How else to do battle with hair algae

michika · #1 07-10-2007, 02:19 AM

I'm suffering with a really nasty green hair algae break out, and I've run out of things to do to try and curb, and eventually cure it.

The outbreak started in late May, but really became uncontrollable in early June. I am 90% sure the original trigger was my switch to tap water in conjunction with prime from RO/DI. Since the outbreak started to get worse and worse I started researching how to get rid of it, and causes. I've never really had to deal with hair algae before, so this is pretty new for me.

Possible cures
- reduce feedings - DONE, tank only gets fed once a week.
- increase water quality - DONE, switched back to RO/DI
- increase flow, and or distribution of flow in tank – SEMI-DONE, added Hydor powerhead. Changing out spraybars for shorter bars, with loc-line fitting at the bottom.
- changing lighting spectrum - SEMI-DONE, changed out 10K PC to actinic, still debating on 175w MH
- more frequent and larger water changes - DONE, I'm still doing weekly water changes, but I've uped the amount to 7-10g per change.
- reduce photoperiod - SEMI-DONE, reduced artificial light sources, and I try to keep sunlight out of the tank as much as possible.
- manually remove algae - DONE, this nasty job is done a few times per week.

Today's parameters are as follows:
pH (8.0-8.2): 8.2
temperature: 79.5
Specific Gravity (1.025): 1.024
Ca (420): 360 ppm
Alkalinity (7-9): 4 dKH <-- I dosed for this after the tests.
Magnesium (1280): 1170 ppm
Nitrite, Nitrite, and Ammonia (0): 0 ppm
What else, other then working on getting my chemistry more in line, can I be doing?

June 30th

July 9th - note the increased algae on the right, and on the gigas clam. It has also increased on the colony pictured in the center of the tank, which is directly in the path of flow of the hydor powerhead.

marie · #2 07-10-2007, 02:34 AM

You forgot to add to your list "get more clean up crew" . I would recommend an abalone and/or some turbo snails.

Bristle worms are amazingly helpful as well. My husband spent 10 min one night watching a particularily large worm (12+ inches) clear a inch square patch of hair algae off the back glass.

My husband is away from home 6 weeks at a time and what do we do when he is home? Watch worms

michika · #3 07-10-2007, 02:44 AM

Thanks!
I added a larger clean up crew once I noticed the issue was getting out of hand, but I haven't seen an impact yet. Any other clean up crew recommendations? Snails in particular?

Clown · #4 07-10-2007, 02:54 AM

Just bought a Arrow crab and it ate just about all the crappy algae

marie · #5 07-10-2007, 02:59 AM

astreas are good for the glass but in my experience they very rarely go on the rock, cerith keep mostly to the sand and i have never had any luck keeping margaritas for any length of time. Turbos seem to make the most obvious dent in the algae.
I haven't had any experience with sea hares but I've heard they are wonderful algae eaters maybe you could borrow one from somebody for a few months

Chowder · #6 07-10-2007, 03:41 AM

You can also try a seahare but make sure your powerhead intakes are covered. They have a tendency of getting sucked into them. Have you tested for phosphates. Those can also feed algae .