Green Hair Problem

[Marcus K]

I seem to have a forest of Green Hair algae that has taken over my LR. I have been pulling it out by the pound and getting tired of this problem fast. Any other ideas to help rid this algae. My skimmer is a sea clone because I have not been able to save up for a real skimmer, but I have managed to get it to pull out a cup worth a week which is good for a seaclone. I use RO/DI from safeway and vacuum the CC every other water change which is 5-10% weekly. Any cleanup crew known to eat hair algae? Whats the best way to take out LR for a good brushing to try get all the hair off?

Thanks for any advice.

Marcus

[EmilyB]

Hi Marcus,

You have got to increase/improve filtration somehow I think.

You have some problem areas, like the cc (is it large and very deep?) The skimmer, well, you already know about that.... The Safeway water could be a problem depending on how well the system is maintained. (It would be RO, not RO/DI). Is a TWP an option?

A better skimmer, a refugium with macro, more rock per gallon, these are all ways that can help remove the nutrients that are fuelling your algae growth imo.

A sea hare will plow through that algae, I've heard, but when it's gone it will starve, and the problem will return if the conditions are the same.

Good luck. Hair algae sucks. I have some now due to underskimming based on my stocking level.

[Doug]

Hair algae, the bane of reef keeping.

Some of Deb,s suggestions are good ones. Although I have just seen extra current make wavey algae instead. Direct it at places in the rock where detritus can settle, as thats helping fuel algae growth. Any detritus collecting in the cc, will increase the phospate, which again is fuel. Perhaps try some Phosban, a Two Little Fishies product. Ask Rick if he has it.

Then crop the algae short by hand, as the algae eaters dont like long hairy stuff, then as much as your budget can allow;

---add lots of good turbos, I prefer what Jayson calls Deepwater Turbos.
---- add a pair of urchins. Best algae eaters I have seen, but may knock a few things around for awile. Also need to place them on the algae now & then and WATCH the spines. I recieved a puncture once and it got infected.

Also Deb,s other suggestion about some other form of competing algae, would help. It could be in a sump type algae filter or even for now, in the tank. Jayson has some dandy kinds of seagrass & calerpa,s for sale now. Although I have not used the seagrass type stuff as a nutrient sponge. Just some plain old calerpa in a sump may help. Put some base rock or something in there, for it to attach to. I dont like the sand in there myself, as it becomes another nurient trap, unless cleaned very regular. Make sure the light is enough to compete with the tanks algae.

My preference is still the algae eaters in the tank. I really dont like sumps full of calerpa, although it works, until it craps.

[DOO-E]

Nobody freak out here but a fellow reefer had this problem. This is what he did and it its working. He has reduced the lights down to 3 watts per gallon. Yet he is still keeping condy anenomes, flower anenomes, and sebea anenomes. All are doing great. He is running 1 150 watt metal halide for the day and 2 actinics for the evening and morning. His hair algea is going away.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by DOO-E

Nobody freak out here but a fellow reefer had this problem. This is what he did and it its working. He has reduced the lights down to 3 watts per gallon. Yet he is still keeping condy anenomes, flower anenomes, and sebea anenomes. All are doing great. He is running 1 150 watt metal halide for the day and 2 actinics for the evening and morning. His hair algea is going away.

how long has he been running the reduced lighting for?

Steve

[DOO-E]

About 3 months now

[Marcus K]

Thanks for all the advice. I have just set up a refugium with two types of Tang Heavan. I will never add grape calerpra again as it loved to go asexual in my tank. I have added two types or media that seems to help as the hair is getting lighter in colour and thinning somewhat. Still along way to go. I will add some more turbos and maybe a urchin.

Thanks again

[jojoseb]

I recently purchased some live rock which looks to have some hair algae forming. I have added some urchins to take care of the problem and they have scoured the little area clean. I wonder if it will come back? Is there a more favourable addition that could displace the grass?

[Quinn]

A certain amount of algae in a new tank is normal. Give it some time and if it proves to be a chronic problem, there are ways to combat it that don't involve specific livestock (lighting, flow, etc.).

[reefhawk]

when i had hair algae i added a foxface, in addition to all the good advice i recieved here much as you are getting. I watched him grow very quickly as he finished off the last remnants. I think that extra current, adding a second skimmer, and my foxface did the job. Be prepared to feed the little bugger tons of nori once your algae is gone.