and small sponges, etc. but in my case, there wasn't any hope in sight so I decided they would always grow back over time. I still have small amounts of hair algae (none of the MANY kinds of animals I added to eat it touch the stuff) but it is definitely not an outbreak. So, yeah, after you are sure there is no root problem you can identify and rectify, then scrubbing with a toothbrush is a good way to take care of it, IME.

thomas712 · Apr 29, 2003

Krunk - An opinion if I may. I do not believe that quarentining your rock will solve your problem. You'll just wind up switching rocks the rest of your life. Also too many times people that have hair algea will say what do I buy that will eat it? And although a lawnmower blenny will help, it doesn't cure the root of the problem.
Your problem sounds like it might be either Lighting, Nutrients, or your water supply. So...
What is your lighting, age of bulbs, spectrum.
What is your water supply ( and have you tested it)
What are your current readings for - Phosphate? Nitrate? both equal fertilizer for hair algea. If your calcium and alkalinity are low this could aslo let the algea run free, keeping the cal and alk maintained will suppress it.
Thomas

krunk · Apr 29, 2003

k, my huma and niger are about 2.5"-3" so ill try getting a huge turbo. Trish, notsure who said it was bad for the rock but i remmerb someone saying its bad.

krunk · Apr 29, 2003

thomas,
lighting - 110 watts pc 10k/act.
Water quality - cant afford a test kit
WAter supply - not sure (im thinking aboutmgetting one of those tap water purifiers for like 25$)
Yes i know this is really bad, but i really cant help it, mabey for christmas, or my birthday i will get a bare bones RO unit.

thomas712 · Apr 29, 2003

Lets start with the water, I now assume that you are using tap. My suggestion is this, contact a water supply store in your area that might have those 5 gallon bottles that they turn upside down on the water dispencers. I purchased mine used for 3 bucks each, but that may be because I know the owner of such a store. See if you can buy any of the used but undamaged ones, get 4 if you can.
Go to a Miejer or Walmart that have the Culligan RO water stations and fill them up for just .29 cents per gallon. 20 gallons should cost you about $5.80. you can even use the one gallon milk jugs if you have to but thats alot more trips.
Not all tap water filters are good, if it is running the water through carbon then it could leach phosphates right back into the water and will not pull much if any in the way of nitrates out.
RO water is in most cases a must, unless your municapal water is good enough.
As to the testing, most LFS test for free, just take a water sample down and ask about testing your water and if it would cost anything.
Once again how old are your lights?
Thomas

krunk · Apr 30, 2003

ah sorry, didnt see where you ask how old my lights were but, the previous owner said he replaced the bulbs about 4 months ago.

krunk · May 1, 2003

Thanks melody. When i get my 75 gallon, which will be in about 4 weeks, I think i will use 50% tap and 50% of the water from meijers or wal-marts, will that work?
Thanks everyone.

timo · May 1, 2003

Do yourself a favor and get a test kit. (getting a 75 and broke

?)

krunk · May 1, 2003

Timo, i will be getting a red sea test kit pretty soon, whenever my friend buys my paintball gun.
hehe yes it does sound a bit wierd getting a 75 and yet im broke. Well the 75 is an aga drilled for only 100$

bdhough · May 1, 2003

If you can get a foxface for the algae, though you're pushing your fish limit. Maybe a lawnmower blenny. Master salt aquarium pharmaceutical test kits are 20 dollars for ph, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. RO water buffered for water change or top off is the only way to go. Get 2 five gallon jugs. Since you are using tap water ill bet thats your problem. Most people i help at my store can trace their algae problems to water quality going in the tank.
BTW triggers eat shrimp and hermits, and starfish(?)....

trigger happy · May 1, 2003

if u were to use a toothbrush to scrape it wuoldit spread?

krishj39 · May 1, 2003

what happens after scrubbing with a toothbrush is that most of it ends up getting sucked into the overflow, or onto the sponge prefilters for my power heads. I also have a sponge filter on the back side of my overflow box, before it is tubed down to the sump. So, after I scrub the rocks, I wait a while then clean out all the sponges. this removes most of it, and the rest doesn't seem to spread in the slightest. I've done this twice now in the last 2 months and FINALLY the problem is under control, and appears to be dissapearing on its own now.

trigger happy · May 1, 2003

cool ill be doin it tomorrow thanks

brinkdrum · May 1, 2003

I've heard that scrubbing the rock will spread spores. I don't have any prefilters on my PHs so i wouldn't try it personally. May come back worse than before.

krishj39 · May 2, 2003

I've always thought those stories about scrubbing algae causing the spores to spread to be sorta silly. It will be VERY spread anyway if you have it in any tank with ANY circulation, regardless of if you scrub it or not. In our small ecosystems, there is no way we can hope to avoid spreading the algae by not disturbing it.

crickettc2tt · May 2, 2003

i had a problem with algae for a whil all i did to clean it off the live rock was take my most powerfull powerhead and move it with my hand directly over it and it worked great no harm to anythging that way then i just grabbed what i could with my net and took it out worked well

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