hair algea

[maxi]

I have had a green hair algea problem in my tank for almost 2 months now. It has claimed two of my corals. I am pulling it off in tiny amounts and have increased my water changes. I have always used RO water. My lights are new in Dec. My tank is 19 months old. The main problem is maintaining my alkalinity. At its lowest it was 7. I have it at 10 now, but the algea is still there. It is showing signs of dying in small areas. Any ideas on speeding up the process?

 

[marine fanatic]

Try adding some cleaner critters such as hermit crabs or maybe even a emerald crab or 2. Hermit crabs will make short work of your algae but if it is growing out of control, remove as much as possible so that your cleaner crew can maintain the balance.

 

[mlm]

YOu need to add some snails. They are much better at controlling algea than any crab could ever be. The best snails that I have seen are the trouchus that this sight sells for 3.50 a piece. They are a lillte more than aother snails but they are well worth it. They do not die and can pick themselves up when they fall down.

 

[hondo]

what size tank do you have?
What type of skimmer?
What is your current bio load?
What do you curently have for a clean up crew?
What is the nitrate level in the water?
What is the phosphate level?
Do you have a refugium or DSB?
Please answer these questions before you go out and buy anything. Hair algae feeds off of excess nutrients in your water. These nutrients can be due to excess feeding, a heavy bioload, and sometimes water purchased as RODI isn't so test your top off water just to be safe.
Once you have answered the questions the problem will be exposed and can then be dealt with and the hair algae will over time die off.

 

[blutang]

You may also want to check your water for phosphates, and also to see if your top off water is good. Those are some of the suggestions I've gotten about my algae problem.

 

[twoods71]

There is some good advice above but by far the thing that has helped me with hair algae the most is manual removal.
I used an algae cleaner purchased at the LFS that looks much like a bottle brush.
I twisted the hair algae around the brush and pulled it up. It came off the rocks better then I expected.
I also added a refugium/algae scrubber that I feel helped a great deal with hair algae.

 

[makofury]

Hey, I had the same problem as you, I added my clean-up crew yesterday from ***********.com. This morning there is hardly ANY algae left. I was amazed at how much work these guys did in such a short period of time. The turbo snails made quick work of most of the algae on my sandbed and on my live rock. My tank looks soooo much better now. I highly recommend you get a clean-up crew, I was skeptical at first as to how much they could remove, but mine removed A LOT. My only concern is if they are gonna starve now that most of the algae is gone
MakoFury

 

[julie]

What clean-up crew did you buy?

 

[maxi]

Thanks for all the replies. I do feel that I need to replenish my clean up crew, but just in case I will retest my water. I have been buying my water at the same place since I set up my tank and this is the first outbreak.
I can see that the hair algae is dying back in places. I think I'm on the right track. What about turning back the light time? I do not know what a refugium or DSB are. Explain?
Also, what is a refugium/algae scrubber? I am still somewhat new to this.
Tank:140 gal DOS flat back hex
Skimmer: DOS(it came with the tank. It has the round cup. Seems to work great.)
Feeding: one cube frozen brine shrimp/day with Zoe & garlic drops
Load: 3 green chromis, 2 clowns, purple tang, sailfin tang, six line wrasse, canary blenny, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 sand sifter and 1 brittle star, 1 tuxedo urchin, green star polyps. 5 mushrooms, hermits and snails.
Phosphates: Low. I run a phosphate sponge in my sump.
Nitrates: I will check.

 

[thehat]

Oh god I had this problem bad. From what I was told this algea that you probably have is an early form of red algea. Get a phospahte sponge. You can try doing a couple different doses of red algea medicine. It kinda worked a little. Do your lights for about 6 hours a day. And get yourself a scruber I used a tooth brush. I did weekly water changes I would scrub as much of the rocks as I could without disturbing anything. The trick is you want all the dead algea (it will turn brown) out of the tank. It will recycle into more of the green algea. I used my fish net and went around the tank in a figure 8 motion. Also add some current in the bad spots. If you do this every week you will nocie it getting better and better it took about 3 to 4 months but mine was killing coral and got super out of hand. I tried everything to fix it. Eveything everyone said above but this way which was crappy and took along time fixed it right up. Just will take a little time.

 

[peasly1]

how long are your lights on and could you be overfeeding,we all have done it...hair algea thrives on exess nutrients,phosphates and exess light...