I would really like to get rid of this crap. Ive tried hand removal, changing rocks, turning off lights, reducing feedings and God only knows what else. I ordered a Sea Hare but the company sent me some other stuff that was NOT a sea Hare. Any help would be nice.
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I am still figuring how to kill this stuff! Hair Algae
- Thread starter K9coral
- Start date
tangs do a pretty good job of removing hair algae. whatever you do do NOT boil your rock you'll kill everything good that's on it. the best thing you could do is check your phosphate levels. i can almost guarantee that they are elevated (phosphates should be zero). a phosphate sponge/medium will remove most of the phosphate from your tank as well as regular water changes. reduction of your photoperiod during this time will also help as well as removing as much of the algae from the tank as possible. what water are using for water changes? tap water contains phosphates as well as nitrates which are both required for algae to thrive. an RO system is your best bet for nitrate/phosphate free water. if you are already using an RO system then it may be time to replace your membrane and prefilters! My vote would be for you to concentrate on your water quality and not on the algae. with proper water quality hair algae will be unable to prosper and coraline algae will takes it place. verify your pH is 8.3, your hardness/alkalinity are up, phosphates/nitrates at zero, and that your calcium is up and this should get you going! Also skimming on a newly setup tank is critical while the rock cures. high levels of dissolved organics in the water will also make a happy place for algae!
1. Skim skim skim skim
2. Remove by hand what you can - no need to add any additional plant life....as that will complicate the issue not simplify it
3. Add detritivores
4. Add animals that are known hair eaters, sea hares, etc
5. Find the source of the nutrients and remove/deplete
6. Water changes water changes water changes - and dont do small one's either do AS LARGE AS YOU CAN MANAGE
7. patience - one large kick ass can - this problem will not go away overnight
2. Remove by hand what you can - no need to add any additional plant life....as that will complicate the issue not simplify it
3. Add detritivores
4. Add animals that are known hair eaters, sea hares, etc
5. Find the source of the nutrients and remove/deplete
6. Water changes water changes water changes - and dont do small one's either do AS LARGE AS YOU CAN MANAGE
7. patience - one large kick ass can - this problem will not go away overnight
I have been battling as well. Its a freakin' nightmare.
I have decided to keep blasting the LR with a powerhead everyday. Weekly water changes.
Once things are under control again I will add a phosban reactor to make sure phosphates to build up.
I am against adding plants to my tank. I want a reeftank and not a plant tank (I have a FW planted tank for that).
I am also considering getting a new custom made sump to have a place to run a filter sock to remove the detritus when it goes to the sump.
We'll see how this plan works out. Next stop if this doesn't work for me is new LR.
_________________
Honda Ruckus
I have decided to keep blasting the LR with a powerhead everyday. Weekly water changes.
Once things are under control again I will add a phosban reactor to make sure phosphates to build up.
I am against adding plants to my tank. I want a reeftank and not a plant tank (I have a FW planted tank for that).
I am also considering getting a new custom made sump to have a place to run a filter sock to remove the detritus when it goes to the sump.
We'll see how this plan works out. Next stop if this doesn't work for me is new LR.
_________________
Honda Ruckus
leftovers":3nj4512t said:1. Skim skim skim skim
2. Remove by hand what you can - no need to add any additional plant life....as that will complicate the issue not simplify it
3. Add detritivores
4. Add animals that are known hair eaters, sea hares, etc
5. Find the source of the nutrients and remove/deplete
6. Water changes water changes water changes - and dont do small one's either do AS LARGE AS YOU CAN MANAGE
7. patience - one large kick ass can - this problem will not go away overnight
Good points, although I found that part of my success of completely eradicating the stuff was by utilizing chetomorphia in my HOT refugium. I manually plucked and sheered the hair algae every day and utilized Purigen in a canister filter until my algae had taken hold. Macro algae has been an effective way of removing phosphate and nitrogen from my tank
Watch your phosphates
Use R/O + Deionized water for your water changes and top offs, Do water changes about every 3 weeks 10-20%max.
Tighten feeding regiment and Lighting regiment
Depending on tank size many types of fishes (bristletooth tangs and Lawnmower blenny are esepcially good herbivores)ect....
Hermit crabs (scarlet red leg hermits) are notorious hair algae eaters along with snails (bumble bees, margaritas, turbos)...
Some of your other end of the game sorta stuff would be purigen, phosguard, ect... Or even stuff like chemi-clean, and or poly-ox.
Use R/O + Deionized water for your water changes and top offs, Do water changes about every 3 weeks 10-20%max.
Tighten feeding regiment and Lighting regiment
Depending on tank size many types of fishes (bristletooth tangs and Lawnmower blenny are esepcially good herbivores)ect....
Hermit crabs (scarlet red leg hermits) are notorious hair algae eaters along with snails (bumble bees, margaritas, turbos)...
Some of your other end of the game sorta stuff would be purigen, phosguard, ect... Or even stuff like chemi-clean, and or poly-ox.
sometimes waiting is a good cure.
i don't know what you are housing, but if you stop feeding and keep the water quality in the green it will starve sooner or later.
when we try so many different things we pften create a reckless environment where it will thrive.
or you could just throw in some more macroalgae and hope it turns your water green and creates some type of designer look.
i don't know what you are housing, but if you stop feeding and keep the water quality in the green it will starve sooner or later.
when we try so many different things we pften create a reckless environment where it will thrive.
or you could just throw in some more macroalgae and hope it turns your water green and creates some type of designer look.
