Get rid of hair algae

[ScottB]

Having dinos in a GHA infested tank is an added wrinkle that gives me pause when commenting. I have solid experience (meaning good and bad experience) at treating both of them, just not at the same time. How sure are you about the dinos? Brown stringy snot with bubbles that thrive most during the light cycle then dissipate somewhat after lights out?

If they are present, without any intervention, I put my money on dinos for the win. Dinos seem to thrive in disequilibrium; y
our corals and algae not so much. So here is my suggested intervention IF dinos can be confirmed. It is somewhat of a Hail Mary cocktail but has some logic (but no personal experience done at the same time).

Sorry if this reads pedantic; just trying to be specific.

a) Confirm the presence of dinoflagellates. Link to the best diagnostic thread I have read. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/
b) Get your NO3 and PO4 testing kits in order. Red Sea (better than most IMO) and Hanna (a must have). Stock at least 2 boxes of Hanna reagents.
c) Install a UV rated at 1 watt per 3 gallons. No more than 300 GPH of flow.
d) Set up your dosing regimen for NO3 (Loudwolf is good) and PO4 (Trisodium phosphate and NOT a TSP substitute). Lab or food grade.
e) Once you are testing NO3 at 10-20 and PO4 at >.10 wait for it....
f) Dose the tank with fluconazole (Reeflux works fine) according to instructions. I don't believe in miracles, but my experience with this stuff is decidedly positive. Zero coral/fish deaths attributable.
g) Intuitively, the hard part is balancing the nutrient level after the fluconazole. I would try to get them in levels back to 5-10 NO3 and .04-.08 for PO4.

Independently, I have used these methods to solve common problems without mortality. The overlap is new territory (for me) though.

Oh, and one more thing. Track your ALK if you are dosing 2 part or kalkwasser or CaRX. Consumption collapses so don't OD your tank.

 

[AquaAmator]

You can try going lights out for 3 days or so, literally black the entire tank out with a moving blanket or similar. Albeit, might be risky for certain corals(don't know your stocking) Should kill most if not all and get you back to where your corals would have more free nutrients to take in.

I tried this before. Most corals are fine with low/no light since it can happen in nature. But frankly, it never worked. It would knock down the hair algae for a period of time, but then it would recur.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Stop messing around and just dose fluconazole.

 

[Julian@Triton]

Have you tried a TRITON N-DOC lab test? It might give you a handle on your nutrient ratios and help you to address the underlying issues that are at the root of your algae bloom.

 

[Phildago]

+1 for flucanazole

Do a few treatments, carbon dose for awhile, and do good/frequent water changes.

If done right you can turn this into a blessing. Hair algae is easily wiped out with flucanazole, so if you destroy it all at once, and keep your nutrients low in the process you might be able to make a clean sweep of all major nuisance algae.

 

[DHill6]

Believe it or not 8 astreas took care of it in days.

 

[spidercrab]

Only one sea hare species will decimate algae, hair, bypnosis, etc, and that's the Doabella sea hair, aka wedge sea hair, the ugly one that's all spiky looking.

I think the dinos will probably kill it. No inverts can live more than 2-3 days.

 

[spidercrab]

Believe it or not 8 astreas took care of it in days.

They died within 1 day in my tank.

 

[spidercrab]

Having dinos in a GHA infested tank is an added wrinkle that gives me pause when commenting. I have solid experience (meaning good and bad experience) at treating both of them, just not at the same time. How sure are you about the dinos? Brown stringy snot with bubbles that thrive most during the light cycle then dissipate somewhat after lights out?

If they are present, without any intervention, I put my money on dinos for the win. Dinos seem to thrive in disequilibrium; y
our corals and algae not so much. So here is my suggested intervention IF dinos can be confirmed. It is somewhat of a Hail Mary cocktail but has some logic (but no personal experience done at the same time).

Sorry if this reads pedantic; just trying to be specific.

a) Confirm the presence of dinoflagellates. Link to the best diagnostic thread I have read. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-–-are-you-tired-of-battling-altogether.293318/
b) Get your NO3 and PO4 testing kits in order. Red Sea (better than most IMO) and Hanna (a must have). Stock at least 2 boxes of Hanna reagents.
c) Install a UV rated at 1 watt per 3 gallons. No more than 300 GPH of flow.
d) Set up your dosing regimen for NO3 (Loudwolf is good) and PO4 (Trisodium phosphate and NOT a TSP substitute). Lab or food grade.
e) Once you are testing NO3 at 10-20 and PO4 at >.10 wait for it....
f) Dose the tank with fluconazole (Reeflux works fine) according to instructions. I don't believe in miracles, but my experience with this stuff is decidedly positive. Zero coral/fish deaths attributable.
g) Intuitively, the hard part is balancing the nutrient level after the fluconazole. I would try to get them in levels back to 5-10 NO3 and .04-.08 for PO4.

Independently, I have used these methods to solve common problems without mortality. The overlap is new territory (for me) though.

Oh, and one more thing. Track your ALK if you are dosing 2 part or kalkwasser or CaRX. Consumption collapses so don't OD your tank.

Yes it fits that exact description of Dinos plus the added fact that every invert that goes is the tank is dead in days. Fish no problem but they wont graze it. My plan is similar to that Im going to raise nutrients. I dosed a ton of nitrate and phosphate over the last 2 days already yes the hair algae doubled in size and I am still undetectable but I am going to keep going higher and higher until the hair algae is saturated. It really doesnt hurt anything anways but I did see a bit of cyano come in. Which I believe is promising cyano may actually be able to kill dinos or at the very least they seem to rarely coexist.

