hair algae

[rickt4du]

how are you people getting rid of hair algae?
i've been pulling it off. can i buy something that will eat it?
thanks rick

 

[djmincer]

I am trying to deal with this problem myself right now and look forward to getting some answers. Went to a pet shop and the guy, who is pretty smart about salties, said to get a yellow tang and he'd eat the hair algae but leave my corals alone.

 

[mako]

same as red slime algae the problem stems from high phosphates high nitrates or hitchhikes in on a new rock I find a good way to keep it in check is lots of kalkawassar but for now use a tooth pick with the end flared out and twist it into the base of the growth try not to let the clumps float away and reroot some where else you can get a bunch out this way
Works for me Eric

 

[salt one]

yeah, i had alot of trouble witht the alge, but i got a sailfin @ yellow tang and i have gotten rid of all the bad alge! i would try it!

 

[rickt4du]

would a sailfin of yellow tang be ok with a dragon wrasse and a niger trigger?
neither seems agressive and i have plenty of rockwork in a 50 gal tank...thanks for the replies

 

[mr . salty]

I've got a yellow and a sailfin together in a 125,and the yellow is almost always chasing the sailfin. I wouldn't reccomend mixing the two in a 50.Remember the general "Tang rule", never put two like species tangs together..........STEVE

 

[xavier]

Try adding a skimmer on the set up. Also may help to pull out rocks and scrape them clean as possible. Also some fishes mentioned may help. Once it is nice and clean ad some Macro Algae (ex. Caulerpa) to the tank. This will help some as it has helped mine and will also be of food for the Tangs.

 

[kb]

I had the same problem with red slime and hair algae. I bought a product called red slime remover from an online fish supply store. It got rid of my problem in 2 days. I had it so bad that I would clean the tank one day and the next day all of it was back. This stuff works great!