hair algae

[rmd8110]

The tank starting to get a pretty bad outbreak on the rocks. Is there anything that will eat it? If anything in my tank now eats it normally, i'd say they aren't doing a very good job. I'd really like something to get rid of it. Of course i know they don't always do they job you intend them to do. I've got 6 emerald crabs to eat bubble algae...they don't touch it. not that i've ever seen anyway. thanks.

 

[jim672]

I've had luck gently scrubbing the rock with a soft toothbrush then syphoning/vacuuming the hair algea out of the water. Some of the algea will simply syphon out without scrubbing. Be gentle....don't want to disturb coraline algea growth.
Inverts won't touch hair algea once it begins to get long.
Better to determine why you have the hair algea. Have you checked your water parameters lately?
Jim

 

[reeferkeeper]

I agree with Jim. Check your water parameters, the phosphate in paticular. I bet you find high phosphate levels. It would be better to find the cure then just treating the symptoms. High phosphates may be caused by overfeeding or high bioload, although looking at your specs, the bioload looks to be ok. The lettuce nudibranch is another good source for eating hair algae, but depending on the amount you have, I doubt that they will solve your problems.

 

[indy mike]

try a Sally Lightfoot Crab. Mine stays very busy picking algae of the live rock, they are fun to watch. So far it has left my Bubble coral and Xenia alone but I just put them in last Saturday. Good Luck

 

[indy mike]

Sorry RMD I see you already have one of those, Well dis regard my last post if it is not working.

 

[byrself]

the blue leg hermits seem to work best in my opinion. i've had brown, red and green hair algae and the blue legged hermits cleaned it right up. the snails seem to help also. make sure you aren't overfeeding or introducing phosphates because you could be accelerating the algae. good luck.

 

[rmd8110]

all my water levels are great. does anyone have a website that has a pic of hair algae...cause maybe what i'm thinking is hair algae isn't actually hair algae at all. thanks!