How to treat hair algae

Amtrack5899

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I have a 120 gallon 1 year old aquarium that is getting patches of hair algae on the rocks, and getting worse. I have several hermits ,snails a sail fin tang and fox face but they don’t touch it. I also have several soft and LPS corals. I’m trying to decide if I should use vibrant or introduce some emerald crabs. I have some small yellow watchman goobies and I’m concerned the emeralds will hurt them. I also have a refugium with Chaeto and sea lettuce. I can remove the Chaeto and sea lettuce and put it in another tank for a few weeks so i can use the vibrant if needed. Nitrates 25 ppm Phosphate .04 although phosphates peaked a couple weeks ago due to overfeeding at .17. I am running a BRS carbon and phosphate reactor and a skimmer.
My question is, without overreacting what should be my next step. Should I introduce the emerald crabs and take a chance that they wont hurt the yellow watchman gobies and corals or should i remove the Chaeto for a couple of months and go with the vibrant?
Please advise?
 

lapin

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If you can get a sea hare for a week it will get rid of the algae. I would avoid the chemicals if possible.
 

zalick

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I'd vote no on crabs. I'm anti-crab.

If you search here you will find tons of success stories controlling GHA with hydrogen peroxide dosing. You may need to remove macro algae first.

I had some pop up after a dino outbreak. I dosed 1ml/10 gallon of h202 and squirted it directly on the algae. It was gone within a week. Watched it turn white and melt away. Even patches I didn't directly squirt.
 

Rmckoy

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I’d fuel up the shears and cut it down close to the rocks .
if it’s cut down tangs , fox face and cuc might clean up the rest .
The reason you’re testing lower phosphates and nitrates is it’s tied up in the hair algae .
 

ReeferLou

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Try Vibrant, but use less than the recommended dose. It really did clean up my tank. Set up another fuge for the macro algae like you said.
 

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