Regarding battling Green Hair Algae. Because this is a common problem for beginners; I’ll post a solution that helped me many years ago.
There are lots of other solutions I’d recommend. Depending on your tank, I’d say some are better than others. Slightly oversized protein skimmers can help keep your water clean and prevent it from getting a foothold. Tangs can be wonderful for keeping it in check if you have a bigger tank. Similarly, other grazers such as Starry Blennies can help a little bit in smaller ones. Most of all; just be careful not to overfeed your tank.
Never think of “magic in a bottle” as being a solution to any tank problem. Sure, some products can help solve some problems with an appropriate dose of an unknown (to you) compound. But this should be for emergencies only.
I digress, here’s my steps:
What you need: a toothbrush, 2 opaque (non-clear) storage containers or buckets, 1 lid for these containers, an air pump... and a hose or other means to do a water change.
Steps:
1) Do a big water change; siphon as much sand as you can also. But hold onto the dirty tank water in an opaque (non-clear) plastic storage tub or large bucket.
2) Remove about 25% (up to 50% for nano tanks) of your rockwork to the dirty tank water container. I started at the left side of my tank and worked my way to the right. Be certain not to get any corals, fish, snails, or hermits on these rocks. Double check to see if any sneaked on.
3) Setup an air pump (and possibly a heater, but not required), with the air hose or diffuser weighted down by the rocks, inside your dirty tank water container. This will keep the water aerated.
4) Place the lid on the container. It does not need to be secure; but it does need to block out all light. And wait about 1 week. The idea is that hair algae will starve of light very quickly and become weaker; whereas coralline can survive dark periods for longer, and the bacteria don’t care as much about light.
5) After a week, get a 2nd container and do another water change, saving the new dirty water.
6) Scrub the ‘week 1’ rocks thoroughly with a toothbrush while submerged in the same ‘week 1’ dirty tank water. The hair algae will have lost its grip and slough off the rocks much more easily.
7) After scrubbing each rock, rinse the ‘week 1’ rocks in the ‘week 2’ dirty tank water, before placing the ‘week 1’ rocks back into your tank.
8) Discard the ‘week 1’ dirty tank water... which is now full of hair algae.
9) Choose the next stage of rocks, ‘week 2’ rocks, into the dirty ‘week 2’ tank water.
10) Repeat the process that you did with the ‘week 1’ rocks... until you have done this to all the rocks in your tank. Be sure to rinse (and inspect) each rock before placing it back in your tank.
This won’t solve your problem 100%, but it should help remove most of the nutrients, both suspended and secured in the algae tissues. Your cleanup crew and proper feeding can help with the rest!
Cleanup Crew (CUC):
I recommend: Trochus Snails, Blue leg hermits, Red leg hermits, Scarlet reef hermits (more expensive but live longer and beautiful), and/or Dwarf Zebra hermits (seem to eat the most, also beautiful).
I don’t recommend: Astrea snails, Turbo Snails. Get rid of these if you have them. It’s just my opinion; but these guys are just time bombs waiting to die and release nutrients to your tank.
Don’t overdo it on the Cleanup Crew: maybe a good starting point is about 1 Trochus for every 4-8 gallons. And about the same for hermits. Other members; what are your thoughts on this amount for beginners?
Down the road: I also love most any serpent sea star variety (most other varieties have shorter life spans, are more difficult to care for, and cost more), nassarius snails, very few but certain crabs, urchins (for bigger tanks only, and with caution), some shrimps (these are hit and miss 50/50), and some sea cucumbers.
Once again; this is all just based on my experience. And I’m sure others will have great input here!!!
There are lots of other solutions I’d recommend. Depending on your tank, I’d say some are better than others. Slightly oversized protein skimmers can help keep your water clean and prevent it from getting a foothold. Tangs can be wonderful for keeping it in check if you have a bigger tank. Similarly, other grazers such as Starry Blennies can help a little bit in smaller ones. Most of all; just be careful not to overfeed your tank.
Never think of “magic in a bottle” as being a solution to any tank problem. Sure, some products can help solve some problems with an appropriate dose of an unknown (to you) compound. But this should be for emergencies only.
I digress, here’s my steps:
What you need: a toothbrush, 2 opaque (non-clear) storage containers or buckets, 1 lid for these containers, an air pump... and a hose or other means to do a water change.
Steps:
1) Do a big water change; siphon as much sand as you can also. But hold onto the dirty tank water in an opaque (non-clear) plastic storage tub or large bucket.
2) Remove about 25% (up to 50% for nano tanks) of your rockwork to the dirty tank water container. I started at the left side of my tank and worked my way to the right. Be certain not to get any corals, fish, snails, or hermits on these rocks. Double check to see if any sneaked on.
3) Setup an air pump (and possibly a heater, but not required), with the air hose or diffuser weighted down by the rocks, inside your dirty tank water container. This will keep the water aerated.
4) Place the lid on the container. It does not need to be secure; but it does need to block out all light. And wait about 1 week. The idea is that hair algae will starve of light very quickly and become weaker; whereas coralline can survive dark periods for longer, and the bacteria don’t care as much about light.
5) After a week, get a 2nd container and do another water change, saving the new dirty water.
6) Scrub the ‘week 1’ rocks thoroughly with a toothbrush while submerged in the same ‘week 1’ dirty tank water. The hair algae will have lost its grip and slough off the rocks much more easily.
7) After scrubbing each rock, rinse the ‘week 1’ rocks in the ‘week 2’ dirty tank water, before placing the ‘week 1’ rocks back into your tank.
8) Discard the ‘week 1’ dirty tank water... which is now full of hair algae.
9) Choose the next stage of rocks, ‘week 2’ rocks, into the dirty ‘week 2’ tank water.
10) Repeat the process that you did with the ‘week 1’ rocks... until you have done this to all the rocks in your tank. Be sure to rinse (and inspect) each rock before placing it back in your tank.
This won’t solve your problem 100%, but it should help remove most of the nutrients, both suspended and secured in the algae tissues. Your cleanup crew and proper feeding can help with the rest!
Cleanup Crew (CUC):
I recommend: Trochus Snails, Blue leg hermits, Red leg hermits, Scarlet reef hermits (more expensive but live longer and beautiful), and/or Dwarf Zebra hermits (seem to eat the most, also beautiful).
I don’t recommend: Astrea snails, Turbo Snails. Get rid of these if you have them. It’s just my opinion; but these guys are just time bombs waiting to die and release nutrients to your tank.
Don’t overdo it on the Cleanup Crew: maybe a good starting point is about 1 Trochus for every 4-8 gallons. And about the same for hermits. Other members; what are your thoughts on this amount for beginners?
Down the road: I also love most any serpent sea star variety (most other varieties have shorter life spans, are more difficult to care for, and cost more), nassarius snails, very few but certain crabs, urchins (for bigger tanks only, and with caution), some shrimps (these are hit and miss 50/50), and some sea cucumbers.
Once again; this is all just based on my experience. And I’m sure others will have great input here!!!
