Simple Hair Algae

carolinethedog

carolinethedog

Member
OK I know everyone likes lots of info...its kind of like diagnosing each tank individually. I installed a 20 gallon sump on my 1 yearold 38 gallon reef. Everything been going good. Within last 2-3 weeks and explosion of hair algae (never even had ANY before.) Also, for some reason my snails are dying off. Everything else healthy, but snails are dropping like flies. Sorry to be short but, I don't have time right now to explain in detail. So...
#1 What are the MOST COMMON reasons for a sudden explosion of hair algae?
#2 What are the MOST COMMON ways to get rid of hair algae?
#3 I have an overflow box that drains to my sump...this is were there is tons of hair algae...should I keep the box scraped out?
Please help, thanks for your time and advice.
 
natclanwy

natclanwy

Active Member
Excess nutrients is pretty much the only cause for hair algae, this can have a couple causes like overfeeding and not enough flow. Solving these problems will cause the hair algae to die off on its own and frequent water changes during this time and removing as much of it as you can by hand ill help to combat the nutrients that will be released as the hair algae dies off.
You should clean out the overflow box periodically just to make sure that it doesn't choke off the drains, but it isn't causing or spreading hair algae in fact it is helping to export the excess nutrients available in your tank.
What is your SG at? Low SG can cause snails to die prematurely.
 
carolinethedog

carolinethedog

Member
Yes I changed @ 10 months...tank is actually 14 months old. Tank was like photo-contest good (for a beginner I think) and then we messed up. Had no idea that bulbs had to acclimate up slowly (4hrs per day 6, 8, then 10) anyway...the very same week we had a heater malfunction and our tank was at 86 degrees for almost a week before we caught it. Anyway, we are on the rebound strong for 2 months now and I am spot-feeding the coral to get it back. But hair algae is here. I am torn b/c I know feeding the corals puts nutrients in the water and I feel like taking the lights down to 8 hours may slow the corals. I already got as much out as I could by hand. Should I toothbrush it off my LR?
How can I keep my corals rebounding and get rid of this algae?
 
salami trigger

salami trigger

Member
Tooth brush works fine...been there...stinks..once brushed about 150lbs of rock!
Take a clean bucket with tank water...brush rock..dip to rinse of in that bucket..put back in tank...repeat.
 
natclanwy

natclanwy

Active Member
I would stop spot feeding the corals unless they are non-photosynthetic until you have your nutrients and algae under control. It isn't nessicary to spot feed corals they will get addiquete nutrition from the zooplankton living in their tissues. Feeding corals greatly increases excess nutrients in your tank because most of the food is not consumed by the coral.
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
im gonna go on a limb and say you have nitrate issues ..
although your test may be saying differently.. the hair algae will thrive on it but your inverts will suffer from it.and all that die off will contribute to it.retest you water .. if nothing else dose your tank with prime until you can get thinsg under control.. the prime will at least detoxify the ammonia and nitrates
 
carolinethedog

carolinethedog

Member
#1 I bought a 4-micron sock for the sump (was running sump with no sock for 3 weeks)
#2 I toothbrushed what I could using the bucket technique (good call)
#3 I rearranged the rock and powerheads for what should be way better top to bottom flow and got rid of my stacked up (dead flow) corner
 
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