Need Advice: Hair algae solution

[cgill311]

So my tank has been slowly growing hair algae, and I haven't been able to control it with astreas or hermits. Unfortunately, my scribbled rabbitfish won't touch the stuff either. So I'm looking for natural solutions. Either a hector's goby or a small tang.

A little info on my system:
1) 30 gallon Oceanic cube
2) 15 gallon sump
3) 250W 10K MH (old bulb needs to be replaced)
4) Inhabitants: scribbled rabbitfish, 2 maroon clowns, 1 neon goby
5) Inverts: ~15 astreas, 20 hermits, peppermint shrimp
6) AquaC Urchin skimmer
7) Temp = 78F, 0 nitrates/nitrites, pH= 7.6

Do you guys think 4 fish is too much for a 45 gallon system?

 

[stroid]

Chris I had a huge hair algae problem i mean it looked like a forest in my tank my rocks were covered. I tried everything from reducing light cycle, water changes, lettuce nudibranch, nothing seemed to work. Until i added two monster turbo snails and within 1 week everything in my tank was eaten. I still have them and they still have stuff to eat lol. Best $7 i spent on this problem.

 

[coblerx4]

I had a hair algea problem in my 90gal until I bought 4 nudibranch and it was all gone in 4 days.

 

[cgill311]

Stroid;65496 wrote: Chris I had a huge hair algae problem i mean it looked like a forest in my tank my rocks were covered. I tried everything from reducing light cycle, water changes, lettuce nudibranch, nothing seemed to work. Until i added two monster turbo snails and within 1 week everything in my tank was eaten. I still have them and they still have stuff to eat lol. Best $7 i spent on this problem.

Ha! I sold my royal gramma and sixline wrasse to reduce my bioload, and all I need is some turbo snails? Geez...

My tank was starting to look like a forest too. I took each rock out and scrubbed it. It was a huge PITA!!!

Guess I'll go pick some up today! Thanks for the advice.

 

[stroid]

yeah i tried the scrubbing rocks approach and that didnt really work. Try getting a few monster turbos I think that should work. I mean you could actually see a track behind the snails as they plowed through the stuff. I am sure other things work but this worked for my tank and a friend of mines tank very quickly. I would bet you will see an improvment within the first few hours of having the snails.

 

[george]

Picking off what you can remove helps a great deal for the existing grazers to get the rest.

Since turbo snails have this annoying habit of dying eventually for little reason, I suggest getting one to fix the immediate problem and getting a Lawnmower Blenny for long-term maintenance.

 

[stroid]

George;65507 wrote: Picking off what you can remove helps a great deal for the existing grazers to get the rest.

Since turbo snails have this annoying habit of dying eventually for little reason, I suggest getting one to fix the immediate problem and getting a Lawnmower Blenny for long-term maintenance.

Agreed...although my two snails still have plenty to eat after destroying all my hair algae. And i have lost any its been several months since my hair algae was eaten.

 

[wbholwell]

I would replace your MH bulb asap as well. That should help.

 

[zman676]

I agree with George. Pick off what you can manually, and then invest in a lawnmower blenny. It will destroy your hair algae in DAYS not to mention mine would clean film algae off the glass, heater, filter intake, etc... Not only does it have great utility, they look nice and they are entertaining to watch when they headbutt their food! Good luck.

oh and fyi, if you can keep it alive, they can get HUGE. theres one that must be at least 8 inches long in the Petland in Duluth.

 

[stroid]

my problem with the lawnmower blenny is they are hit or miss same with nudibranchs. I have read of many situations that the lawnmower doesnt eat the hair algae. Just my 2cents...im sure others have different expereinces.

 

[nano_reefer92]

zman676;65514 wrote: I agree with George. Pick off what you can manually, and then invest in a lawnmower blenny. It will destroy your hair algae in DAYS not to mention mine would clean film algae off the glass, heater, filter intake, etc... Not only does it have great utility, they look nice and they are entertaining to watch when they headbutt their food! Good luck.

oh and fyi, if you can keep it alive, they can get HUGE. theres one that must be at least 8 inches long in the Petland in Duluth.

i saw that huge blennie it was resting on a :mad2:clam:mad2: i do not know if it was bothering it but it was just a bit smaller than the clam

 

[zman676]

Nano_Reefer92;65516 wrote: i saw that huge blennie it was resting on a :mad2:clam:mad2: i do not know if it was bothering it but it was just a bit smaller than the clam

mine rested on my clam from time to time, but when the clam closed up and did that squirty thing that they do when you tick them off, and he would swim away. never once did he nibble at the mantle of any of my corals.

If you are going to get one from a fish store, just ask them if it picks at clams/corals and hope they are honest with you.

 

[family reefer]

Just a thought...I have read that lawnmowers will actually stop eating algae when they are mature. You may have gotten a senior citizen blennyLOL. One other thing I noticed... nobody has mentioned the PH listed. This isn't the cause of the bloom but 7.6 is low....

 

[sj miller guy]

family reefer;65570 wrote: Just a thought...I have read that lawnmowers will actually stop eating algae when they are mature. You may have gotten a senior citizen blennyLOL. One other thing I noticed... nobody has mentioned the PH listed. This isn't the cause of the bloom but 7.6 is low....

7.6 is definately low. I had that problem with my 55 and had to start adding Reef Builder/Buffer from Seachem and since then I've had no problems.

 

[cgill311]

After a laundry list of changes, I'm starting to see some results, although the algae isn't totally gone yet.

1) Changed all bulbs (bought a 14K hamilton MH, 1 PC actinic, and 1 PC combo)
2) Bought 5 turbo snails (one of which is still alive, not sure why 4 died)
3) Bought a lawnmower blenny (I've noticed this guy will scrape rocks with short algae, but not longer than a few millimeters.)
4) Added more CaOH2 to my DIY kalk chamber. pH now at 8.3
5) Restarted my refugium with a new batch of chaeto (the old clump mysteriously died???)
6) Lots of water changes and hand picking it off the rocks

If anyone can think of other things I can do, let me know. Oh yeah, will anyone let me borrow their sea hare for a few weeks?

 

[dannybradley]

CGill311;81904 wrote: After a laundry list of changes, I'm starting to see some results, although the algae isn't totally gone yet.

1) Changed all bulbs (bought a 14K hamilton MH, 1 PC actinic, and 1 PC combo)
2) Bought 5 turbo snails (one of which is still alive, not sure why 4 died)
4) Added more CaOH2 to my DIY kalk chamber. pH now at 8.3

If anyone can think of other things I can do, let me know. Oh yeah, will anyone let me borrow their sea hare for a few weeks?

I wish I had gotten on this thread sooner.
1. Glad you changed your bulbs, but Hamilton 14k PAR readings are only okay, compared to Hamilton 10k readings.
2.Turbo snails dying that fast? Acclimate!
4. Did you add CaOH2 while you had kalk in there? Doing that will cause the formation of CaCO3, meaning that your kalk Ca level will be VERY low.

Can you test and list your NO3, Ca, Mg, KH, SG, and PO4 levels for me?

 

[fishwhisperer]

Run a phosphate reactor using RowaPhos. This will really help.

 

[cgill311]

fishwhisperer;81918 wrote: Run a phosphate reactor using RowaPhos. This will really help.

Will running a phos reactor kill macroalgae as well?

 

[FutureInterest]

What kind of crab was it Rit?

 

[cgill311]

Off to Cap Bay to buy a phosphate reactor. Let's hope that solves the problem.