Help me with hair algae? Please?

[Erabe]

Hi all, I need help understanding a BAD hair algae outbreak I'm experiencing in my 3 month old mixed reef tank.

The tank is 4ft x2ft x2ft (total volume 110g / 420 litres) and has a similarly sized sump, with a live rock refugium (no macro yet) and I'm running filter floss, then skimmer, then fuge, then GAC. I have 4 clown fish (2 were rescues - will re-home when I see aggression) , 2 azure damsels, a lawnmower blenny, an exquisite fairy wrasse, a tiger pistol and yellow watchman. CUC is 3 turbos, 3 red banded trochus, a conch, 2 kuekenthali shrimp, a sandsifting star, and I've seen some smaller bristle worms. The tank was started with about 50% live rock from my previous tank, and the rest was dry rock, dry sand.

I had the classic diatom bloom, which really didn't last too long, but ever since I've had a terrible outbreak of brown hair algae, that I can't even pull off completely - like its rooted into the rock, it also grows on my sand-bed. Lawnmower gets the shorter stuff but it's just too much for him and he's always looking 20 months pregnant.

I've also never had any phosphates and my nitrates are sitting at about 2. (Salifert) I started dosing Nitrogen and Phosphorus to try get a readable number, but this only fueled the algae, so I've stopped dosing it, and also stopped dosing Reef AB+, as it seems the algae are taking all my nutrients up and I'm still at 0P/2N. I'm also not overfeeding, though there are some bits of food that end up on the sand, but the CUC takes of this.

Current parameters using AF reef salt:

Alk: 7 (Dosing Sodium Bicarb in my top off water to raise - trying to get to 8)
Cal: 500+ (I don't know why, I've never dosed it)
Mag: 1230
Salinity: 35
PH: 8.1
Temp: 26c / 78f
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 2
Phos: 0
Ammo: 0

Lighting is a QMaven 2 Q6-90 170w running mostly blues / purples, I've turned white/red/green much lower and running the light 8 hours with a 30 minute ramp up/down. (9 hours total)

The algae is so bad in some spots it's starting to irritate my corals, especially my zoas, I've dipped them in Hydrogen Peroxide a week ago, it did turn the algae white, the zoas looked much happier, but the hair quickly returned. I'm back at square one. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is this normal? Should I dose the nutrients again, feed even less? Feed more? Skim dryer / wetter / not at all? Corals all look happy, but I'm worried the algae could damage them beyond repair soon. Pics below:

Any help appreciated greatly!

Thanks!

 

[X-37B]

My "showpiece" fish will be a one spot foxface, haven't found one yet... might do a tomini, LFS has some. Thanks!

Here is another nice showpiece fish if you like yellow. My Swallowtail Angel in the 150.

 

[Erabe]

Note I had a one spot in my old 120. It outgrew that system in a year and I rehomed it to a 350.
The Tomini is my choice now, or a yellow.
Although not normal it chewed the tips of my green slimmer down so the tips were all flattened.
It was a cool fish though and ate from my fingertips.
Old 120

Good to know thanks! The ones I've seen have obviously not been full size, around 4-5 inches.

 

[Erabe]

I think SEA HARE is your best bet for those brown alage. They will mow em down.

Unfortunately almost impossible to find in South Africa

 

[X-37B]

Unfortunately almost impossible to find in South Africa

No sea hare then get 50+ snails. Trochus are my number one but I have 10+ turbos also. 5-6 emeralds and a Tomini.
Remove as much hair algae as you can then introduce the above.
Not sue how much snails are in SA but the price is ridiculous in my area of the US.
2 months ago you could get snalis for $3.50 a piece if you bought 5. Went in yesterday and they are now $9 a piece.

 

[Erabe]

No sea hare then get 50+ snails. Trochus are my number one but I have 10+ turbos also. 5-6 emeralds and a Tomini.
Remove as much hair algae as you can then introduce the above.
Not sue how much snails are in SA but the price is ridiculous in my area of the US.
2 months ago you could get snalis for $3.50 a piece if you bought 5. Went in yesterday and they are now $9 a piece.

I get any 4 snails for what equates to $11.50, so not expensive at all, conches are a bit more, but the $11.50 includes any combo of trochus, turbo, bumblebee, nassarius... I'll top up on trochus and turbos and pick up a tomini too! Thank you!

