what are they and what can be done

[three dawgs]

You have to bear with me on this. I'm currently in Quebec and just got a phone call from a guy in Victoria. Heres the story.
He had a bad out break of algae(hair). So someone told him to keep the lights out. He has actinics which were running for about 6 hours a day. He just turned on his VHO and his tank is internally covered with clear and white looking aphids(this is what is described to me) He would like to know what they are and should he get rid of them and how. His tank is covered in them. Someone PLEASE help.

[Quinn]

Pods of some sort maybe. Throw in a wrasse. I bet it either eats them or vice-versa. Either way, from there you can get a better diagnosis.

[Jack]

Kind of a difficult post to reply too but Teevee don't give bad advice. Pods are good and they are out when the lights go off in most ,if not all tanks. The last thing you want to do is add more bio-load to a tank with hair algae. He must find the source of the nutrients and eliminate. No easy answer so I don't know what else to say.

[three dawgs]

a cleaner wrasse??????????
You have to bear with me cause its only a over the phone conversation. He has kept the VHO's off for about a month. These things are roughly 3/8 to 1/4 inch long. And hes got lots

[Aquattro]

wrasse = more algae. Little bugs are likely amphipods, which are good.

[three dawgs]

so you say not to worry about them and let nature take there toll with them?

[Quinn]

My understanding is that increased flow sometimes does away with hair algae. Anecdotal evidence, but the worst case of hair algae I ever saw was in a tank with almost null circulation. What do you guys think?

As for the wrasse, that was intended for the pods (which I understood to be the main concern of the tank owner). You'd want to use a six-line or something I suppose, definitely not a cleaner. Yes, more organics probably won't help the algae problem. But like Brad said, the bugs are probably not an issue. I wouldn't resort to buying livestock to get rid of a pest anyways. Deal with the cause not the symptoms.

[MitchM]

Leave them be. When they run out of food, they'll die off. I doubt it'll give much of an ammonia spike.

Hair algae isn't too particular about flow. I've got a bit on one of the outlets to my sump, where it's a pretty heavy flow rate.

Mitch

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by teevee

My understanding is that increased flow sometimes does away with hair algae. Anecdotal evidence, but the worst case of hair algae I ever saw was in a tank with almost null circulation. What do you guys think?

I have the problem of the most algae is concentrated in my areas of the highest flow.. i believe this is due to that area being more oxygenated than the lower flow areas.

Steve