 

[DHill6]

I had a lot of gha, they’re still alive and gha is gone. They were dry shipped from Tidal Gardens and this crew never stopped. They’re still cleaning more so than the red banded trochius.I had gotten some earlier which didn’t last from a different supplier along with nudibrach which didn’t last either. I didn’t have Dino’s.

 

[DHill6]

I did have some cyano mixed in with the GHA.

 

[ScottB]

Yes it fits that exact description of Dinos plus the added fact that every invert that goes is the tank is dead in days. Fish no problem but they wont graze it. My plan is similar to that Im going to raise nutrients. I dosed a ton of nitrate and phosphate over the last 2 days already yes the hair algae doubled in size and I am still undetectable but I am going to keep going higher and higher until the hair algae is saturated. It really doesnt hurt anything anways but I did see a bit of cyano come in. Which I believe is promising cyano may actually be able to kill dinos or at the very least they seem to rarely coexist.

My situation was slightly different (no GHA), but cyano formation was when the tide turned against ostreopsis. Hopefully same in your case.

Assuming ostreopsis ovata is what you have, a properly rated UV will accelerate dino death rapidly. A worthy investment.

(I am following a few dino threads so forgive me if you already have this running.)

And back to fluconazole. I really don't know WHEN you should dose this. I am 2 for 2 with it; no mortality. The service guys I know have used it countless times and they swear by it. I am not typically the type that would do this (except for bryopsis) but they have convincing before/after pics.

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

I think the dinos will probably kill it. No inverts can live more than 2-3 days.

What do you mean no inverts can live more than 2-3 days?

 

[spidercrab]

What do you mean no inverts can live more than 2-3 days?

Dinos kill invertebrates with toxins.

 

[spidercrab]

My situation was slightly different (no GHA), but cyano formation was when the tide turned against ostreopsis. Hopefully same in your case.

Assuming ostreopsis ovata is what you have, a properly rated UV will accelerate dino death rapidly. A worthy investment.

(I am following a few dino threads so forgive me if you already have this running.)

And back to fluconazole. I really don't know WHEN you should dose this. I am 2 for 2 with it; no mortality. The service guys I know have used it countless times and they swear by it. I am not typically the type that would do this (except for bryopsis) but they have convincing before/after pics.

I have had great luck with turbos taking out GHA but I am inclined to try keto. Just afraid since I have so many SPS> Read quite a few stories of issues with SPS.

 

[King Turkey]

Medications

Bulk Reef Supply - Saltwater Aquarium Supplies for Reef Tanks

www.bulkreefsupply.com

it helped me

 

[Bramzor]

After dosing PO4 I had a lot of issues with algae and I was able to battle them using the following principles:
BTW: DO NOT look at test results of PO4 and NO3 when you have algae. Cause they will be most likely 0 as all the algae are using it up.

How to battle them:
1) Find a way to export PO4 efficiently. Examples: GFO, (DIY) Algae Scrubber, etc
2) Remove as much of the algae as possible. When they used all PO4/NO3 they are starting to become softer and you can just pull it out most of the time. Or use a tooth brush to brush everything off. It will spread in the tank but when you are battling it, it does not really matter. Also it can help to leave a few easy to access spots in the display tank to grow the algae when trying to battle the rocks. So you focus growth on an easy to remove spot in the tank.
3) Create a water solution of NaOH. This is a liquid that increases PH so you can only dose a small amount of it (a few ml per day) and apply it WITH ALL PUMPS OFF directly on the algae. (I glued 2 syringes on an acrylic pipe so I could apply it directly to the algae) It's heavier than water and will show as a white liquid (see picture, NaOH added to the algae on the top of the rock) after being applied after a few seconds. Make sure you do not apply it on corals because they will die off too. I apply it during the night when lights are off. It will change the color of the GHA from brownish to light green over 2 days and 3rd day algae on that spot are gone and be gone for a few weeks. Do that till all algae are gone and you only have it growing on the spots you want.

Result: You will battle the algae so they will release PO4/NO3 again when they die off. You use GFO/Algae scrubber/WCs/other methods to get those nutrients out of the tank and you will get an easier way to prevent algae from growing in the display tank and have nutrients exported out.

If you do not do all 3 steps at the same time, you will never win the battle.

 

[MermaidMarie]

Hair algea can be the worst! IMO - nature does an amazing job curing what ailed any of my tanks! An efficient sandbed cleanup crew, with an abundance of flow and a super efficient protein skimmer and regular water changes should usually work if you are consistent and patience while waiting for it to catch up with the amount of HA that's already taken over. If your tank is big/mature enough for a bristletooth tank, a few emerald crabs and a lawnmower blenny to assist in maintaining in the future - it might be worth considering! Best of luck to you my fishy friend! Sorry you're going through this part but it happens to the bet of us!

 

[Mark Dunlap]

As others have said--I have had good results with fluconazole. Vibrant had no observable benefit for me.

 

[ruskimax]

I wasted time, and lots of money, before I finally gave Reef Flux a shot. Wish I tried it months earlier, would have save a lot of frags from getting smothered in GHA and green bubble algae. No ill effects to other tank inhabitants whatsoever.