help with green hair algae
- Thread starter gaguy68
- Start date
Nitrate and possibly phos isn't really 0 the algae is consuming it so your not getting a true reading.. Ralph will chime in with some great links soon.. Reduce feeding and more water changes and possibly reduce photo period..
I had a 29g tank that crashed and just about everything in it died. After I let the cycle complete I was left with a ton a hair algae, on the rocks and sand bed. I put about 11 turbo snails and a couple of margarita snails in the tank and in less than a week it was completely gone and has not reappeared. It did require some work on my part by having to place the snails on the algae once or twice a day. Worked great for me and it helped me bolster my clean up crew for the tank.
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<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>
<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">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>
<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">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>
<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">Use a phosphate reactor with some phosar or ROWA or whatever, and something to lower nitrates like a fuge, AZNO3, Vodka, VSV or other carbon source. </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">check out:</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<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.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2003/chem.htm</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<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">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php</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">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm</span></span></a>
<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>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm</span></span></a>
<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">VSV:</span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...nftt/index.php</a>
[IMG]http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1225324">http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1225324</a></span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...ighlight=vodka">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...ighlight=vodka</a></span></span>
some links need to be copied and pasted in browser.
Ralph
<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>
<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">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>
<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">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>
<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">Use a phosphate reactor with some phosar or ROWA or whatever, and something to lower nitrates like a fuge, AZNO3, Vodka, VSV or other carbon source. </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">check out:</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<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.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2003/chem.htm</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</span></span></a>
<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">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php</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">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm</span></span></a>
<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>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px"> </span></span>
[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm</span></span></a>
<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">VSV:</span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...nftt/index.php</a>
[IMG]http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1225324">http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1225324</a></span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...ighlight=vodka">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...ighlight=vodka</a></span></span>
some links need to be copied and pasted in browser.
Ralph
Cut your lights for three days and in that period typically your clean up crew will take care of it...wont harm your tank just tick some of your corals off momentarly...This is what I use to do to my tanks till i got every thing under control
