Hair algae!

[Hannahmunt]

Hello,

I have an issue with hair algae on the rocks, glass and now growing on corals.

today I purchased 20 turbos, 20 hermits, 1 conch, algae eating Blenny and a sea hare.

my nitrate is always between 4-6 and my phosphate is coming down slowly, currently at 0.17. I have been dosing my tank with agent green to bring the phosphate down.

is there anything else I can do to control the hair algae apart from manual removal?

I’ve lowered my lights so they are not as strong.

I don’t heavily feed, I don’t think so anyway.

the tank is 40g with:

fairy wrasse
Canary wrasse
Clown pair
Sand sifting goby
Pistol shrimp goby pair
Coral beauty
2 cromis
Algae Blenny

 

[Devan Patel]

Hello,

I have an issue with hair algae on the rocks, glass and now growing on corals.

today I purchased 20 turbos, 20 hermits, 1 conch, algae eating Blenny and a sea hare.

my nitrate is always between 4-6 and my phosphate is coming down slowly, currently at 0.17. I have been dosing my tank with agent green to bring the phosphate down.

is there anything else I can do to control the hair algae apart from manual removal?

I’ve lowered my lights so they are not as strong.

I don’t heavily feed, I don’t think so anyway.

the tank is 40g with:

fairy wrasse
Canary wrasse
Clown pair
Sand sifting goby
Pistol shrimp goby pair
Coral beauty
2 cromis
Algae Blenny

How long as it been running

 

[Uncle99]

How old is your system?
For what period of time has your chemistry been stable.

 

[Jared Bryant]

The easiest way to remove hair algae unfortunately is you manually removing it. I would remove as much as possible and then adjust whatever water chemistry is off.

 

[Hannahmunt]

How long as it been running

It’s roughly 8 months old

 

[Hannahmunt]

How old is your system?
For what period of time has your chemistry been stable.

8 months old and water has now been stable for 2 months I’d say

 

[Hannahmunt]

The easiest way to remove hair algae unfortunately is you manually removing it. I would remove as much as possible and then adjust whatever water chemistry is off.

Once I manually remove it with the nitrates and phosphate go up?

 

[Uncle99]

8 months old and water has now been stable for 2 months I’d say

I’d get a second opinion on that nitrate and especially phosphate number. 8 months mature with rock solid chemistry for 2 months should not look that way.
Are you confident in that phosphate number, it’s the number one food for algae (next to red light).
In any event, stay the course, scrub off and remove as much as possible, keep Alk and Pinned at all times.
You might just need some mor3 time for the good guy bacteria to outcompete the pest types.

 

[situationlol]

from what I've read a sea hare will almost single handedly keep GHA in check, although I don't have any experience using them personally.

 

[Hannahmunt]

I’d get a second opinion on that nitrate and especially phosphate number. 8 months mature with rock solid chemistry for 2 months should not look that way.
Are you confident in that phosphate number, it’s the number one food for algae (next to red light).
In any event, stay the course, scrub off and remove as much as possible, keep Alk and Pinned at all times.
You might just need some mor3 time for the good guy bacteria to outcompete the pest types.

I agree I think the phosphate reading is inaccurate with the amount of algae I have. I did read that having hair algae gives you off readings for phosphate.

I’ve lowered my light intensity and bought a better wave maker as I didn’t have much flow, I’ve added a load of new cuc plus the sea hare and Blenny, I’ll star with a brush and scrubbing of the hair algae from the rocks, glass and hob skimmer.

once I scrub it off will I have a high reading of phosphate? When will I get the true reading back as I am currently dosing with atm agent green to remove the phosphate

 

[Hannahmunt]

from what I've read a sea hare will almost single handedly keep GHA in check, although I don't have any experience using them personally.

I hope so, he’s only little but already munching away on the rocks.

 

[Uncle99]

I agree I think the phosphate reading is inaccurate with the amount of algae I have. I did read that having hair algae gives you off readings for phosphate.

I’ve lowered my light intensity and bought a better wave maker as I didn’t have much flow, I’ve added a load of new cuc plus the sea hare and Blenny, I’ll star with a brush and scrubbing of the hair algae from the rocks, glass and hob skimmer.

once I scrub it off will I have a high reading of phosphate? When will I get the true reading back as I am currently dosing with atm agent green to remove the phosphate

Suck out as much as possible so it does not add to the nutrients.

The only test I have ever found good enough to measure phosphate is the Hanna UL phosphorus checker in PPB.
LC works great provided you have very fine mechanical filtration to pull out the floculent binding the phosphate.

