Impossible to rid Hair Algea, S.O.S

[ratzy82]

My reef is almost 2 years old now, and I’m in an unending war with hair algae.
First my nutrients. Phos .03 Nitrates .3.
I know those are false readings. I’ve been through this before and pretty much nuked it all with flux. My nutrients were super low and my sps and lps were very unhappy. I started to feed more nitrates were getting to 10 phosphates around .1 and here comes the hair algae. I’m not sure what to do at this point. I don’t see how some can keep nitrates at 20 and have zero hair algae. I need to get my nitrates back up but that is just going to contribute to more algae growth. I can nuke it again but I feel that will just be a Bandaid for 3 months or so. Pics attached.

 

[CBonito]

No pics attached....

 

[Dburr1014]

My reef is almost 2 years old now, and I’m in an unending war with hair algae.
First my nutrients. Phos .03 Nitrates .3.
I know those are false readings. I’ve been through this before and pretty much nuked it all with flux. My nutrients were super low and my sps and lps were very unhappy. I started to feed more nitrates were getting to 10 phosphates around .1 and here comes the hair algae. I’m not sure what to do at this point. I don’t see how some can keep nitrates at 20 and have zero hair algae. I need to get my nitrates back up but that is just going to contribute to more algae growth. I can nuke it again but I feel that will just be a Bandaid for 3 months or so. Pics attached.

Have you thought of a micro dose?

 

[ratzy82]

Have you thought of a micro dose?

micro dose nitrates and phosphates?

 

[ratzy82]

pics below sorry

 

[ratzy82]

No pics attached....

pics are posted. I guess they were too big on the first attempt

 

[TX_REEF]

looks like you need a tang to snack on that stuff, an algae turf scrubber, or both. My ATS seems to prevent hair algae from growing in my display.

 

[ratzy82]

looks like you need a tang to snack on that stuff, an algae turf scrubber, or both. My ATS seems to prevent hair algae from growing in my display.

i have all those things lol. Is it the rock that's expelling the nutrients? Ater I got ride of the hair algea the first time my nitrates were around 10 phosphates .03ish...That's nothing crazy.

 

[slingfox]

If you want a better chance at getting help you should provide more info including tank size, full live stock list, what equipment you are using for nutrient export, what and how you feed, full tank shots, picture of your sump, etc.

 

[fish farmer]

Do you have an urchin or decent snails like trochus.

That algae is pretty short, does the foxface keep it trimmed?

 

[Dburr1014]

micro dose nitrates and phosphates?

I'm sorry, no.
Micro dosing Flux.
It has a very simular effect as doing the full dose but actually dosing a 10th of full dose.

Thread 'Micro dose of flucozanole' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/micro-dose-of-flucozanole.977658/


Thread 'Fluconazole dose and why so much?' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fluconazole-dose-and-why-so-much.983825/

 

[ratzy82]

Do you have an urchin or decent snails like trochus.

That algae is pretty short, does the foxface keep it trimmed?

he doesn't touch it. I tried to quit feeding him nori to entice him to no avail

 

[ratzy82]

I'm sorry, no.
Micro dosing Flux.
It has a very simular effect as doing the full dose but actually dosing a 10th of full dose.

Thread 'Micro dose of flucozanole' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/micro-dose-of-flucozanole.977658/


Thread 'Fluconazole dose and why so much?' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fluconazole-dose-and-why-so-much.983825/

oh interesting, I'll take a look. I did notice my sand sifting star not looking so hot after dosing flux. I've read inverts are affected.

 

[jda]

Watch this. It is good. It will likely help you decide on whose advice to follow and also might make you feel better than other people have issues too. no3 and po4 have not much to do with it... it is about removal, consumers and blends of the two. Sometimes some algaecides, but these can have HUGE unintended consequences.

 

[ratzy82]

If you want a better chance at getting help you should provide more info including tank size, full live stock list, what equipment you are using for nutrient export, what and how you feed, full tank shots, picture of your sump, e

Waterbox 180.
Reefmat, Algea Scrubber, 40 watt uv, Reef Octo 200int. I have plenty of nutrient export. Like I mentioned I was zeroing out after the first treatment of flux. Any sign of phosphates and nitrates and the algea comes back.
3 urchins 3 turbo snails, a plethera of hermit crabs and various other snails.
Foxface, Naso Tang, Hippo Tang, Tomini Tang, Coris Wrasse, 6 Line Wrasse, 2 clownfish, Purple Tang, coral beauty, 2 lyretail anthias, Starry Blenny.

 

[jda]

I will also add that fish that are reluctant to eat algae can sometimes get a taste for it later. Most fish will eat the algae that is abundant on the reefs with ease - Ulva and the like. The rest can be from different places, bioms, and not be anything that these fish have seen before... like trying to get an American to eat Eel and Octopus noodles when chicken and beef is what they are used to when there is nothing wrong with eel and octopus and some do like it after years of not trying it.

 

[ratzy82]

Watch this. It is good. It will likely help you decide on whose advice to follow and also might make you feel better than other people have issues too. no3 and po4 have not much to do with it... it is about removal, consumers and blends of the two. Sometimes some algaecides, but these can have HUGE unintended consequences.

i have a decent amount of tangs, some pick on it others do not. I have 3 urchins, maybe I need to step up the hermit crab and snail game? I'll give this a watch. Like I said Flux works great except for it's not so good for the inverts. ..and it's coming back regardless. :-(

 

[Dburr1014]

My fair warning with my post because I know it gets a lot of flack:
This was in last resort in my system. I had dinos then GHA. I tried everything for a year and it would not budge. Everything!

I did not do a full dose of you read my thread. 2/3 and in steps. 2x after I did a micro dose, that was some time ago. So far so good. And since I admit I have lost 1 sps colony and I really don't know why. Well, not really lost. It has a few polyps left on it, who knows if it comes back.

Edit: inverts? I didn't have any problem with inverts. Shrimp, clams, snails, hermits, pods, coco worms, feather dusters, anenome , ect, ect, ect. Not effected.

 

[Pistondog]

Was going to suggest fluconazole, knocked my gha back to where it is managable.
Sound like you tried it.

 

[Mikeltee]

looks like you need a tang to snack on that stuff, an algae turf scrubber, or both. My ATS seems to prevent hair algae from growing in my display.

How old is that ATS? Does it only produce slime? Mine produces turf algae. I agree that from the several threads that I've read that influenced me to purchase an ATS, they keep hair algae away. I've had one for a couple of months on a tank cycled in Nov and I don't have any hair algae.