what eats hair algae?
- Thread starter texag04
- Start date
beachbumtx
Member
HIya!,
The inverts you mention will not control hair algae...only the slime version.
Lawnmower blennies and tangs will eat hair algae, but if it is out of control, you need to see what is causing it.
Is it the lighting? Try not to leave the lights on any longer than a standard day's photo period. (Will others speak up if I am incorrect, please)
How often are you feeding? It should be no more than once a day. You can even get away with every other day. Do not let your fish train you.
A heavy bioload will cause aglae...as well as too much light.
Hopefully others can offer more suggestions.
The inverts you mention will not control hair algae...only the slime version.
Lawnmower blennies and tangs will eat hair algae, but if it is out of control, you need to see what is causing it.
Is it the lighting? Try not to leave the lights on any longer than a standard day's photo period. (Will others speak up if I am incorrect, please)
How often are you feeding? It should be no more than once a day. You can even get away with every other day. Do not let your fish train you.
A heavy bioload will cause aglae...as well as too much light.
Hopefully others can offer more suggestions.
texag04
Member
Lights are only a couple months old. They are 130 watt PC's. I have a remora skimming right now with 2 maxijet 400's for circulation. Feed only once a day? Oops, maybe I should stop feeding them twice a day. I use R/O water and do monthly water changes. I have 50 lbs. of LR and 25 lbs. of LS. Would a lawnmower blenny be ok in my tank?
birdy
Active Member
I don't necessarily recommend lawnmower blennies, it is hit or miss whether they will eat your hair algae, I had one in a tank full of hair algae and it wouldn't eat it and starved to death.
I think you need to be sure your water source is pure, test it to be sure you are not introducing any nitrates or phosphates, and reduce your feeding, I feed every other day at the most. You should probably start doing weekly water changes and pull as much of the algae out by hand as possible,
For long term algae reduction in your tank, research a refugium, I won't run a tank without one anymore.
I think you need to be sure your water source is pure, test it to be sure you are not introducing any nitrates or phosphates, and reduce your feeding, I feed every other day at the most. You should probably start doing weekly water changes and pull as much of the algae out by hand as possible,
For long term algae reduction in your tank, research a refugium, I won't run a tank without one anymore.
sterling
Member
I have lots of experience with hair algae, unforunately, but I have conquered the problem I had.
First off, my water parameters always came back excellent. PH, calcium, alk, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, salinity, temp, etc, etc.
I blame the beginning of my problem on some LR that I got that had some on it. I had snails, hermits, starfish etc.
Here is what I did/changed.
I took off the MH's and put my PC's back on.
I bought urchins, a lawnmower blenny and lots more snails, especially the big turbo grazers.
I did two 50% water changes in a 4 month period.
I took out ALL of the LR, and there was about 200 lbs of it. I scrubbed off the pieces I thought I could save with hot water and a little toothbrush-shaped hard bristle brush. The rock that was truly covered got tossed. I had to do the rock cleaning thing several times.
I put a second skimmer on my tank. I added phosphate sponges to the filters. I cut down the time the lights were on to about 6 hours per day for awhile. I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned the sides, rocks, eqiupment every time the hair algae would start re-appearing.
I lost several very nice coral pieces from all the moving around and cleaning I did.
But after almost 7 months of dedicated work, I can say I'm back to my beautiful tank I had before. Anytime I see one little piece of hair algae popping it's ugly little head, that rock comes out and gets scrubbed.
Good luck, it's a battle, but it can be won.
First off, my water parameters always came back excellent. PH, calcium, alk, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, salinity, temp, etc, etc.
I blame the beginning of my problem on some LR that I got that had some on it. I had snails, hermits, starfish etc.
Here is what I did/changed.
I took off the MH's and put my PC's back on.
I bought urchins, a lawnmower blenny and lots more snails, especially the big turbo grazers.
I did two 50% water changes in a 4 month period.
I took out ALL of the LR, and there was about 200 lbs of it. I scrubbed off the pieces I thought I could save with hot water and a little toothbrush-shaped hard bristle brush. The rock that was truly covered got tossed. I had to do the rock cleaning thing several times.
I put a second skimmer on my tank. I added phosphate sponges to the filters. I cut down the time the lights were on to about 6 hours per day for awhile. I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned the sides, rocks, eqiupment every time the hair algae would start re-appearing.
I lost several very nice coral pieces from all the moving around and cleaning I did.
But after almost 7 months of dedicated work, I can say I'm back to my beautiful tank I had before. Anytime I see one little piece of hair algae popping it's ugly little head, that rock comes out and gets scrubbed.
Good luck, it's a battle, but it can be won.
