hair algae

[ga8233]

Help!! I have a hair algae problem! I tried using "Marine S.A.T. but it doesn't seem to be doing the job. I have checked the phosphates and other stuff and can't seem to figure out the problem. I had this problem once before and found out I didn't have enough crabs. I don't think that's the problem anymore. Any idea's?

 

[stumpdog]

What are your parameters and what do you have for a clean up crew?
Thanks-
Jeremy

 

[ga8233]

I'm not sure what you mean by parameters but I previously had 50 snails and 200 crabs both blue leg and red leg kind.

 

[birdy]

First, WELCOME to the Forum!!
Perameters are the levels of Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, alk, calcium, phosphate.
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Be sure you are using RO/DI water, and test it to be sure the filters are fresh.
2. If you do not have corals turn your lights completely off, (this will kill the algae).
3. Test your water for phosphates, the problem is if you have a lot of algae you may test 0 for phosphates and nitrates but it is because the algae is consuming these, when the algae naturally dies off it feeds new algae.
4. Do weekly %10 water changes, pull as much algae out as possible every day.
5. Run a phosphate sponge.
6. Be sure your bulbs are new and in the correct spectrum
7. Beef up your cleanup crew.
8. Set up a refugium with macro algae.
9. Run a protein skimmer
10. Dripping Kalk will help remove phosphates from the system
9. Once you get rid of the algae, keep Ca in the proper levels and coralline will grow and the hair algae usually doesn't grow where there is coralline.
HTH- Carla

 

[stumpdog]

ga-
Sorry I didn't explain. Pardon my bad manners, it was a rough night last night. Welcome to the board and everything Birdy said.
Jeremy

 

[jeo]

depending on what else is in your tank you might want to consider getting a lawnmower blenny (also called algae blenny and other things) because they will eat hair algae.

 

[kev]

ga8233, what kind of water are you using? If your using tap water with a conditioner this is the cause of ALL of your problems pretty much. As Birdy said, start using RO/DI water if your not alrdy and you will see results.

 

[doxboi]

Where do you get this water?

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by ga8233
Help!! I have a hair algae problem! I tried using "Marine S.A.T. but it doesn't seem to be doing the job. I have checked the phosphates and other stuff and can't seem to figure out the problem. I had this problem once before and found out I didn't have enough crabs. I don't think that's the problem anymore. Any idea's?
I don't know the extent of your problems but can offer some suggestions. Basically, the best way to control algae you do not want is to add algae/plants you do want. Anytime you have a nitrogen cycle, carbon dioxide, and light you are going to get some type of plant life. The only question is whether that plant life is desirable or not. Additionally, that plant life will complete the nitrogen cycle, remove all type of bad stuff, remove carbon dioxide, buffer ph, provide food for livestock, and result in a much better system. So whether in a fuge or the display I recommend you add desirable plantlife to overcome the undiserable plant life.

 

[ga8233]

Ok everybody thanks so much for the advise. I've had my tank about three years but really don't know as much as I need to.
This is a relatively new site for me so forgive me that I don't know the proper abbreviations for things.
I use R/O from the store where I buy my chemicals and stuff. The employees there are really good about helping me out as much as they can. One of them even came over to help me clean up as much algae as possible.
I've tried plants befor but my fish tear them up and eat them. Funny but I have had a blenny before buut for some unknown reason he died.
I have several fish which include 1 hippo tang, a fox face rabbit fish, a red emperor (starting to become more aggressive) andseveral more which for some reason I can't think of their names. I'll try your suggestions and let you know how it goes.G
Oh, I forgot to mention, I have tried adding plants before but the guys in there think it's fun to tear through them and eat them and I don't think I can manage a fuge right now due to my inexperience. G
One more thing (sorry) I thought I saw the red emperor going after the blue leg crabs and sucking them out of there shells. Is that possible? or was I imagining things?

 

[bdhough]

lawnmower blenny or mexican turbo snails. 3 other options are put less nutrients in the water (food additives), burn the lights less, or water quality.
BTW i think a bicolor blenny may work too....

 

[ga8233]

ok thanks I'll try that . Are the mexican turbo snails the black ones or the really big ones? I do have a couple of finger leathers and Hammer head coral along w/mushrooms and one anemone so If I burn the lights less will that hurt them?

 

[beaslbob]

I can understand not wanting to manage a fuge. I culture macro/plants in an old 20g long. I suggest you try the same. Any container with light and using your old water will be fine. You could transfer new palnt life to the display as in grows in the culture tank. And you could manually swap water with your display to balance and stabilize the display. In that way you are at least providing live plant food for you fish and providing all the great benifits that plant life provides. What happened in my case was that the macro/plants eventually grew enough in the display that the fish are now eating about the same as the plant life is growing.

 

[scotts]

GA,
First of all welcome to the board. A few words of advice. Read this site as much as you can. You will learn more here in 6 months than you have in the last 3 years. When I switched over from a freshwater is was pretty much on impulse. I listened to the lfs and bought everything that he sold me, including Marine S.A.T. I had almost every problem in the book. Which the lfs would sell me another $20 bottle of something to cure the problem. Then I found this site. Stopped adding all the chemicals and my problems eventually went away. Including my hair algae.
Here is how I solved my hair algae problem. I stopped feeding as much and bought a clean up crew of snails and hermit crabs from this site. The hair algae is feeding off of the waste products in your tank. The hermits eat this waste. I still fed every day, just not as much food.
Sorry if I sound like I am preaching, it is early and I need some coffee.
Scott

 

[ga8233]

scott, thanks for the advice I'll try it Gina