 

[Project1004]

No sea hare then get 50+ snails. Trochus are my number one but I have 10+ turbos also. 5-6 emeralds and a Tomini.
Remove as much hair algae as you can then introduce the above.
Not sue how much snails are in SA but the price is ridiculous in my area of the US.
2 months ago you could get snalis for $3.50 a piece if you bought 5. Went in yesterday and they are now $9 a piece.

Snails for the win. As crabs won’t be eating the hair algae as much as glazers do.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

brother- your tank is brand spanking new. Check nutrients every few days, scrub your rocks with a toothbrush, and get plenty of trochus, astrea and turbo snails. I am very surprised that 50% dry rock ant giving you phosphate readings. Up that cleanup crew by 5x.

Not sure if dosing any nutrients will hurt or help you because that algae is sucking up all available nutrients. I’ve been there. It sucks.

I don’t think a tomini will make any discernible difference in the hair algae. But, it’s a perfect tang for that size tank.

Definitely also consider 2-3 urchins along with the other crew.

 

[chrisobrien]

Hi all, I need help understanding a BAD hair algae outbreak I'm experiencing in my 3 month old mixed reef tank.

The tank is 4ft x2ft x2ft (total volume 110g / 420 litres) and has a similarly sized sump, with a live rock refugium (no macro yet) and I'm running filter floss, then skimmer, then fuge, then GAC. I have 4 clown fish (2 were rescues - will re-home when I see aggression) , 2 azure damsels, a lawnmower blenny, an exquisite fairy wrasse, a tiger pistol and yellow watchman. CUC is 3 turbos, 3 red banded trochus, a conch, 2 kuekenthali shrimp, a sandsifting star, and I've seen some smaller bristle worms. The tank was started with about 50% live rock from my previous tank, and the rest was dry rock, dry sand.

I had the classic diatom bloom, which really didn't last too long, but ever since I've had a terrible outbreak of brown hair algae, that I can't even pull off completely - like its rooted into the rock, it also grows on my sand-bed. Lawnmower gets the shorter stuff but it's just too much for him and he's always looking 20 months pregnant.

I've also never had any phosphates and my nitrates are sitting at about 2. (Salifert) I started dosing Nitrogen and Phosphorus to try get a readable number, but this only fueled the algae, so I've stopped dosing it, and also stopped dosing Reef AB+, as it seems the algae are taking all my nutrients up and I'm still at 0P/2N. I'm also not overfeeding, though there are some bits of food that end up on the sand, but the CUC takes of this.

Current parameters using AF reef salt:

Alk: 7 (Dosing Sodium Bicarb in my top off water to raise - trying to get to 8)
Cal: 500+ (I don't know why, I've never dosed it)
Mag: 1230
Salinity: 35
PH: 8.1
Temp: 26c / 78f
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 2
Phos: 0
Ammo: 0

Lighting is a QMaven 2 Q6-90 170w running mostly blues / purples, I've turned white/red/green much lower and running the light 8 hours with a 30 minute ramp up/down. (9 hours total)

The algae is so bad in some spots it's starting to irritate my corals, especially my zoas, I've dipped them in Hydrogen Peroxide a week ago, it did turn the algae white, the zoas looked much happier, but the hair quickly returned. I'm back at square one. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is this normal? Should I dose the nutrients again, feed even less? Feed more? Skim dryer / wetter / not at all? Corals all look happy, but I'm worried the algae could damage them beyond repair soon. Pics below:

Any help appreciated greatly!

Thanks!

Hi. My suggestion is to add the macro algae to the sump and give it strong lighting and it will hopefully remove the necessary nutrients for the hair algae. Also don't stop skimming.

 

[Erabe]

brother- your tank is brand spanking new. Check nutrients every few days, scrub your rocks with a toothbrush, and get plenty of trochus, astrea and turbo snails. I am very surprised that 50% dry rock ant giving you phosphate readings. Up that cleanup crew by 5x.

Not sure if dosing any nutrients will hurt or help you because that algae is sucking up all available nutrients. I’ve been there. It sucks.

I don’t think a tomini will make any discernible difference in the hair algae. But, it’s a perfect tang for that size tank.

Definitely also consider 2-3 urchins along with the other crew.

