Nuisance Hair Algae Overtaking!

[NYCJodi]

I fought the hair algae, and the hair algae won...

This is how I feel most days. Anyone have any experience with getting rid of hair algae from your display tank? Nothing in my routine changed. Just all of a sudden, green hair algae started shopping up slowly and then became the beast that covered my display tank.

I've read--and followed--the advice of removing rocks from the tank and brushing algae off. This isn't practical, as my anemones are getting tired of being moved. Is there any chemical that can help???? Please, please, please....anyone?

Any thoughts would be great. My other half is about ready to throw in the towel on the tank (not me, though!).

THANKS!!!

jodi

 

[nanoreefer22]

Jodi,

When I was battling hair algae a while back, I threw a few mexican turbos in there and boom within 2 weeks my tank was clean. You should have seen my neighbors tank. He had hair algae worse than anyone I have ever seen, the back was covered, the rocks were covered, his fish could barely swim. He bought some mexican turbos, took a while but they got the job done. Try them out, I think there are like $3 for one.

 

[jackson6745]

test your phosphates, try using phosban at 1/2 suggested dosage.

[ May 02, 2005, 10:25 PM: Message edited by: jackson6745 ]

 

[Justin_NY]

Jodi,
i was battling hair algea before. could u pls give us some information about your set up?
skimmer, light, salt, water parameter, etc

 

[marrone]

What are your nitrates and phosates levels. It's possible that they're high causing the hair algae to grow and re-grow once you remove it. You need to get the levels in check remove as much as you can and add a bunch of clean crews and a small tang or a small rabbitt/foxface as they will get rid of everything.

Do a bunch of water changes if your levels are high that should help get everything back to normal.

 

[Justin_NY]

i also hear that by brushing your hair algea in the main tank is not a good idea, all the spore from the hair algea will spread the tank.

 

[rickytsui]

just get a few mexican turbos they have it at fish town for lik 2 each they work man i still have some in my tank and i dont see any hair alage any more

 

[NYCJodi]

Thanks, everyone. I will buy mexican turbos tonight!!!!

We started by brushing hair algae in tank, Justin, which may be why it spread so quickly. Live and learn, I guess.

Nitrates and phosphates are low, although I don't remember the exact amounts. We use RO/DI water, and have just changed the filters on the unit. 90g display with 55g refugium. Lights are VHOs, almost 6 watts per gallon. Temp is 80 degrees with a chiller.

This was encouraging. Thanks!

 

[NYCJodi]

BTW, have a great skimmer, and SG is 1.024. Forgot to mention that earlier.

I will let you know how the snails work out. The snails and fish currently in my tank (including a tang and a blennie) want nothing to do with the algae...

 

[House of Laughter]

Mexican turbos will eat it all - get many and let them die as the algea disappears - then your crabs will have a good home.

Also, no phospahtes, nitrates etc is best - so, when in doubt, do water changes.

House

 

[cali_reef]

Few more things you should check:

How old are the VHO bulbs? You should change them if they are more then 16 months old.

Have you check the RO\DI water with a TDS meter, I know someone that was using the reject water from his RO for water changes and top off, he made a mistake on the output hose.

How big is your tank and how many fish do you have? You never mentioned what kind of skimmer do you have?

 

[NYCJodi]

Hi all,

I wanted to give a quick (ha ha) update of my situation.

First, to answer cali_reef's questions, we changed the VHO bulbs in March. The RO/DI filters were just changed two weeks ago. It's a 90 gallon and 55 gal refuge, with a aqua-c remora skimmer.

Two and a half weeks ago, we took out every rock we could from the tank and scrubbed the algae off. This set off a bad chain of events. The algae was gone, but the fish started getting sick. Ich broke out everywhere and we lost our blue chromis almost overnight. Then, my yellow tang got a fungal infection (white tufts on gills, fin erosion, discoloration, not eating).

The stress of catching and the tang freaked the rest of the fish, and the tang did not survive the hospital tank. Neither did the Flame angel after we put him in the hospital tank. So far, we have lost four fish and I expect a fifth to die today. My six line wrasse and two tomato clowns are holding strong so far, so they may make it. They look OK and are still eating.

I believe scrubbing the rock also removed good bacteria essential to my tank. Also, disturbing the rock and sand caused a mini-cycle. I saw nitrites for the first time since the tank started two years ago). I have been doing 20% water changes every two days in order to get it down and get the water quality back up.

My readings (doing from memory):
temp 80-81 degrees
pH 8.3
Cal 330
kH 3+
Alk 10+
Nitrate less than .1
Nitrite barely detectable, but showing up
Ammon 0
Phosph less than .25

I am worried about the calcium because it is so low. Alk/kH is right where it should be.

And, after ALL this, the algae is coming back on the rocks. If anyone has advice on how to get my water chemistry, straight, I'd appreciate it.

Signed,
Frustrated Reefer

 

[nanoreefer22]

Did you get those turbos??

Sorry to hear about all the losses. Who would think simply cleaning the rocks would cause that much trouble.

 

[NYCJodi]

Yes, got the turbos and they all died within about 5 days. $50 down the drain!!

 

[nanoreefer22]

WoW thats really really weird. Thats a lot of snails to die in such a short period of time.

 

[rickytsui]

thats really weird i still have my snails from 3 year ago they dont die that easly

 

[NYCJodi]

We have a recurring problem with snail death. No one has been able to figure out why. Lack of food is all I can figure. (They don't really touch the nuisance algae.)

There seems to be a maximum number of snails that my tank can support. Any more than that just die off. And since we don't live near any pet stores (other than New World), we order everything off the net. It can get quite expensive, even for snails.

 

[ctxmonitor]

That is weird indeed. You brought $50 worth of mexican snails? The key thing to remember about snails when introducing them to your tank is do a long drip acclimation. I read from reefkeeping.com that snails will die shortly after if not done properly when introducing to tank.

Hang in there..

 

[NYCJodi]

Good tip, re: snails. We bought $20 worth of snails and then had to pay $25 in overnight shipping. We needed them quickly, and can't get out to the 'burbs easily.

 

[nanoreefer22]

Yup very good tip. Although I hate acclimation I do it. I just want to see it in the tank. Hope things turn around for you NYC.