What's the most effective way to get rid of hair algae

jwarre29 · Feb 25, 2009

Any good methods out there ?

parsonsaj · Feb 25, 2009

Lawnmower blenny worked well for me

kernelpanic · Feb 25, 2009

Foxfaces will mow down all kinds of algea.

ralph atl · Feb 25, 2009

Phosphate reduction/ removal is most likely the answer. you have a few choices. Add a refugium with Macro algae. If you don't already have one get an inexpensive phosphate reactor for like 35 bucks and put some phosar or ROWA in there. (you'll need to CHANGE your media in phosphate reactor more often at first.) Your media might be getting saturated in 2 weeks 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 merk, Hack, or colormeter or send to AWT.

when you do your water change, take the end of the hose and suck all the algae down like a vaccum. It'll take a few water changes, but it works (especially after the phosphate remover kicks in)

You must export the same or more nutrients than you put in. Overfeeding, tap water, high phosphate foods, etc. Use a phosphate reactor with some phosar or ROWA or whatever, and something to lower nitrates like a fuge, carbon dosing, or whatever. 

check out:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/iss...st2003/chem.htm

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

seedless reefer · Feb 25, 2009

yellow tang

dakota9 · Feb 25, 2009

mysterybox;296892 wrote: Phosphate reduction/ removal is most likely the answer. you have a few choices. Add a refugium with Macro algae. If you don't already have one get an inexpensive phosphate reactor for like 35 bucks and put some phosar or ROWA in there. (you'll need to CHANGE your media in phosphate reactor more often at first.) Your media might be getting saturated in 2 weeks 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 merk, Hack, or colormeter or send to AWT.

when you do your water change, take the end of the hose and suck all the algae down like a vaccum. It'll take a few water changes, but it works (especially after the phosphate remover kicks in)

You must export the same or more nutrients than you put in. Overfeeding, tap water, high phosphate foods, etc. Use a phosphate reactor with some phosar or ROWA or whatever, and something to lower nitrates like a fuge, carbon dosing, or whatever. 

check out:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/iss...st2003/chem.htm

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</a>[/QUOTE]

What he said....... Hair Algae is a symptom, not the problem

jwarre29 · Feb 25, 2009

awesome thanks everyone ill check out my phospahte levels and go from there.

stacy22 · Feb 25, 2009

parsonsaj;296885 wrote: Lawnmower blenny worked well for me

I got a Lawnmower from Jin about a month ago. He immediately went to work on my HA.

zdaytonaroadster · Feb 25, 2009

Cheato algea and Nars. Snails cleaned mine up in about a week

jmaneyapanda · Feb 25, 2009

I agree with Ralph. Adding livestock to eat the hair algae is not a solution. It is there because of excess nutrient. So upgrade the skimmer, cut the feedings, do something to reduce teh nutrient load in the tank. If you dont address it, you will just be delaying the inevitable. It will be back, or cause other issues.

jetchris · Feb 25, 2009

Im surprised no one said sea hare, put a sea hare in there at once then do water changes, also a LM blenny

mustangcaleb · Feb 25, 2009

my LM blenny wouldnt even acknowledge the hair algae in my old tank

crew · Feb 25, 2009

wearing hats all the time makes you go bald eventually.. so i imagine hair algae has the same principles.. put a ballcap on the tank

stickx911 · Feb 25, 2009

I had hair algae growing with no nutrient introduction (new tank) other than RO/DI water changes. Now I have a couple corals and I have to dose some phyto so I'm not sure what mine was feeding off of...

roland jacques · Feb 25, 2009

Ive had very good results using Probiotics ( "Prodebio" ... bacteria & bio-carbon) to reduce phosphates. take about 8 weeks to start seeing results. probiotics or phosphate media take care of the problem not the symptoms

jmaneyapanda · Feb 25, 2009

stickx911;298322 wrote: I had hair algae growing with no nutrient introduction (new tank) other than RO/DI water changes. Now I have a couple corals and I have to dose some phyto so I'm not sure what mine was feeding off of...

If you had hair algae, you had nutrients. There is no way hair algae can be there with no nutrient to grow off of. Did the tank have live rock in it?

stickx911 · Feb 25, 2009

jmaneyapanda;298605 wrote: If you had hair algae, you had nutrients. There is no way hair algae can be there with no nutrient to grow off of. Did the tank have live rock in it?

I had about 6 lbs of live seeding about 35lbs of dry. I assumed (guessing as I was not for sure) it was nutrients out of the sand or the dry rock, I was just saying its not always food or dosing that causes it as I had HA without either. Sorry if that had come off wrong.

What's the most effective way to get rid of hair algae

jwarre29

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seedless reefer

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