Bad Hair Algae

[likwid]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

I didn't wait for mine to die off. I only had a few patches, and I basted mine with boiling RO/DI water (my remedy for everything ) The next day there is nothing but bare rock.

Anything negative about basting with boiling water? Besides making sure the fish arent near it when you are basting? Will it harm the rock or my tank in any way?

[Reefer Rob]

If you have a small tank you need to be careful not to raise the temperature too much. In any case just do a small patch at a time. The rock will be bone white for a while after, but coralline will re-establish again. Protect your corals with a shield such as an oyster shell, but the water isn't really that warm except right where you're basting. I would start by pulling as much out as you can, without letting any get loose in the water. When it's nice and short baste what remains on the rock.

[likwid]

Ya I tried basting a patch with boiling water, and that did nothing at all to it. I also added some nitrate media in a bag and a phosphate sponge to my refugium. I'm beginning to think that this algae would survive a nuclear holocaust. I am getting very frustrated here!!

[hillbillyreefer]

I thought that it wasn't possible to win too. I pull out algae every day. Some rocks that were infested I turned over so the algae was in the dark and slowly but surely I'm winning. Good luck with your problem, don't give up.

[jasond]

Likwid....I have a sea hare that you are welcome to "borrow"...he loves hair algae, and now that my tank is pretty much free of it, is not finding much to eat. A couple of weeks, and I can guarantee he will have eaten his fair share. He poops, but it is a lot easier to clean than the HA

If you are interested just shoot me a pm.

Jason

[likwid]

Originally Posted by jasond

Likwid....I have a sea hare that you are welcome to "borrow"...he loves hair algae, and now that my tank is pretty much free of it, is not finding much to eat. A couple of weeks, and I can guarantee he will have eaten his fair share. He poops, but it is a lot easier to clean than the HA

If you are interested just shoot me a pm.

Jason

Thanks for the offer, but I am in Lethbridge and do not go up to Calgary very often.

All of my levels are good, I just dont know what to do anymore. It does not spread, it just keeps growing in the same spots all the time. Whenever I yank it out during water changes, it just starts growing back in the same spots days later. There are areas of the rock that have never seen any hair algae, but the spots with it, just wont lose it.

[Myka]

Have you ever researched high magnesium levels as a solution to hair algae? Check this out: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...lgae+magnesium

Aside from that, all we have are some basic details from you about your tank. If you're not into trying the Magnesium idea, then take the time to write down all your daily maintenance, weekly maintenance, monthly maintenance...everything you do to your tank and how often. Include amounts like size of waterchanges, amount of food, dosing of any additives, etc. Also include brand names, and product names. List all specs - all testing from the last 6 months; ph, amonnia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate. Also salinity, temperature, lighting hours, hardware, bulb brands, last time bulbs changed, etc. Don't leave anything out.

[jasond]

No problem, for some reason I missed that and thought you were in calgary.

I would get a phosban reactor. It really will STOP it from growing. My sea hare ate away, but the phosban really stopped it from growing. The key was to keep the media changed during the beginning, and after a couple weeks it all pulled right out, and has not come back.

Phosban, sea hare, and hermit crabs and it will be gone!

[calkrog]

the high magnesium solution is for bryopsis only, which is what i am batteling right now, i am trying the high mag solution, but it depends on what mag you use. apparently kent tech-m is the best solution for this, followed by epsom salts because it is magnesium sulphate and not magnesium chloride or whatever magflake is. i wish it was just high magnesium that was the solution, because then my OPP salt that was 2300 ppm mag would have taken care of it. so after lots of water changes using reefcrystal i am now able to does tech-m to battle the bryopsis. i will let everyone know as to my progress.

[Matthew N]

I had that exact same problem, so I know what it feels like.

What seemed to be my problem was phosphate, I started to use RO water from the local grocery store and that helped alot, but at the same time it seemed to hurt coral growth which I thought was weird.

So I mixed half and half (well water and RO water) and that made a huge difference, I also increased my lighting to 120 Watts, because I noticed the hair algae was bleaching that was closer to the light, This seemed to clear all the hair algae out but the red slime started to grow like crazy.

I then bought another powerhead, and that seemed to take care of all the red slime.

Oh and I also started to pour tons of seachem's reef complete which raises calcium.

I live on the east coast so my make up water might be different then your's but I really hope this helps

Matthew