How do I get rid of hair algae in pico tank?

[newreeferboi]

Hello everyone! This is my 3 gallon aio pico tank. It’s been up for 1 year now.

The algae was controlled for a while but now there has been a hair algae breakout how do I reduce this.

I’m not sure what invert would help. I only have 1 astrea snail in here. What crab or snail should I add to my clean up crew.

 

[Waters]

Perfect tank for @brandon429

 

[slingfox]

For clean up crew I have mostly trying to source from nearby LFS. This limits choice unfortunately but I don't have to deal with die off during shipping. Astrea and Mexican turbo snails have been the most consistent CUC so far. Tuxedo urchin also mows through algae efficiently. I have tried to get Trochus snails established but they seem to be more sensitive to parameter swings as I get my 3 month old tank gets established. Hermit crabs seem to be good at clearing away detritus but I am not sure how much they do for the rocks specifically.

 

[newreeferboi]

For clean up crew I have mostly trying to source from nearby LFS. This limits choice unfortunately but I don't have to deal with die off during shipping. Astrea and Mexican turbo snails have been the most consistent CUC so far. Tuxedo urchin also mows through algae efficiently. I have tried to get Trochus snails established but they seem to be more sensitive to parameter swings as I get my 3 month old tank gets established. Hermit crabs seem to be good at clearing away detritus but I am not sure how much they do for the rocks specifically.

Do you think I could put a tuxedo urchin in this 3 gal? Or is the tank to small?

 

[GK3]

Hello everyone! This is my 3 gallon aio pico tank. It’s been up for 1 year now.

The algae was controlled for a while but now there has been a hair algae breakout how do I reduce this.

I’m not sure what invert would help. I only have 1 astrea snail in here. What crab or snail should I add to my clean up crew.

Someone has to say it - two tangs

 

[newreeferboi]

Someone has to say it - two tangs

I’m new to reefing but not that new lol.

 

[GK3]

I’m new to reefing but not that new lol.

Lol. I have done a lot of Pico and nanos. Do you have any fish in there?

 

[exnisstech]

Too be honest on a tank that size a rip clean like @brandon429 specializes in may be the best and easiest method

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Peroxide perhaps? I had a tuff of gha just on a rock with gsp and pulled it out yesterday and sprayed peroxide on the gha and this morning it's gone.

 

[newreeferboi]

Lol. I have done a lot of Pico and nanos. Do you have any fish in there?

Yes I have an orchid dotty back. I know the tanks on the small side he is a baby. (Imma move him out soon.)

 

[brandon429]

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

Don't skim the thread, learn it inside and out by clicking the example links i drew the pics from

See how the owners did the detailed rip clean, how they cleaned the rocks and sand. The careful skip cycle work, no bottle bac no testing at all

To fix your tank do a rip clean correctly as step one

Repeat this as needed: permit algae take over no more

You own the real estate, not a plant. Emerge as the victor in a ground campaign against some plants, this is sheer will and ability to copy a road map of actions linked there's no biology or chemistry in play

It's a matter of surgical force, your will rising above the plant invasion

Then lower your overall light power by -30% and sustain that two straight months, your lighting is too bright it's the major cause here

In the clean condition, post rip clean, after light reduction, then make any changes in your daily reefing approach you'd like to try. It may or may not work, but step one makes your tank clean regardless.

This is the step where I either see excuses or 1/50th of the time someone just posts stellar after pics from perfect self- study action and I end up using their attitude that caused that immediate fix without hesitation as an example to others, like ur about to read above

 

[GK3]

Yes I have an orchid dotty back. I know the tanks on the small side he is a baby. (Imma move him out soon.)

Rehome him or do it temporarily and use hydrogen peroxide. You can research the dosage on here but a couple treatments will kill off the GHA. I’ve had bad luck with water quality issues doing this and it kills fish, that’s why I recommend rehoming.

 

[BetterJake]

It’s a pico. Just do a rip clean?

 

[brandon429]

Another neat way to see the choice

Let's say you ran a rip clean so good i had to use it as my first reading example above the others, due to sheer will imparted then photographed as after pics

How good would that tank look by 3 pm today based on the after pics in the thread example above

 

[newreeferboi]

It’s a pico. Just do a rip clean?

What is a rip clean?

 

[BetterJake]

What is a rip clean?

See the thread in the comment that Brandon posted a few comments above

 

[newreeferboi]

See the thread in the comment that Brandon posted a few comments above

Could I just throwaway the old sand and replace it with new sand? and still scrub glass and rocks?

 

[jkcoral]

Blue leg hermits are good at eating hair algae. Mexican turbos are also really good, but in a tank that size I’d be concerned about it running out of food. I’d probably get a handful of blue leg hermits and maybe a small Mexican turbo.

 

[slingfox]

Do you think I could put a tuxedo urchin in this 3 gal? Or is the tank to small?

If you added an urchin you would probably have to feed it supplemental nori. Better to just stick with snails and crab probably.

 

[brandon429]

the reason you have to study the thread, and know those basics is because cleaning out a system allowed to fill with waste and algae is true tank surgery

it's worth the time to study the thread a few hours, it's taking apart a pico, cleaning it the right way (replacing the bed is an option, you'd still pre rinse the sandbed as all jobs did there we never skip that part) and putting it back together without waste or invasion. it saves you having to wait 14 months for half the return on effort and a lot more cost

it shows that at any moment you can instantly turn around a misbehaving nano, if that was a 200 gallon reef you'd be stuck with hands off options. if you study the flow they did and apply it in your tank, the takedown + clean + reassembly process your tank will shine.