Rabbitfsish and tangs do not eaty Bryopsis, neither will a sally lightfoot crab or a sea hare. DO NOT confuse Bryopsis with other species of hair algae. Bryopsis looks like tiny feathers.
You need to scrub the rock, increase water changes, increase your number and or type of snails, utilize a planted fuge, and watch feeding.
With regard to the snails, they do not eat established and growing bryopsis, but after you scrub the rock, they will keep it in check through their grazing for other stuff.
Jim
You need to scrub the rock, increase water changes, increase your number and or type of snails, utilize a planted fuge, and watch feeding.
With regard to the snails, they do not eat established and growing bryopsis, but after you scrub the rock, they will keep it in check through their grazing for other stuff.
Jim
JimM, Im afraid that is not entirely true. I purchased a Rabbitfish Thursday and almost immediately it started picking at the bryopsis. I dont know if it will destroy it all but it def. likes the stuff. But have no fear, Ill probably manage to kill the fish before it cleans the tank :!:
DLART89":2cwq4bzs said:JimM, Im afraid that is not entirely true. I purchased a Rabbitfish Thursday and almost immediately it started picking at the bryopsis. I dont know if it will destroy it all but it def. likes the stuff. But have no fear, Ill probably manage to kill the fish before it cleans the tank :!:
You beat me to it. I think JimM may have been thinking of something else. :wink:
Regards,
David Mohr
Hmmm...do you have a pic of your byopsis? There is hair algae, and there is bryopis. If it was always as easy as buying a rabbit fish, you wouldn't see so many posts asking about those nudis quite frankly.
Furthermore, I've never seen (or heard of) a rabbit fish eating the stuff. As a matter of fact, I have a bit of bryopsis right now, and I have a rabbit fish that won't touch it. I don't base my statement on this one experience, but years of witnessing these things. HOWEVER, this hardly negates your experience Dlart, and if yours eats it, great! Then you shouldn't have any problems with it. That is if in fact your "Bryopsis" is actually Bryopsis.
:wink:
Perhaps it's time to update my opinion on the subject? David? I imagine you seen/heard of multiple instances of rabbit fish eating Bryopsis then?
Jim
Furthermore, I've never seen (or heard of) a rabbit fish eating the stuff. As a matter of fact, I have a bit of bryopsis right now, and I have a rabbit fish that won't touch it. I don't base my statement on this one experience, but years of witnessing these things. HOWEVER, this hardly negates your experience Dlart, and if yours eats it, great! Then you shouldn't have any problems with it. That is if in fact your "Bryopsis" is actually Bryopsis.
:wink:
Perhaps it's time to update my opinion on the subject? David? I imagine you seen/heard of multiple instances of rabbit fish eating Bryopsis then?
Jim
The cure for hair algae in my system was not any one specific thing. It was a combination of fixes. Small, weekly water changes (with RO/DI) to remove as much as I could manually, running phosban continuously, and the addition of zebra hermits.
I've experienced problems with hair algae in all three of my systems. One I started with tap, one I started with tank water from my bigger tank, and one I started from scratch with RO/DI. This combination solution has worked in all three systems.
I'm not sure I would recommend zebra hermits. These were sold to me as dwarf zebra hermits, while the majority of them haven't gotten much bigger than a nassarius snail, I've got five that have grown to be about an inch across. The bigger ones are mean and kinda creepy looking. I now wish that I'd picked up scarlet reef hermits instead.
There is no quick fix for killing hair algae. It takes a combination of things to remove it from the system and outpace its growth. I also certainly would not recommend using something like chemi-clean to kill it. I have one rule about my tanks, it has served me well for the last two years so I am going to stick with it. If I don't know what's in it, or what it is, it does not belong in my systems. Chemi-clean lists no ingredients on the package.
J.
I've experienced problems with hair algae in all three of my systems. One I started with tap, one I started with tank water from my bigger tank, and one I started from scratch with RO/DI. This combination solution has worked in all three systems.
I'm not sure I would recommend zebra hermits. These were sold to me as dwarf zebra hermits, while the majority of them haven't gotten much bigger than a nassarius snail, I've got five that have grown to be about an inch across. The bigger ones are mean and kinda creepy looking. I now wish that I'd picked up scarlet reef hermits instead.
There is no quick fix for killing hair algae. It takes a combination of things to remove it from the system and outpace its growth. I also certainly would not recommend using something like chemi-clean to kill it. I have one rule about my tanks, it has served me well for the last two years so I am going to stick with it. If I don't know what's in it, or what it is, it does not belong in my systems. Chemi-clean lists no ingredients on the package.
J.
beaslbob":19rxn9ym said:the best way is to starve it. A refug full of chaeto will do the trick especially if you have some cleaners to help out.
But just removing the hair algae without replacing it with other plant life is extremely detrimental to any close aquatic system. IMO
I'll go with pointless - "detrimental" is a bit much IMO.
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