Hair algae!

[jc_k]

I have had a small hair algae problem and it has got out of control. I've tryed so many thing like stubbing it off the rock, emerald crabs, and even bought a lawnmower blenny. Non of then have helped. What can I do to get rid if it? Are sea hares good?

 

[ff337]

Sea hares are my favorite creature on this planet. One, Absolutely cleaned my 180 in a few weeks from an algae outbreak I had. I had to regift him.

 

[jdavid]

I am worried that my snails will starve from not having enough algae to go around. But a whole bunch of snails!

 

[jeffandkelly]

I added a lawnmower blenny and a bsg of phosguard and mine went away

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[tbub1221]

Have you looked in to what's causing the algae ?
If the source of nutrients or possibly bad bulbs is taken care of it should start to turn around with the clean up crue and blenny . I had algae that kept poping up like that , I chased nitrates and phos readings , I even started thinking my sand bed was leaching nutrients.
In the end one of my bulbs was bad.

 

[jeffandkelly]

True because the start of mine ended up being an old bulb as well

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[ringo®]

Take a close up.....might not be hair algae.

 

[shanepike]

If it is</em> hair algae, turbo snails have always done the trick for me.

 

[nickg]

SEA HARE then donate away. Turbos do ok but sea hares are like the lawn mower of the reef tank.

 

[shanepike]

My turbos have always plowed through it too:

 

[ringo®]

Google bryopsis and report back if that's what it looks like

 

[jdavid]

ShanePike;903987 wrote: If it is</em> hair algae, turbo snails have always done the trick for me.

+1

snailz

 

[jc_k]

I've Already had turbo snails. They ate a lot of algae but they died from a unknown cause. We retard everything but nothing tested wrong. I just don't feel like paying 7 dollars each for more snails. I think I will try the sea hare and try to order one from my lfs. And everything is just about perfect on my tank. And the lights are about 9-10 months old. SHOUDL I get new ones?

Edit: And I will take a picture of the algae tomorrow when the lights are on.

 

[djatl]

What finally killed off the hair algae in my display tank was a multi-pronged approach.
- Dipping rocks in peroxide helped, but wasn't permanent
- Setting up a refugium with Chaeto helped
- Running GFO helped

What finally got rid of HA was removing half of the live rock, dipping in Peroxide, then putting it into dark storage bin with saltwater, a pump, and a heater for several weeks (called "cooking rocks"). I swapped the rocks between the tank and the storage bin after a few weeks, so they'd all been cooked. It hasn't come back. I think when I first set up the tank, I had a major nutrient problem, and all the GFO and Chaeto wasn't go to remove the phosphate fast enough to kill the HA. As I understand it, cooking the rock burns up the phosphate.

 

[jennm]

$7 each for snails?

Sea hare will run you about $30 and it will die when it stops finding enough algae (read: not necessarily when the algae is all gone - if it doesn't *find* enough...)

Post your parameters - we might spot something there.

Lamps are probably due to be changed if they are 9-10 months - what kind? T5? How long is your photoperiod?

Parameters, inhabitants, how much you're feeding, and how often... how much water is being changed and how often - please post those and that might tell us something too.

Also - do you have substrate, and if so, do you vacuum it?

Jenn

 

[jc_k]

Ya. The snails were very expensive. Just did a water change today. I'm starting to think its the lights. We've had them for 9 months now and I'm currently aware that if the sea hare does not have enough algae to eat it will dye. I have a friend that actually likes algae and his tank is full of it so ill se how that goes. I'll have the water parameters up in the next couple of days. And I do have T5. I feed once a day and the lights are on for 9 hours. I also douse phytoplankton once a month. And I do vacuum the sand in my tank.

 

[ralph atl]

almost everybody is addressing the symptom, not the issue....


you have a problem


you are adding more nitrates & phosphates to your system then you are removing, simple.....that's it! it's not lights, magic nor mirrors...


you certainly can get a clean up crew to get rid of what you have, YES!

you must also get descent test kits for nitrates & phosphates!

you must develop a plan to remove the same or more


get yourself a dual reactor, one with GFO and one with carbon and change it weeky....judt put smalller amounts in....


also:

<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"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana">After the time, after trial...

Genetics recipe is:

90% vodka
10% vinegar
and 6 Tablespoon of glucose for 1000 ml of recipe.</span>
<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"> </span></span>
<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"> </span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
<span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1225324"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1225324</span></span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=288714&perpage=25&highlight=vodka&pagenumber=21"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=288714&perpage=25&highlight=vodka&pagenumber=21</span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">)</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1225324&perpage=25&pagenumber=2"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1225324&perpage=25&pagenumber=2</span></span></span></a>

 

[jennm]

I addressed the issue (still waiting on parameters to be posted though.)

The OP is a minor. Vodka probably isn't a practical notion for him.

There are products available for carbon source dosing (which is what the vodka method is), that are legal for a minor to procure. That's one method...

Jenn

 

[rjrgroup]

JennM;904834 wrote:

The OP is a minor. Vodka probably isn't a practical notion for him.

There are products available for carbon source dosing (which is what the vodka method is), that are legal for a minor to procure. That's one method...

Jenn

Now that's funny!!!!!!!!!

 

[jennm]

Maybe funny, but accurate.

"Mom, can you go and buy me a bottle of Vodka, please? I *swear* it's for my fish tank..."

I wouldn't buy it