Hair algae in overflows

[ga_daisy]

I've had this issue for a while, but have finally decided that I need to do something about it.....

I have massive HA in my overflows, both of them. There isn't HA anywhere else in the tank. I've hand pulled on occassion, but can't get it all due to the pipe work.

1.) Is there a critter that would be ok to toss down in the overflows that will take care of this issue?

2.) What is causing the growth?

3.) If I remove it from the overflow do I risk a cropping up of HA throughout the system, in other words, should I be thankful that its in the overflows and no where else and best to leave it alone?

Footnote....I've never had algae issues of any sort anywhere else within the system. I have minimal growth on glass, generally I just have a brownish color that lightly dusts over the glass that is easily removed with my mag-float.

 

[mcphock]

That's the exact same issue I have. Exactly.

 

[ga_daisy]

Good to know I'm not alone.....hopefully the masses will come together and help us figure out an easy cure.

 

[smoothie]

Get some black acrylic and cut it to cover the overflows and block out the light

 

[ga_daisy]

Smoothie;462035 wrote: Get some black acrylic and cut it to cover the overflows and block out the light

Duh...yeah I would suppose that HA needs light to survive, simple easy fix....thanks Smoothie. Feeling like a bonehead right now.

But....is it a product of something else? Because the entire tank is lit, why is it only in my overflows?

 

[jcook54]

If it's not too big of a deal I wouldn't worry about it. Cutting off the light would get rid of it but I'd rather it grow there than anywhere else. Again, there may very well be something I'm not considering but since it's been going on for a while and if it doesn't screw anything up, I would continue doing what you have been doing and not fooling with it. Many people post algae horror stories and if you've never had to deal with it you must be doing something right.

 

[mojo]

I have the same thing in my system, although I only grow about a handful every month or so. If you don't have any problems with it, then leave it alone. It acts as an algae scrubber for your tank, removing nitrates and phosphates for you. Covering it up may do more harm than good...

 

[smoothie]

I used to like mine growing in there. Thought of it as an algae scrubber kinda. Not enough to make a difference especially if you have a fuge. Covered it up once the algae grew to block the overflow teeth and raise the water level to trickle over the rim of my tank. Live and learn. I didn't know that trick either until I posted up on here

 

[mojo]

Smoothie;462069 wrote: Covered it up once the algae grew to block the overflow teeth and raise the water level to trickle over the rim of my tank.

Ouch. :sad:

If you do decide to leave it, just harvest periodically to keep things in check. A normal algae scrubber needs periodic harvesting as well..

 

[smoothie]

mojo;462071 wrote: Ouch. :sad:

If you do decide to leave it, just harvest periodically to keep things in check. A normal algae scrubber needs periodic harvesting as well..

Easiest thing to do

 

[rbredding]

one of the articles posted here a couple months ago (I believe it was also on RC) was about a guy that has had the same tank up and running for 40 years (or something like that)...

He built a trough in the back of his aquarium to allow algae to propagate in his specified location so it didn't run throughout the rest of his tank.

I know that someone here has also read the thread and remembers seeing the pictures, but my memory is too shot to remember exactly where it was...


I would imagine that having HA in your overflows is kind of the same thing... (hope it grows here so it won't grow everywhere else)

 

[coblerx4]

I just used a piece of Aluminum foil to block the light. Cheap and easy. No algea in the overflow since.

 

[smoothie]

coblerx4;462080 wrote: I just used a piece of Aluminum foil to block the light. Cheap and easy. No algea in the overflow since.

Now that is awesome!

 

[ga_daisy]

Great advice guys. Yeah....I was thinking that removing it might set off a chain reaction. I don't have a fuge, so I suppose I have one growing itself out in my overflows.

Yeah...Smoothie....a while back I had a case of stupid and hadn't climbed up too look over in the overflows in a while. I was sitting on my couch and I looked up into the tank and noticed that the bracing was now ever so slightly underwater....UGHHH....what the crap? Come to find out it was the HA plugging up the teeth. A bit of pruning and the water level went down. I was thinking.....wow, if I wasn't such a lazy bum and I was up being productive instead of sitting on my bumm gazing into my reef it could have been a MESSY lesson.

Ok....so the HA stays. I've been uber careful when removing so that I don't drop any over into the DT for fear of it taking root and taking over the tank itself.

 

[corigan]

I used to have this problem but mine died out. I increased water changes, GFO, etc. and it went away.