nasty hair algae

cstepp47

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Im having a nasty hair algae problem!! What's the best way to get rid of the algae?? I also got the red slime algae to! What are the best ways to get rid of them??
 
Water changes will take care of the red slime. As for the hair algae, there is no chemical that gets rid of it. So, take the rock out and brush all the algae off with an old toothbrush. That works for me! It grows back within a month or so, but I recommend getting an Algae/lawnmower Blenny to keep the growth down!
Good Luck!
 
You need to find the cause of the issue and eliminate it - take a good look at your light cycle, water change schedule, flow, feeding, bulb life, water quality ie: phosphate and nitrate readings to identify the root cause of the problem. also, do you use RODI water and if so what are your TDS readings?
 
i just used my pressure washer to get rid of my nuisance algae problem.... worked great! There's not much algae out there that can handle 1500 psi.. :)
 
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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>
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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. </span></span>
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<span style="color: black"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">If you choose GFO, you’ll need to start VERY SLOWLY! Use 25% of the recommended media, slowly increasing every week. 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 within 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. If you already have a fuge & reactor, be aggressive & change the media every 2 weeks.</span></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, Vodka, VSV, Solid Vodka Pellets (bio-pellets) 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>
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http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.php</span></span></span></a>
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[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php</span></span></span></a>
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[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2003/chem.htm"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2003/chem.htm</span></span></span></a>
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[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php</span></span></span></a>
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[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm</span></span></span></a>
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[IMG]http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1349443"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1349443</span></span></span></a>
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[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm"><span style="font-size: 13px"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm</span></span></span></a>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 13px">VSV:</span></span>
[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-family: Verdana">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...nftt/index.php</span></span></a><span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">


</span></span>[IMG]http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1225324"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-family: Verdana">http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1225324</span></span></a><span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"></span></span>
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[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22849&highlight=vodka"><span style="font-family: Verdana"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...ighlight=vodka</span></span></a>
 
HA is a pest and that's the only way to look at it. The only thing worse IMO is Bryopsis which I believe is the devil's spawn so......

Other than eliminating nitrates, phosphates, plucking, turbo snails, water changes, etc which do help and should be done/monitored anyhow.....

Raise the Magnesium levels up slowly but steadily to about 1500. Use Tech-M or Brightwell. Do not do any water changes during this time frame. Within a few days it will start to turn white and die. Bring the levels back down slowly but steadily.

Some folks keep the Mag level up a bit higher just as a preventitive. I know a few in the club that have done this and worked very well. Keep an eye on everything as some creatures may have an adverse reaction but typically none is seen. I had outstanding luck using this method for my Bryopsis outbreak about a year ago. It worked and never reappeared.
 
When you do your water change make sure you have a a tube so you can suck out the red algae.
 
James S.;605313 wrote: i just used my pressure washer to get rid of my nuisance algae problem.... worked great! There's not much algae out there that can handle 1500 psi.. :)

:lol2::lol2:

That is hysterical! Will you come over to my house and hose my rocks? It needs it bad! New baby keeps me busy!
 
If Suwanee wasn't so far then yes I would.... but seriously my rock has never looked better. :) I will post some before and after pictures in my build thread soon....
 
Depsite O readings for phosphat and Na (Seachem). I repalce my phosguard, carbon, water change, and added 4 snails as well as manually removed some. I am about 90% clean. I noticed it decline quickly when I changed by phosguard. Good luck.
 
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