Hair algae

[altobelli10]

Hi;
I have my 125g tank for 3 years, I had to go out of country for a while; I left someone looking after my tank when I got back I noticed the hair algae over the rocks and the back of my tank.
I did some research on it and I followed some advise about vodka but it is still there. When I do test the water phosphate and nitrate do not show, plus I use RO/DI water; I;m about to break down my tank and srcape the S**** out of the rocks to get algae out....any advise is much appreciated, thanks.
PS: rest of my water chem is fine.

 

[Y-Diver]

I have had good success with a product called Algae Fix. While Dosing I have scrubbed rocks with toothbrush and removed any algae by hand possible. I also increased water changes while doing this.

 

[altobelli10]

Thanks Diver; is that product reef safe. my concern is if it is not .

 

[Captain Nemo]

It is totally reef safe and works well. If the alage is long enough, pick it out with your fingers, that will help also. Good luck!

 

[revhtree]

I just algae fix for brown algae and it worked great. But my lps struggled and lived through the treatment. Their mouths gaped and that contracted. I have had good luck with emerald crabs eating hair algae.

 

[Speg]

Lets go the non-chemical fix....

Reduce how long you're keeping your lights on for a while. Try 4-6 hours for a few days. Also, consider updating your clean up crew...have you noticed a decline in snails lately?

Feed a less for a while. Try once every 2-3 days.

That's a good start

 

[SaraB]

I'm with Speg, try the non-chemical route first as well. Do what Speg suggested and also check on/do the following:

The reason your phosphates are showing zero is because the Hair Algae is feeding off of it and you are not getting a reading. Have you done some large water changes yet? Have you tested your RO/DI to make sure your water is at zero for the top-off and water changes? Do you run carbon? Do you run GFO? How often are you changing it?

This is going to take a bit of time to overcome the phosphates that have leached into your liverock, but you can beat it. Start with manual removal of the Hair Algae and use a powerhead to blow the detritus off of your liverock frequently as well ... maybe just before a waterchange so that you can remove some of the detritus from the water column during the W/C.

 

[sprinklerdudes]

I picked up some chiton? looks like small abolone type snails, they have eaten everbit of my hair algea in the last three-four months, they also clean some of the smaller pcs of live rock from other types of micro algea, but they don't seem to bother any of my macro algea in the refugium.
regulating your light and cutting back on feeding espacilly frozen food will also speed the decrease of the hair algea ,just my 2 cents,

 

[Speg]

I picked up some chiton? looks like small abolone type snails, they have eaten everbit of my hair algea in the last three-four months, they also clean some of the smaller pcs of live rock from other types of micro algea, but they don't seem to bother any of my macro algea in the refugium.
regulating your light and cutting back on feeding espacilly frozen food will also speed the decrease of the hair algea ,just my 2 cents,

Chiton? They've been known to also eat coralline algae and even make marks/holes in rock......and glass

 

[sprinklerdudes]

may not have it quite correct, they have a irredescent shell shaped like abalone, but are small 1/4-3/8 inch some even have hair algea growing on there backs, they havn't bothered my coraline on the rocks, I will try to look them up and make sure I got name correct.

 

[sprinklerdudes]

just looked on reef cleaners site, what I have resembles the fuzzy chiton, but it is very small, they say theres get 1-3inches mine never get above 1/2 inch will try to find proper ID

 

[clarky2120]

turbo snails did a number on my hair algae. Also, someone has already said emerald crab may work too.

here is what I did to get rid of it:
1. Pulled it out/scrub rock with toothbrush
2. Water changes (to reduce Nitrate levels)
3. Decrease light
4. Decrease Feedings
5. Added a phospate sponge
6. Added mexican turbo snails,
7. Added Macro Algae (sump)

I forgot. If all else fails you could take the lawnmower to it......Lawnmower Blenny that is.

 

[MattL22]

Sea hare! Has been helping my hair alage battle also changing my phosban every 3 weeks seems to help

 

[nixer]

just 2 throw this out there unless you take care of the cause once that hair algae is gone another algae will take its place unless you take care of the cause.
the single most important step to take care of hair algae is water changes!
the second would be gfo.
without water changes gfo is useless.
vodka dosing can help, but it could also cause a dino outbreak or cyanobacteria. especially without dosing some sort of bacteria product(probio, MB7).

 

[altobelli10]

WoW; you guys are great, thanks for all the suggestions.
Sara: I dod not test my RO/DI water thinking it is ok, do not run Carbon; what is GFO.
I did try Sea Hares they did eat some of it but they go to sleep and 2 of them died so I had to removed them.
I took everything out of my tank and gave it a scrub made sure I did it fast and used the tank water same temperature and moved them to a large tub with a mixed water (1/3 tank and 2/3 new); will siffon the sand and scrape the back of the tank from algy. I did add a phostphate sponge.....will let everyone how it went.
I do appreciate all the advise you did throw at me;thanks