Hair algae killing my coral please help. Please.

[tnewell]

I have had my tank about 8 months now and it cycled for the first 4-5 months with live rock, then I added a clown and waited a month, now I have 2 designer clowns, an angel fish, 5 healthy corals and 2 that are struggling greatly. Hair algae refuses to give up on my tank no matter what I do. Honestly I’ve done hours of research and nothing works, seems like everytime I think I got rid of it it just shows up somewhere else... I’m so tired of it and I can’t loose anymore coral to it. I do weekly 10% water changes, I test my water, ( I don’t have any calcium or magnesium test kits, but are shipping to my house right now) i manually try to pick the hair algae myself but seems like I can’t suck it all up or capture it in time because it just grows on another rock. I will take any suggestions before my tank suffers to greatly

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[Lazydayz]

First what do you have for a CUC? Second there is a lot of particulates in the water column, what is your filtration like? Third it looks like you have either diatoms or dinos starting on your sand bed. Also what are your parameters?

 

[ahiggins]

Check this out. Helped me immensely. I had thick mats everywhere

Eyebrow brushes

I consider myself a thrifty gal but sometimes I do things that completely blow myself away Been battling GHA for the better part of 2 months now. See pics below. Unholy hot mess in the nem tank lol So I thought, what could I use instead of a toothbrush to get the algae off the rock to suck up...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Reesj]

Very hard to get rid of them, once get a foot hold as I have heard. Anyway Steps I would take first,
1. Change the light to a bit more bluer colour and remove all the individual reds and greens and have lower white light to blue ratio.
2. Get a small algae eating tang. Don't worry about the tank size. If it goes too big for the tank, exchange it or give it away. (Check BRS videos, They have small yelow tangs in 40 gallons)
3. Check your neutriant export methode. The tank seems to haev too many small particles.
4. USe Vibrant. I have never personally used or had algae issue. But from reviews and everything, it realyl seesm to work.

 

[Riphter]

Lawnmower blenny. Odd looking but great at eating gha. Smaller then a tang but can get pretty big. Will have to supply algae for them to eat once they eat all the gha.

 

[tnewell]

Lawnmower blenny. Odd looking but great at eating gha. Smaller then a tang but can get pretty big. Will have to supply algae for them to eat once they eat all the gha.

How long would you say the lawn mower Blenny could last with the amount of gha I have in my tank

 

[tnewell]

Very hard to get rid of them, once get a foot hold as I have heard. Anyway Steps I would take first,
1. Change the light to a bit more bluer colour and remove all the individual reds and greens and have lower white light to blue ratio.
2. Get a small algae eating tang. Don't worry about the tank size. If it goes too big for the tank, exchange it or give it away. (Check BRS videos, They have small yelow tangs in 40 gallons)
3. Check your neutriant export methode. The tank seems to haev too many small particles.
4. USe Vibrant. I have never personally used or had algae issue. But from reviews and everything, it realyl seesm to work.

here is a better picture, the picture I posted was afterwas scrubbing away at the rocks and sucking up Gha, which sadly seems to be thriving still. My water parameters are
PH-8.2
Nitrate-0
Nitrite-0
Ammonia-0

my other test kits are shipping to me right now!

 

[tnewell]

First what do you have for a CUC? Second there is a lot of particulates in the water column, what is your filtration like? Third it looks like you have either diatoms or dinos starting on your sand bed. Also what are your parameters?

Parameters are
PH-8.2
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-0
Ammonia-0

other test kits for magnesium and calcium, salinity and phosphate are on their way to my house.
my cuc is tiny, the tank was so small thought I would have to much! I plan on buying a linckia blue starfish down the road so I didn’t want to many snails and hermit crabs but I have1blue legged and 1 red legged hermit crab, 2turbo snails, 1margarita snail, and 2 of the snails that go under that sand bed.

 

[Aqua Man]

Looks like you are winning the battle. Keep doing what you’re doing. Seen worse algae than that! It will get better.

Zoathid, Take it out and scrub if you can.

How many hours is your light on for?

Astrea or Trochus are good snail also. Could add 1 or 2.

 

[Lazydayz]

Parameters are
PH-8.2
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-0
Ammonia-0

other test kits for magnesium and calcium, salinity and phosphate are on their way to my house.
my cuc is tiny, the tank was so small thought I would have to much! I plan on buying a linckia blue starfish down the road so I didn’t want to many snails and hermit crabs but I have1blue legged and 1 red legged hermit crab, 2turbo snails, 1margarita snail, and 2 of the snails that go under that sand bed.

Those other pictures are better, I agree it is a pain but you seem to be keeping it under control. I ended up having bryopsis too so I dosed reef flux and added a lawnmower blenny and within 3 weeks it is gone!!

 

[tnewell]

Those other pictures are better, I agree it is a pain but you seem to be keeping it under control. I ended up having bryopsis too so I dosed reef flux and added a lawnmower blenny and within 3 weeks it is gone!!

Sounds like I’m making a trip up to my lfs for a blenny! I think I may buy some more red legged hermit as well, i don’t want to rip the zoas apart sadly yes it has happened

 

[BighohoReef]

For the heavy hair algae we reduced our lighting time and used Fluconazole to treat our QT we’ve already seen major algae die off after 7 days

 

[Lazydayz]

Sounds like I’m making a trip up to my lfs for a blenny! I think I may buy some more red legged hermit as well, i don’t want to rip the zoas apart sadly yes it has happened

I used hydrogen peroxide on my zoas. Filled a syringe with hydrogen peroxide, get up close to the base and squeeze some out. It doesn't hurt the zoas and loosened up the GHA. I let it sit for a few hours then I took a kids toothbrush and brushed it off while siphoning it out as it came off.

 

[tnewell]

I used hydrogen peroxide on my zoas. Filled a syringe with hydrogen peroxide, get up close to the base and squeeze some out. It doesn't hurt the zoas and loosened up the GHA. I let it sit for a few hours then I took a kids toothbrush and brushed it off while siphoning it out as it came off.

Do you dose it as you put it on the zoas?

 

[Lazydayz]

Do you dose it as you put it on the zoas?

With the syringe you can target the GHA better, and if some hits the zoas they will be fine

 

[tnewell]

With the syringe you can target the GHA better, and if some hits the zoas they will be fine

How long can zoas stay alive out of water?

 

[Lazydayz]

How long can zoas stay alive out of water?

I'm not an expert but they are fine for a little while out of water. I've had them out for at least 6 minutes when I frag them.

 

[tnewell]

I'm not an expert but they are fine for a little while out of water. I've had them out for at least 6 minutes when I frag them.

Okay, another question, are you familiar with starburst polyps? Mind you it’s coming out but turning brown even though it’s in the brightest part of my tank

 

[GeoSquid]

Turbo Snails - cows of the sea. They do fall off the rocks and you have to pick them up or they might die.

 

[wmo168]

Run UV, algae killing machine, add bacterial like prodibo