Hair Algae help

[jayguerreso]

Anyone know a good and quick way to kill this crap? Ive been scrubbing it and rotating rocks so they are out of the light and it still seems to survive! My tank has near perfect water, but my clean up crew dosent seem to get to it. Anyone got an home remedy?

 

[shromy]

Gotta scrub off as much as possible, what to you have for a CuC, also how long are you running your lighting/Type of lighting/age of bulbs?

 

[jayguerreso]

My CuC isnt as par as I would like, they all seem to disappear over time. I have roughly 10 snails and 5 crabs left from over 20 of each. Im buying some more asap, and I also have a peppermint shrimp, last one to live out of 3.(Other 2 were lost in tank move, so transparent we couldnt see them!) Scrubbing sucks cause its alot of my base rock, and ill have to move everything to get to them. Can coral survive a few days without light?

 

[jayguerreso]

Ima scrub it tomm and up the cuc if any place is open. Would a small urchin help by chance? I use to have a large one that would play racketball with my corals.

 

[kirru]

i had bad hair algae when i move moved my tank up from savannah. i'm talking really bad. I havent reduced my lighting just stopped feeding so much on the zooplex and microvert and it has come to a stand still, but then cyano showed up. back the the hair algae... i also added a tuxedo urchin i got from jwilis27 and between him, a few astrea snails, and reduced feeding, the hair algae has stopped growth and is starting to lose yea! so reduce feeding and add a urchin if you want, that helped me.

 

[ronnieblaze]

I have the same thing going on my self, its just been slowly getting bigger and bigger... I have a yellow tang he doesnt touch it... i have plenty of cuc and there not doing anything.. Ive cut my feedings, and changed the light times, don big wc's and it still seems to be growing... so today was the first day of my 3 day lights out period. i didnt completly cover the tank so its still getting ambiant light.

 

[shadow]

research vodka dosing. Read up on it and make sure it is right for you. It has significantly helped my battle against algae. Be careful and start very slow. Basically, the increase bacteria that grow to feed on the sugars in the vodka will also feed on the nutrients that cause the algae to grow. Not a cure all, but it may help.

 

[williamc]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">Do you drink the vodka straight up or with OJ? I have drunken half of a bottle and the algae has not disappeared but it is looking fuzzier and fuzzier.</span></span>

 

[johnr2604]

The really big mexican turbo snails do a great job at getting rid of it. They are really clumsy though

 

[markl]

johnr2604;262962 wrote: The really big mexican turbo snails do a great job at getting rid of it. They are really clumsy though

I 2nd that. Im about to buy 2 of those bad boys.

 

[rockdog]

I have 6 Mexican turbos and I call then my Mexican BULL DOSERS. Thay do thier job but they do knock things over... They are the reason most of the frags in my tank are epoxyed down.

Jason

 

[jayguerreso]

Scrubbed and turned the rocks, did a water change, and threw in a pack of Chemipure and watched feeding. Think I finally have the stuff in check.

 

[ralph atl]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">You must export the same or more nutrients than you put in. Overfeeding, tap water, high phosphate foods, etc. </span></span>
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<span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">Phosphate reduction/ removal and high trates could be the answer. Wet skimming with a skimmer that is rated at least double your water volume. If you cannot get a fuge or sump (you can maybe make a "Rubbermaid sump with cheato in it for a few bucks) you can get a $35.00 hang on phosphate reactor for your tank and put some GFO in there. In the future, you'll most likely need a refugium with Macro algae. If you choose GFO, you’ll need to start VERY SLOWLY! Use 25% of the recommended media, slowly increasing every 2-4 weeks. You need to acclimate your tank inhabitants over at least a 2 month period especially is you have any stony corals. Once acclimated you’ll need to change your Iron based media in the phosphate reactor more often. Your media will get saturated in 2 weeks or so depending upon how much is bound up in your rocks, tank, algae, etc. Use less media, change every 2 weeks. Use a great test kit like DD Merck, Hack, or colormeter or send to AWT. If you already have a fuge & reactor, be aggressive & change the media every 2 weeks.</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">When you do your water change, take the end of the hose and suck all the algae down like a vacuum. It'll take a few water changes, but it works (especially after the phosphate remover kicks in)</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">Use a phosphate reactor with some phosar or ROWA or whatever, and something to lower nitrates like a fuge, AZNO3, Vodka, or other carbon source. </span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">check out:</span></span>
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php</span></span></span></a>
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[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</span></span></span></a>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php</span></span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm</span></span></span></a>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1349443</span></span>

 

[mikesommers]

What kind of Vodka?? Fris?? KettleOne?? Grey Goose??:lol2:

 

[michael ruppert]

I had the same problem and added two astrea snails in a 30 gal. THe snails have done a great job at controlling the problem.

 

[stacy22]

I have an unopened bottle of Grey Goose but cannot bring myself to share it with my reef.

I have a pencil urchin that mows down algea like there's no tomorrow. The only problems I have with it so far are (1) He eats coralline (and I don't want him too) and (2) He knocks stuff over. I overcome this problem but plucking him off the rocks and sitting him where I want him. It takes him a while to move around so I am able to keep tabs on him. I got it from Tim at Keen Reef. He has more.

 

[ralph atl]

stacy22;265610 wrote: I have an unopened bottle of Grey Goose but cannot bring myself to share it with my reef.

can you share some with me? LOL!

 

[stacy22]

 

[ralph atl]

stacy22;265610 wrote: I have a pencil urchin that mows down algea like there's no tomorrow. The only problems I have with it so far are (1) He eats coralline (and I don't want him too) and (2) He knocks stuff over. I overcome this problem but plucking him off the rocks and sitting him where I want him. It takes him a while to move around so I am able to keep tabs on him. I got it from Tim at Keen Reef. He has more.

FYI on Pencil Urchin: