Green hair algae in 3 months tank

[vinvinaa]

Hi all,

My tank has been 3 months now and there are lots of green hair algae on top the LR and sandbed. Should I remove them by pulling them out or just leave them until the ugly stage passes?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

ugly phase does not just "pass". You have to control and remove it, if you just leave it, it will take over your tank.

 

[vinvinaa]

ugly phase does not just "pass". You have to control and remove it, if you just leave it, it will take over your tank.

That means I need to remove the all by my hand?

 

[Uncle99]

Check for higher phosphate. Chief food for the green stuff.
Brush off and remove.
A few snails but keep them redirected to the affected areas.
Maintain super stable Chemistry until good guy algaes populate to sufficient levels, then, they will take care of that for you.

 

[d2mini]

Green hair algae is not a normal part of the cycle or an "ugly phase" suggesting it will pass on its own fairly quickly. With GHA, you need to act to remove as much as you can by hand, AND find the root cause which is usually too much nutrients. Phosphate and Nitrate. Have you tested for those? Where did your rock come from? Sometimes rock can have built up phosphate that then gets released and causes the GHA and other problems. Feeding too much maybe?

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is way past suggestion of ugly phase. Theres a reason it gets to this stage and often it is light and inorganics as well as elevated phosphate or nitrate that promote GHA
Are you using RODI water or tap water from faucet?
Is tank at or near a window?

Overfeeding is another cause to this growth. To battle . . . pull first what yiou can by hand and discard. Reduce white light intensity or number of hours white light is on. Reduce amount of food fed. Add the following snails and helpers:

Snails:
Astrea
Turbo grazer
cerith
nerite
Trochus

Pencil urchin

About 10-12 Carribean blue leg hermits (which are tiny)

 

[vinvinaa]

I measure my water parameters as follows:

NO2 = 0
NO3 = 2.5
PO4 = 0.25

BTW, should I read the PO4 reading as-is or I need to divide by 3?

 

[A2dahlberg]

That means I need to remove the all by my hand?

Get some Mexican's
Tubo Snails that is. I'm having the same problem, but my take is almost 2yrs old. I know it's my Phosphates but to remove it I got 2 MTS to add to my 13.5. So far, they have been working great. I'll try and add a pic.