Advice needed on green hair algae

[oldfishman]

The following are my parameters on my 28 gal reef
TDS top off water 0
Salinity 1.024
Ammonia NH3 0
Nitrate NO3 0
Nitrate NO2 0
PH 0
KH 8 or 143.2
Calcium CA2 420
Phosphate PO4 0

I was going to add gfo to get rid of the hair algae but after checking the Phosphate measurement 4 times in two days I am not sure. So sould I go with Reef Flux or GFO or cna I use both at the same time. My wife is running out of patience with me in getting rid of the green hair algae. Tank has been up and running 10 months.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

More than likely your getting false test readings because the green hair algae is sucking up all the nutrients. I would go ahead and run the gfo.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

If your having any algae issues at all your tests could be false because of the algae.

 

[DHill6]

The following are my parameters on my 28 gal reef
TDS top off water 0
Salinity 1.024
Ammonia NH3 0
Nitrate NO3 0
Nitrate NO2 0
PH 0
KH 8 or 143.2
Calcium CA2 420
Phosphate PO4 0

I was going to add gfo to get rid of the hair algae but after checking the Phosphate measurement 4 times in two days I am not sure. So sould I go with Reef Flux or GFO or cna I use both at the same time. My wife is running out of patience with me in getting rid of the green hair algae. Tank has been up and running 10 months.

Big difference after adding orange chestnut snails. Well behaved with my red banded trophies snails. They’re hard to find, Blue Zoo aquatics just had them. I didn’t use gfo or any dosing method, I wasn’t willing to chance high end SPS/LPS. I also have an urchin and do weekly water changes. I’ve just added a SM drop, hoping the GHA will grow in it down in the sump. Plus side there’s no light spillage. Winning the battle so far. This tank has new Tonga branch, more than likely a case of the uglies.

 

[LIreefguy]

Reef tank is all about balance. If your nutrients are in check and still having Gha problems imo I would add more herbivores.
Not sure if your size tank but I would do a combo of different types of snails (turbo,turchus,) and tangs.
I let me yank go a year ago nitrates where 40 and Phosphates where .21. Yes not .02. And I didn’t have a drop of algae in my 265. I also have 11 tangs and a breeding population of snails so they eat anything before it grows
To many people worry about the nutrients part of algae control and not the herbivore part.

 

[DHill6]

Agree with @LIreefguy, herbivores is a good source to keep HA in check. I had to go the snail, urchin route since it's only 34g. The red banded trochius snails breed easily in this tank. The orange chestnut turbos are a lawnmower once they get going. Plus they're truly orange, cool looking snail.

 

[LIreefguy]

Just to mention. Herbivores won’t clean your tank up that quickly, if so you added too many. Plus you don’t really want them too, it should be a slow nice balance

Remember you don’t want them starving to deAth

 

[DHill6]

Just to mention. Herbivores won’t clean your tank up that quickly, if so you added too many. Plus you don’t really want them too, it should be a slow nice balance

Remember you don’t want them starving to deAth

Healthy tanks have algae, I just want most of it in the sump vs. DT. Orange Snails made a difference, I was careful not to overstock, everything is in check, they clean off one branch, the other grows it back. Urchin has a mind of it's own, somedays it likes GHA, other days coralline which is fine since the tank is full of purple, now getting some pink. All snails are cleaning glass and rock.

 

[DHill6]

Adding herbi's is a natural way to proceed.

 

[LIreefguy]

I personally don’t like urchins. They do a great job but imo they can be destructive. Always knocking over my newest glued frag

 

[Mical]

Try running your magnesium level up to about 1500. I had GHA issue and used Kents Tech M upped mag to 1500 within a week to 10 days - gone.

 

[DHill6]

I personally don’t like urchins. They do a great job but imo they can be destructive. Always knocking over my newest glued frag

This one is well behaved so far.

 

[DHill6]

Not to hijack the thread ...Update to prior post. I added a Santa Monica drop three days ago, at that time N03 was 5, p04 was .05 with GHA present in tank. Today N03 is still 5, which is fine, and P04 is .01. There’s no visible HA in the SM drop, still GHA in tank and I haven’t changed any feeding habits. Found it interesting that it dropped that fast, it’s been at .05 for quite awhile. This may work well for others GHA situations.