Any solutions to hair algae that won't go away?

[Midasblen]

I have had hair algae for a while now, maybe 6-8 months, and I can't seem to get rid of it or find what is causing it. I have tried many things like NoPox, microbacter 7, flux rx (3x dose), Mexican turbos (at one point I had 15), emerald crabs, sea hare, lower light length and intensity, complete deep clean of all rocks, and a week-long black out, along with regular water changes. So far I have had not even a little success, besides the deep clean but the algae is back now. I have heard that it could be from nitrates and phosphates but for the past 4 months or so my nitrates have been stable at 10-20 and phos at .03-.15. My tank is about 3-4 years old and I did go through a phase of no problems for 2 years then started to experience some hair algae. Not really sure what else to do, any ideas?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

What are you using for water?

 

[VintageReefer]

Can you post pics so we see what you are dealing with ?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I have had hair algae for a while now, maybe 6-8 months, and I can't seem to get rid of it or find what is causing it. I have tried many things like NoPox, microbacter 7, flux rx (3x dose), Mexican turbos (at one point I had 15), emerald crabs, sea hare, lower light length and intensity, complete deep clean of all rocks, and a week-long black out, along with regular water changes. So far I have had not even a little success, besides the deep clean but the algae is back now. I have heard that it could be from nitrates and phosphates but for the past 4 months or so my nitrates have been stable at 10-20 and phos at .03-.15. My tank is about 3-4 years old and I did go through a phase of no problems for 2 years then started to experience some hair algae. Not really sure what else to do, any ideas?

What are you using for water

 

[Midasblen]

What are you using for water?

I am using brs 6 stage rodi and have been keeping up with the filters

 

[Midasblen]

Can you post pics so we see what you are dealing with ?

Can you post pics so we see what you are dealing with ?

These are the best I can get:

 

[ronsonb]

Following because I’m dealing with the same. Tried all the same things. Currently on second dose of flux rx which is working but some spots seem immune. Sea hair didn’t touch it, snails don’t touch it. Beyond frustrating. If my scape wasn’t glued together I’d rip it down and h2o2 the whole thing

 

[Midasblen]

Following because I’m dealing with the same. Tried all the same things. Currently on second dose of flux rx which is working but some spots seem immune. Sea hair didn’t touch it, snails don’t touch it. Beyond frustrating. If my scape wasn’t glued together I’d rip it down and h2o2 the whole thing

yeah I thought the same thing, super frustrating

 

[crabgrass]

Is there anything you did or dosed the first 2 years that you stopped afterwards?

 

[ScubaSkeets]

I have had similar issues with my tank. Tried almost all the the things you listed with no luck either.
A few months ago, during a water change, I removed several of my rocks (that had the worse long hair algae and the ones that did not have corals or anenomes attached to it. I then sprayed them down with hydrogen peroxide, waited a few seconds and then pressure washed the rocks. After that, I soaked them in dirty tank water for a while, shook the excess water off and returned them to my tank.
However, I have done that several times before, so that in and of itself did not work long term and it was only a matter of time that the long hair algae came back.

This time, I decided to build a DIY "algae reducer", using a spare HOB filter, a refugium light, and some hard plastic knitting mesh. Placed the HOB filter in the sump, laid the knitting mesh just below the surface of the water in the HOB filter, and the refugium light shines onto that.

Since then, my long hair algae from the rocks that I did not manually remove has gone away and none of it has reappeared, although I'm sure someone will surely chime in and attempt to discredit my claim by saying something like all of my alage is not gone from my tank, or that my DIY "algae reducer" doesn't work as well as I think. Whatever.
Or they'll give you countless other suggestions (of which it seems you have already tried)

 

[Miami Reef]

I’m currently dealing with hair algae in my 2 year old tank. I’m not sure why there are many hair algae spots. I rehomed my yellow tang 1-2 months ago. I don’t know if there is a correlation between the tang and the hair algae.

Anyway, my parameters are spot on perfect, but hair algae still grows.

I purchased 2 sea hares and neither touched it.

I added pincushion urchins and mexican turbos to the tank last night.

Today I added a tuxedo urchin and a desjardini sailfin tang (the fish is in QT).

My expectation is to load the tank with herbivores to keep the algae maintained.

 

[fish farmer]

I have had hair algae for a while now, maybe 6-8 months, and I can't seem to get rid of it or find what is causing it. I have tried many things like NoPox, microbacter 7, flux rx (3x dose), Mexican turbos (at one point I had 15), emerald crabs, sea hare, lower light length and intensity, complete deep clean of all rocks, and a week-long black out, along with regular water changes. So far I have had not even a little success, besides the deep clean but the algae is back now. I have heard that it could be from nitrates and phosphates but for the past 4 months or so my nitrates have been stable at 10-20 and phos at .03-.15. My tank is about 3-4 years old and I did go through a phase of no problems for 2 years then started to experience some hair algae. Not really sure what else to do, any ideas?