Thank you sir! Nutrients are still at basically 0 as of today... I couldn't get hold of a Tomini but added 4 of each Trochus and Turbo's, and they are definitely helping on the shorter stuff. I am weary of urchins, as I really want coralline algae someday and I heard they eat it before it gets a chance to grow. Appreciate the advice!

 

[Erabe]

Hi. My suggestion is to add the macro algae to the sump and give it strong lighting and it will hopefully remove the necessary nutrients for the hair algae. Also don't stop skimming.

Noted, ordered refugium light, waiting for it to get here and will try get some macros (probably Chaeto) for the fuge! Won't stop skimming, need the O2/Ph boost.

 

[Erabe]

Thanks to all who've posted - an update - since I stopped dosing Nitrate/Phosphate/AB+/Phyto/feeding EVEN less/adding even more copepods, the algae has seemed to weaken its grip on the rockwork, and *some* of it I was actually able to turkey baste off for the first time.

Since I couldn't really move it even with a stiff brush, I will attempt to attach a toothbrush to my siphon and do a waterchange or three while scrubbing/sucking.

This will hopefully shorten the hair enough for the snails and blenny to keep in check while my nutrients balance out hopefully. Almost all my corals are a little bit upset with the lack of food.

Will update when something changes/works.

 

[Erabe]

Quick update, tried attaching a toothbrush to the syphon, didn't really help, attempted to dose a very low level of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide to the tank for a week to see if this might help, it did something because what's left over is apparently not tasty to the Lawnmower / snails :( However there is still a LOT left.

Visited my LFS and bought a very young One spot Foxface (a fish I've always wanted anyway) and he does seem interested in the hair algae, at least what's on the sand, for now. He's still settling in though, so I'll cross my fingers he mows the rocks too.

Also built a makeshift algae scrubber in the sump, next to the refugium, basically an 45 degree ramp down with a piece of shade net over it under the refugium light, leading from the refugium overflow to the chamber before my return chamber... hoping this will help in time.

 

[EnterName]

Quick update, tried attaching a toothbrush to the syphon, didn't really help, attempted to dose a very low level of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide to the tank for a week to see if this might help, it did something because what's left over is apparently not tasty to the Lawnmower / snails :( However there is still a LOT left.

Visited my LFS and bought a very young One spot Foxface (a fish I've always wanted anyway) and he does seem interested in the hair algae, at least what's on the sand, for now. He's still settling in though, so I'll cross my fingers he mows the rocks too.

Also built a makeshift algae scrubber in the sump, next to the refugium, basically an 45 degree ramp down with a piece of shade net over it under the refugium light, leading from the refugium overflow to the chamber before my return chamber... hoping this will help in time.

It's possible that diatoms are causing the brown color and making the algae less appealing to some herbivores. Or there is simply more than they can eat in time before new algae grows.

The ugly phase takes some time but it will pass

 

[Erabe]

It's possible that diatoms are causing the brown color and making the algae less appealing to some herbivores. Or there is simply more than they can eat in time before new algae grows.

The ugly phase takes some time but it will pass

Thanks for the motivation and information! Appreciate it!

 

[MichaelReefer]

Turbo snails, water changes, manual removal. They are sucking up a lot of your nutrients.

 

[Fishcrisp]

Any updates? I'm going through the same at the moment.

 

[Ryan - Serious Reefs]

The fact that a reef can support and grow algae is actually a sign of a healthy reef. If the tank were unable to support that kind of photosynthetic life, it would be a sign that something was wrong.

What’s unnatural on a healthy reef is the lack of herbivorous fish eating the algae faster than it can grow. Snails are never going to be the complete solution in a 4' x 2' x 2' tank.

A foxface rabbitfish will likely mow down the problem with almost no other changes. You may want to give it a hand by manually removing the bulk of the algae when you add it. This fish will eventually outgrow the tank and need to be rehomed. Some people debate that aspect, but most of them aren’t dealing with the very legitimate problem you have today, one that puts everything in the tank at risk and needs to be solved.

Yellow and purple tangs are also great, but they tend to go after algae when it’s short, so manual removal will likely be important.

Bristletooth tangs can also work very well.

Until you’ve solved the fundamental issue, that a healthy tank should grow algae but should also have enough herbivores that the algae never becomes a major problem, I wouldn’t worry too much about the rest.