Hair Algae Got Me Wanting To Pull Out My Hair

[BetteMidler]

The tank looks brand new, have you even had any algae on the glass yet? Typically, you would want to see some algae, but it looks like you simply left the lights on for too long during your cycling or had them on their highest intensity. You have to time the CUC right along with the correct light schedule to prevent what you have done. It is not too far gone. You can pull out everything, scrub, etc., but need to lower your intensity or length you are running the lights.

 

[bvanfish]

Rowaphos is dope

 

[Uncle99]

Last tested; today
Ammonia; 0, Nitrite; 0, Nitrate; 0, Ph; 8 (I know that is on the lower side but no matter how long I use Ph up it just stays at 8), Calcium; 400-500, Phosphate; 0.25
Age; over 3 months

3 months and zero nitrates. Unfortunately a bad level, stuff starves.

Pest stuff loves zero nitrate, higher end phosphate.

Both need to be stable and available to feed the good guys, who, once in sufficient quantities, will go a long way in out competing the pest crap.

You’ll have to clean it out manually and put chemistry in check.

 

[MabuyaQ]

Seems like nobody either watched your video or have no clue what they are looking at. Having watched your video, it looks to me like you want to set up a macro algae tank, or at least a tank including macro algae as there are plenty of other macro algae visible. If that is true this means in general you will need to set up a tank that grows algae, which will also include GHA. Manual removal, finding the right herbivores that prefer GHA over the other algae, and more biomass (some leathers, musrooms) growing on the rocks that can compete with the GHA and patience would in that case be my advice.

 

[Seansea]

Are you going for a macroalgae tank? If so just chop it down and it will look natural. Doesnt look terrible to me. If you plan on adding corals you will need an alternate place for crud to grow. I have an algae scrubber and get very little algae in my tank. Likes the scrubber too much to grow anywhere else.

 

[Richyreefer]

Did you really mean .25 P? Keep it under .08 and keep light only high enough to keep your corals alive until you get past this phase.

 

[vetteguy53081]

A lot of suggestions here and we dont even see a pic of the algae. Please post a pic of the tank under white lighting intensity.

 

[Duzzy]

Hello everyone! I figured I'd post to the invert forum just because most of our inverts are clean-up crew. Anyway, I am having a big issue with hair algae and I want to know if anyone has recommendations for anything that will just destroy it all. My tank is 20 gal so I know that I am limited in stocking options but if anyone has recomendations I greatly appreciate it!!!

Have you thought about an algae turf scrubber? It would grow the algae under tank rather than in it. You could also a lawnmower blenny or a rabbit fish to eat it.

 

[CoralB]

Rowaphos is dope

No Rowaphos !! Phospahates are too low and nitrates are at zero . Nitrates need to come up to at least 10ppm and phosphates I would keep around 0.1 . Never let these two parameters zero out or you will end up with problems . Manual removal of gha and or tuxedo urchins or Mexican turbos or both .

 

[DHill6]

I fought with that covering the silicone on the bottom edge of tank , over 1.5 years. Did a rip clean with peroxide, gha and all its nasty cousins hasn’t ’t returned, coral looks better. BB tank and that algae wasn’t budging. Previous urchin didn’t dent it, three types of snails. Some crazy stuff, gha, ulva, some sort of tubular, red turf stuff. Manual removal worked.

 

[Stomatopods17]

For me:

3 day black out
Buy a toothbrush start scrubbin
Add a metric **** ton of snails

And problem solved for awhile. Snails will keep up with it once you do most of the heavy lifting, and 3 day black out (longer works better) will give CUC time to get the roots before it starts growing again.

You’re always going to have some until the tank is older, and probably more after that too, but that’s what I found works the most consistent as an immediate solution.

….then you get to deal with the OTHER fun algae’s that take its place and snails won’t eat like cyano… enjoy while it’s just GHA cause dinos, and cyano are the worst.

 

[bvanfish]

No Rowaphos !! Phospahates are too low and nitrates are at zero . Nitrates need to come up to at least 10ppm and phosphates I would keep around 0.1 . Never let these two parameters zero out or you will end up with problems . Manual removal of gha and or tuxedo urchins or Mexican turbos or both .

Phosphates prolly aren’t 0 I thought the same when I was fighting them. Put in rowaphos knocked it back and now phosphates are back and stable