Hello Everyone I'm Having An Outbreak Of Green Hair Algae!!!! What Is The Best Recommendation For Treating This? Looked Into Vibrant Tank Cleaner And That Looks Like A Good Option! What Is Your Advice?
Green Hair Algae Problem
- Thread starter Joshuastephens777
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I have used, and continue to use, Vibrant and it does a great job. However, it is not a "quick" fix, as you have to give it time to take hold in your tank. That can take upwards of 6 to 8 weeks....but it absolutely does work. I will also note that if you have a refugium and chaeto growing....after using Vibrant you won't anymore. The time I made that mistake my refugium ended up being spotless and clean.....with all chaeto and micro algae melted away. Yes, perhaps I should have known/expected that but I didn't know and as with anything in this hobby (and life for that matter) it takes these experiences to learn/know for future reference.
Have you tested your phosphate? I also struggled with that and rising nitrates....until I started using NoPox. That too needs time to take hold and lots of tweaking over several weeks to get just the right dose. Too much, you end up with white film algae....looks like globs of loogies all over the tank. Too little, nitrates & phos still in higher range. Like Goldilocks, you need it just right. However, once it's dialed in, it's a great addition, at least to my tank. I've had it dialed in perfectly for the past 7 months and I can't imagine my tank without it. Keeps nitrates/phos in check and in turn keeps my algae in check.
Generally I've had luck in the past with turbos to knock it down and increased refugium lighting to suck up the nutrients before it gets cycled back into GHA. I don't have experience running vibrant, but it seems to have a fair reputation of cleaning up algae issues but I would imagine you still need to get the nutrients out or whatever vibrant can't kill will then bloom off of the nutrients. Vibrant with frequent waterchanges seems like a good move if you dont run a refugium.
Thank you so much, I'm working on building a better cleanup crew now!
I just recently set up a new 20g nano and the green hair algae was growing really, really well. Since the tank is so new it was expected but I bought a single turbo snail and 4 blue leg hermits and they've done a terrific job. One thing I like to do it remove the turbo snail (or any snail) from the glass and place them on the rocks where the offending algae is growing. Once snail find the glass, they like tend to focus there attention there rather than on the rocks. (I have no real evidence as to why but it's almost like it's easier for them to get what they need from the glass so they just take the path of least resistance to get what they need.)
If the tank is still pretty new, less that 9 months, I'd focus on getting snails and blue legged hermits rather than any other supplement. Vibrant does work. NOPOX will help bring down nutrient levels. But if the system is still fairly new, it might just need time to balance out. I'm also dealing with cyano (as expected) and I could use Chemi-clean to get rid of it but right now my plan of attack is additional water changes and time.
If the tank is still pretty new, less that 9 months, I'd focus on getting snails and blue legged hermits rather than any other supplement. Vibrant does work. NOPOX will help bring down nutrient levels. But if the system is still fairly new, it might just need time to balance out. I'm also dealing with cyano (as expected) and I could use Chemi-clean to get rid of it but right now my plan of attack is additional water changes and time.
Hit the nail on the head with the new tank part of it, especially dry rock. I'm about 2 and half months in now. I ran into a week or so where I think I was flirting with a dino outbreak as I had translucent snot and stringy bubbly algae all over the white rock. Ramped up the feeding, cut back the fuge light and now have some GHA all over. I can deal with GHA, been there done that, to hell with dealing dinoflagellates though. Ramped up the fuge lights again over the last two weeks, algae seems to have stopped growing and I've got a round of CUC hitting the doorstep tomorrow.
This whole hobby is a balancing act.
jayroc24
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I had the same issue post 2 weeks coming out of the cycle (RSM 625XXL), my actions were-
1. Changed 10 gallons of water every day - performed mine with the Neptune DOS AWC
2. Got a clean up crew about 20 snails (the Astraea snails and (1) Mexican Turbo did the best IMO)
3. Ran 1 small bag of Phosbond
4. Ran one small bag of charcoal
5. Changed the filter socks (250 micron) every other day
6. 1.5 weeks later all cleared up and good to go, still have small amount of green hair algae on the powerheads but the rock and sand look 100% better, coraline starting to takeoff.
1. Changed 10 gallons of water every day - performed mine with the Neptune DOS AWC
2. Got a clean up crew about 20 snails (the Astraea snails and (1) Mexican Turbo did the best IMO)
3. Ran 1 small bag of Phosbond
4. Ran one small bag of charcoal
5. Changed the filter socks (250 micron) every other day
6. 1.5 weeks later all cleared up and good to go, still have small amount of green hair algae on the powerheads but the rock and sand look 100% better, coraline starting to takeoff.