You probably have higher nitrate and phosphates than what you test. Rock is known to suck up phosphates and release them.

What worked for me was a combination of what you have done more CUC, routine WC...with siphoning out algae and detritus, reduced feeding and a chaeto refuge.

 

[VintageReefer]

Phosphate bound rock. Dealt with it before. Algae turf scrubber can eliminate it and keep it away

 

[crabgrass]

I’m currently dealing with hair algae in my 2 year old tank. I’m not sure why there are many hair algae spots. I rehomed my yellow tang 1-2 months ago. I don’t know if there is a correlation between the tang and the hair algae.

Anyway, my parameters are spot on perfect, but hair algae still grows.

I purchased 2 sea hares and neither touched it.

I added pincushion urchins and mexican turbos to the tank last night.

Today I added a tuxedo urchin and a desjardini sailfin tang (the fish is in QT).

My expectation is to load the tank with herbivores to keep the algae maintained.

I had same issue in a tank that was 2 years old as. It was a nano, so maybe slightly different story. First year was perfect, then slow growth to uncontrollable gha. 2 deep cleans + cuc still didn’t manage it. It was too small for Tangs and more industrial strength CuC.

I also have good parameters on paper, but I think the presence of GHA was really masking it (eg using all of the P and N, so test show low levels).

I also added a lot of stuff to manage levels. Which I think probably caused rebound effects.

I am starting up a new tank and in the process of transferring livestock over. The plan is to rely on a strong CuC, some utilitarian fish and diverse refugium to keep it at bay. Then layer in NOPOX, GFO and Zeo as additional preventative measures if required

 

[crabgrass]

You probably have higher nitrate and phosphates than what you test. Rock is known to suck up phosphates and release them.

What worked for me was a combination of what you have done more CUC, routine WC...with siphoning out algae and detritus, reduced feeding and a chaeto refuge.

This is one of my theories on why I had so many issue in a nano. Used cheap Amazon Marco rock. First year was fine. year 1.5 - 2 of my tank were a nightmare.

I setup up a new 100g, with a mix of dry and live rock. 2 weeks setup (although dry rocks pre-cycled in a trash can). My phosphates are already going up (0.3). I have in place recommendations (heavy CUC, fuge and utilitarian fish). If I see P go above .5, is it worth using GFO to soak up some of the P proactively?

 

[Mikeltee]

Phosphate bound rock. Dealt with it before. Algae turf scrubber can eliminate it and keep it away

Phosphate bound rock just now releasing after 3 years? I'm 14 years in and always said one only needs a skimmer. I have now bought into the whole algae scrubber idea. I got an external skimmer to make way for a Santa Monica Surf and my rocks are in such bad shape that I will probably get a second one and transfer it to my second tank when the rocks are no longer leaching. The proof is irrefutable with an ATS.

 

[wattson]

Phosphate RX, find an article on the net by Melevs Reef, do EXACTLY what he does..This is only suggested as an option but do your research on this method and make your own decision.

 

[Mikeltee]

This is one of my theories on why I had so many issue in a nano. Used cheap Amazon Marco rock. First year was fine. year 1.5 - 2 of my tank were a nightmare.

I setup up a new 100g, with a mix of dry and live rock. 2 weeks setup (although dry rocks pre-cycled in a trash can). My phosphates are already going up (0.3). I have in place recommendations (heavy CUC, fuge and utilitarian fish). If I see P go above .5, is it worth using GFO to soak up some of the P proactively?

Absolutely use gfo at 25% of what is recommended. Stop use when you get to .15. If it bumps back up after a week, use half of what you used before. If you bottom out you are done for! Don't forget to calculate rock and sand displacement. I have a 130g display that holds 85g water after displacement. Use your true sump volume as well. I have a 35g sump with a working volume of 15g. When I originally used GFO I used recommended for 165g and quickly got dinos shortly there after. GFO is like playing Russian roulette, but if you are smart enough, you can look down the chamber and see if there's a bullet.

 

[Miami Reef]

I am not heavily infested with hair algae, so it’s not a false negative. There are more forms of phosphate than the orthophosphate that we can test for.

We all have some form of nutrients in our waters, you can‘t starve your tank to limit algae because corals will suffer. You need to find something to eat it OR you become the herbivore and manually remove it.

 

[crabgrass]

Absolutely use gfo at 25% of what is recommended. Stop use when you get to .15. If it bumps back up after a week, use half of what you used before. If you bottom out you are done for! Don't forget to calculate rock and sand displacement. I have a 130g display that holds 85g water after displacement. Use your true sump volume as well. I have a 35g sump with a working volume of 15g. When I originally used GFO I used recommended for 165g and quickly got dinos shortly there after. GFO is like playing Russian roulette, but if you are smart enough, you can look down the chamber and see if there's a bullet.

Thanks! Yeah, I calculated my true water volume at 86 gallons as I was filling up and adding rock, etc.

I have some Phosguard on hand (vs true GFO). Can I go that route, or industrial strength GFO?