Rowaphos in the bag is another option.

 

[Johnz]

From looking the photos, it doesn't look like you have anything particularly delicate in there. I would either pull out whatever you can, rocks, powerheads, etc, and spot treat with hydrogen peroxide. The glass and whatever you can't pull out scrape or scrub. Do aggressive water changes for a little while. Once hair algae gets established, you will never starve it out.

I would also consider algae fix marine. People tend to turn their noses up at chemical fixes, but I've used it a few times and it works. Below is some text I copied from my last post about hair algae:

I have battled hair algae many times over the years, at least 6 or 7 times over the last decade. You will not defeat hair algae that has taken hold by reducing nutrients. It's too late for that. Below is my experience with different methods of removal.

Manual removal: This can help keep it in check, but you'll never keep up with it. Scrubbing the rocks will just spread it.

Hydrogen Peroxide: I've used it to spot treat areas in the tank with a small syringe, works ok for small sections but your tank is too far gone. Now if you can take those rocks out, treat with h2o2 and then put the rocks back after a quick rinse then that would work and be highly effective.

Clean up crew: Some people will disagree, but clean up crews are preventative only. I don't care how many snails or hermit crabs you buy, they're not gonna out pace that hair algae growth. A sea hare might work, but I've never had any luck with them. They seem to disappear before they put a dent in it. I did add a couple lettuce nudibranches one time that reproduced like crazy. I had a ton of the little guys and they did out pace the hair algae. Unfortunately as soon as they cleaned an area they let go of the rock and floated around until a pump got them. After a couple weeks I had no hair algae and no lettuce slugs either. I've never tried urchins, but I imagine you would need a ton of them.

Chemicals: When I just didn't have time to fuss with it, I would resort to Algaefix Marine. It works extremely well but it killed my snails. I learned to pull them out and put them in a bucket with an airstone and some nori before using it. No other bad effects. Chemicals are always risky but it's far better than an ugly tank or getting so fed up with the problem that you quit.

Either way, good luck!

 

[sergifed91]

from what I've read a sea hare will almost single handedly keep GHA in check, although I don't have any experience using them personally.

You are right. I had hair algea ln my DT. I tried to remove as much as I could but couldn't keep up with it. I would remove rocks every day two or three a day and took a toothe brush to them and remove the algea. Got a sea hare and within 6 weeks it was gone. There was just so much and grew so fast I couldn't keep up.

 

[Hannahmunt]

Suck out as much as possible so it does not add to the nutrients.

The only test I have ever found good enough to measure phosphate is the Hanna UL phosphorus checker in PPB.
LC works great provided you have very fine mechanical filtration to pull out the floculent binding the phosphate.

Rowaphos in the bag is another option.

I use the hanna one for phosphate and nitrate, salifert for everything else.

spend the morning, scrubbing away and adjusting light schedule.

noticed that my dosing pump which was bring my phosphate down was off! So that’s back up and running now.

 

[situationlol]

You are right. I had hair algea ln my DT. I tried to remove as much as I could but couldn't keep up with it. I would remove rocks every day two or three a day and took a toothe brush to them and remove the algea. Got a sea hare and within 6 weeks it was gone. There was just so much and grew so fast I couldn't keep up.

Did you ever have to deal with it inking? That's the only reason I haven't gotten one myself. I don't want to wake up one morning to a cloud of ink and dead fish.

 

[sergifed91]

Did you ever have to deal with it inking? That's the only reason I haven't gotten one myself. I don't want to wake up one morning to a cloud of ink and dead fish.

it never inked at all. the puffer messed with it a few times at first but after that everyone was a model citizen.

 

[Hannahmunt]

Did you ever have to deal with it inking? That's the only reason I haven't gotten one myself. I don't want to wake up one morning to a cloud of ink and dead fish.

From what I’ve read, they only ink when they feel threatened. I picked mine up and moved him about and he was fine. My coral beauty knocked him off a rock last night which was quite funny.

 

[kevgib67]

I would recommend, as part of the solution, adding a tuxedo urchin. Mine is a work horse, the most effective of my cuc.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Not had chance to maintain mine for a couple of weeks, today I was hands in (I know you/we like a good photo) altough I forgot before shot today sorry.


Hands in... toothbrush in one hand and turkey baster other to suck it up, only a 45g but looks great after a good scrub, two Hoover's of sand today.
ready for tomorrow to clean equipment