Hair algae questions?????

[william1]

So Ive never had this problem in either of my other tanks. I have had a HUGE outbreak of hair algae in my 180. My alk has been slowly going up and down the last couple of weeks, but I had a small calcium reactor adjustment.

Parameters are:

P.H. 8.2
Salinity 102.4
Nitrate 0.5
Nitrite 0.0
Alk 8.2
Phos. 0
Mag 1200

I do need to replace 4 more bulbs but Im trying to wait until the new canopy finished.. I run 8T5's now 4 bulbs are two months old, but this started before the replacement bulbs. I bought 5 mexican turbos that had a problem becuase it was getting so long. And then they all died probly over eating LOL. Plus I have had alot of red cyno on the sandbed.

 

[mockery]

Have you tried a sea hare??

 

[william1]

Mockery;404232 wrote: Have you tried a sea hare??

No I havent,I didnt know if the would knock over all my corals/frags. I have had no success with picking it off every other day either. It just grows back thicker and fuller.

 

[salt reefer]

how long you running your lighs . i cut mine to 5 hours for 5 days got ride of all hair and all cyno . it might work for you. good luck.

 

[james s_]

WILLIAM1;404235 wrote: No I havent,I didnt know if the would knock over all my corals/frags. I have had no success with picking it off every other day either. It just grows back thicker and fuller.

Dont pick at it, it spreads like mad....the sea hares are hit and miss, I just bought one and now it is eating the algae off the sides of my tank and not on the rocks...

 

[codsack]

I cut my lights off for three days straight and still didn't kill it, I could tell that it was helping a little, but my corals and my fish were seriously missing the sunshine. I think I'm gonna try a sea hare.

 

[tjherman]

If it is actually HA/Bryopsis, then it makes sense if you pick it off that it comes back again. Bryopsis has a healing mechanism that allows for easy regeneration if we manually pull it off.

 

[oil_fan]

What the heck is up with HA issues lately?? This is the third thread in 3 days counting mine!! :confused2:

 

[grouper therapy]

I would retest my nutrient levels. It is possible your test kits are in accurate or expired. There has to be something(nutrient) feeding the algae . What test kit are you using? Some times the test kits would not detect the phosphates because the hair algae is using it up as fast as it enters the tank. How much are you feeding? Are you using rodi water?

It is kinda like fertilizing your lawn going back in two weeks pulling a soil sample and no nitrogen showing up. No wonder it is in the thick green grass under your feet. That is why we can have macro algae in our refugium and the test kits read 0 on nitrates and phosphates because of the macro using it up. The same nutrients feeding a macro are the same nutrients that feed micro algae(HA)

 

[twocute2b4u]

I have had HA for quite some time as well. I bought a sea hare from Tim about a month ago. This guy ate the HA off of a rock that had the most on it and then did not do anything for quite some time. Now it seems that he is really keeping up with the HA. I know I need to find the real cause of it, I just need to get into a routine of changing my water weekly and testing weekly.

 

[tokejr]

Try a pin cushion urchin. A fellow reefer gave me one and that thing cleans off the algae all the way to rock. It's not terribly fast, but it does clean one rock each night. I am really impressed.

 

[dakota9]

Have you tried severely cutting back on feeding? My new set up is quite green with HA due to phosphate build up in the rock, but slowly its receding. I anticipate this time next month it will have completely disappeared. I feed a few flakes every other day to my two clowns.

 

[william1]

I feed alot but I skim very wet a couple gallons a week. Im going to cut down on feeding and get the few old bulbs replaced asap and see if that works. I havean urchin but he knocks everything over in the tank including corals right off there rocks. So I put him in the sump where hes no trouble.

 

[smoothie]

Sounds like you are on the right track. Cut back on frozen if you are using that especially.

 

[william1]

I use alot of frozen since I make my own food.

 

[smoothie]

Give it a try. If you do keep mainly using it be sure to strain it well or rinse it with a lil ro

 

[william1]

Ill try that Smoothie..