Will boosting calcium kill hair algae???

[camel shrimp]

By adding kalk to approx. 400ppm to 500ppm, will I kill off any hair algae that I am consistenly battling. I am about to tear down my system and start over. This hair algae thing has beat me. I have tried everything from phosphate sponges to chemi-clean to water changes. I can't figure it out. By the way I will be selling hair algae at 5.00/bunch. I am so good at cultivating it. All interested parties please contact me.
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[micagreenmachine]

You can wrap sushi in it.... Maybe find a Japanese sushi restaurant to sell it to? It's high in potassium too.

Tank a look at it under a microscope if you want to see some really COOL stuff too!

Seriously, though...

I don't think that high calcium in itself will help, but it will promote the growth of coralline algae and that helps to ward off hair algae. I don't even think that breaking down the tank and starting over would help. You need to find the source of the problem. If you don't find the source, you'll probably re-create the problem when you set the tank up again and get the same results -and frustration-. If it's a relatively new tank, this may be a "cycle" it's going thru (you can see many different "cycles" as the tank ages, some get a little weird too).

I haven't seen any of your other posts so enlighten us in this one... What are your water params? (esp. ammonia, nitrate & phosphate)
Are you using a protein skimmer? If so, is the skimmer working efficiently? How many fish do you have? How much do you feed? How big a tank is it? Is the tank FO? FOWLR? Pure reef? How long has the tank been set up? Are you using RO/DI water? How often do you change water and how much? Is your kid sister feeding the tank when you aren't looking? Have you tried a "clean up crew" from www.garf.org yet?

Good luck, algae can be a REAL PITA. Usually, you can find the source of the problem though.

Give us more details,
~Todd

 

[afss]

I don't find that the bosted levels neccesarily help, but I think the bit of precipitation seems to bond to the hair algea and seems to slow/reverse its growth. I can only assume that this is due to lowering its ability to photosynthsies (sp)

Scott
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[davelin315]

Higher calcium will cause phosphates, which are a food source for hair algae, to precipitate out of the water column, which will in turn deprive the hair algae of a food source. This will not kill it, but it will slow it's growth, and help you to get it under control and eventually, outcompete it.

 

[olgakurt]

I think the high pH of dosing a lot of kalk would do more than the calcium
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[sandmanrieast]

Before I smarted the hell up I to had hair algie....tangs will mow it down...hermits blue legg will devore it....snails will munch it....ro water will starve it............

its the natural way....no chemicals to kill it

 

[danmhippo]

Adding calcium in attempt to kill hair algae is the slowest way to do what you wanted to do. Physically removing them from the tank is a good way to "export" the nutrient out of your tank. growing a sumpfull of hair algae and harvesting them every 2 weeks will probably kill off te hair algae in the main tank faster than trying to boost Ca. Use RODI water, Less feeding, Grow macro algae, get a herbivore....etc is all good alternatives.

 

[randy holmes-farley]

FWIW, I've not heard of anyone successfully impacting an algae problem by raising calcium from 400 to 500 ppm.

 

[AnotherGoldenTeapot]

You need to be very aggressive in getting rid of the phosphate (which there's no doubt you have lots of).

First step is to get a good phosphate kit - this means one that can measure down to 0.01ppm or lower. The Salifert test is a good example.

A phospahte sponge is the only option that works fast. If it's not working for you then either you don't have enough flow over the media or the media is exhausted. The instructions for how much media is used assume you are already in maintenance mode. If you're trying to remove a lot of phosphate then you need a lot of media.

Seachem's Phosguard is a good example of a phospahte "sponge" that you can buy in bulk. Wash off the dust before use or otherwise some soft corals will close up for a few days when you add it to the tank.

Every two or three days you should see a significant reduction in phosphate levels. If this stops it's time to change the media.

Only ever putting DI water in the tank - you'll never win if you keep adding phosphate in your make-up water.

If you ever go and look at a real reef then you'll notice there's quite a few snails to be seen. Learn from nature - add lots of snails

.

 

[jethro]

Show me a Tang that likes hair alge, and I will show you one that won't touch it. He's in my tank.

Show me a Scarlet Hermit who likes hair algea and I will show you three that won't touch it. They are in my tank.

Show me a Blue Legged Hermit that likes hair algea and I will show you at least 10 that won't touch it. They are in my tank.

Show me a Turbo Snail that like hair Algea, and I will show you the last of five that won't touch it. He is in my tank. (Turbo's are tough for me to keep alive because they aren't handled properly by the LFSs around here.)

I am nearing the end (I hope) of a long fought battle with the stuff. There is no one single answer.

Water quality is the main cuprit. I would say lighting and tempurature play a big role also. Chemical treatments can help but I believe it grows resistant to the chemicals over time.

It is said that the Green Emerald Crab likes to eat hair algea. I have considered buying one but the only hair algea I have is on my overflow and a bit of the higher glass.

My experience with cleaning it is that it seeds very easily and you can get an "outbreak" so you have to be careful to get it all, otherwise you are better to let it run its coarse and work on controlling your water quality.

 

[danmhippo]

Jethro, Dang, you got all the oddballs in your tank! I will ask your permission to go see your tank the next time I am in PA (slim chance though).

 

[afss]

I agree with the fact that there are no given things to eat hair algea. I have hermits, snails, had a tang, etc, no luck. My coral beauty's seem to love the stuff.

R/O water deffinetly helps.

Phosphate sponges work quick, but leathers in my experience and from what I have heard don't do well when the sponges are used.

Scott
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[Ben1]

Letting it run its course can make it worse, causing it to seed and pop up every where. Best way is to manage your export of nutrients, and manually remove it on a daily basis by picking it out and using a tooth brush. I have dove many times through the carribean and never see tons of snails on the reefs, I see lots of tangs picking ect... but the only snails I come across are in rocky shore areas, mostly nerites. Nature doesnt need to control hair algea with snails it has lots of ways for nutrient control IMO.

[ November 21, 2001: Message edited by: Ben ]</p>

 

[camel shrimp]

I am trying the removal technique. I am using 5/16 inch tubing to vacuum this nasty algae off the rocks. So far I have cleaned all the live rock once. This method seems at least to remove the algae quickly and easily. Thanks for all the help.
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[fishnbarefoot]

Get a clean up crew. I put in a bunch of turbo snails and red legs and they ate it right up. Thats what they do for a living! LOL. If you keep your phosphates under .03, use R/O water, no silicates, etc... and all the basic stuff it won't come back.

 

[sparks]

My hair just kept coming back & back & back, i found getting my calcium and KH up encouraged coraline, also made one half of my sump an algea scrubber, also found my skimmer was partly blocked, also now using Kalk in my top up system, hermits & snails did'nt help me. My algea literally died ON the LR over a few days, i just left a cannister running while i'd regulary fan it of the rock. I'd always used DI water & phosphate sponge. I lost a lot of my own hair (on my head) over this testing period.
GOOD LUCK !!!