how do i get rid of this stuff????

[jeffro63]

I have a 55 gallon with live rock, I recently added 4 compact flouresent bulbs at 96 watts each. Now it seems as though I'm going through a cycle again, first brown algea, then some some red, and now for the first time ever i'm getting a lot of hair algea. how do i get rid of it before it becomes a permanent part of the tank ??? Is there some kind of critter I can get that will eat it????
please help before my awesome looking tank becomes a jungle
thanks ,,, Jeffro

 

[feixjai]

probably a foxface would do it but its recommended for 70 gallons. but if you get a smaller one you can try. becare if you do get the foxface they are poisonous. but are very very very hardy.

 

[thomas712]

If you added all those lights at one time its the cause of the new algea growth, you should cut back on your photo period, keep up with the water changes and test the water. Yes you can find a fish or critter to help you. Hows your cleanup crew?
Thomas

 

[jeffro63]

actually i had 2 lights origanally then added 2 more a few weeks ago, I have them on a timer. the lights come on at 1:00 pm go off at 2:30. back on at 4:30 and off for the night at 10:00. I do a 7 gallon water change every week, all levels are just fine
amonia, 0
nitrate,0
nitrite,0
ph, 8.2
sg 1.024
for a clean up crew i have 5 pepperment shrimp, 1 coral banded shrimp, a bunch of blue leg hermit crabs, about 12 turbo snails, 6 nasarius snails, and a sally light foot
also living in here is a yellow tang, 2 clown fish, a purple sea urchin, and a sand sifting star fish
thanks for the help
Jeffro

 

[thomas712]

Only other thing I can think of is if this is a relativly new tank, then the brown diatoms would be normal, the other algeas suggest a nutrient problem that may or may not show up on your test scores. If still a new tank then they may go away on their own.
Thomas

 

[bishop82]

I had this same problem after I switched to my PC lighting, I found that my problem was high phosphate levels, the hair algae loves it.
Just a thought.