Stubborn Hair Algae

[magicjosh]

I’ve got a 33 gallon tank that I’ve had running for a little over a year now, and I’ve been dealing with a pretty bad GHA outbreak for the last 3 months. It covers almost every bit of rock that’s exposed to the lights.

Livestock:

• 2 clowns
• 6 line wrasse
• YWG
• Starry Blenny (very young)
• 2 tuxedo urchins

Nutrients:

• Alkalinity: 7.5
• Calcium: 400
• Magnesium: 1400
• Phosphate: 0.03 - 0.08
• Nitrate: 0.0

I’ve been running my skimmer 24/7, changing filter socks almost every day, and dosing Microbacter7 and Microbacter Purple M as instructed on the bottles. Ive been keeping phosphates in check with Phosguard. I do a 5 gallon water change every other week.

I’ve been manually removing the GHA a couple times a week and it just comes back with a vengeance.

I just measured nitrates being at 0.0 today. I’m sure that’s a combination of the MB7/purple and GHA consuming all of it.

Anyone have any ideas on how to get this darn GHA away?

 

[1ocean]

Question. what kind of rocks do you have... Did you use Lace rock or lava rock. If so that is your biggest problem contributing to your hair algae... Both of those rock leach phosphate and other stuff into the water that cause problems...

 

[magicjosh]

Question. what kind of rocks do you have... Did you use Lace rock or lava rock. If so that is your biggest problem contributing to your hair algae... Both of those rock leach phosphate and other stuff into the water that cause problems...

I used Caribsea LifeRock. It was a dry “live rock” which I really doubt had any life on it.

 

[1ocean]

hmm so not your rock, caribsea might leach a little out but normal...
Have you tried a fluconazole treatment?

 

[magicjosh]

hmm so not your rock, caribsea might leach a little out but normal...
Have you tried a fluconazole treatment?

I haven’t tried fluconazole yet as I’m saving that as a last resort.

The one thing that is standing out to me now is the 0 nitrates. I’m thinking the bacteria I’ve been adding has been consuming nitrates much faster than phosphates.

Could dosing nitrate back up to an appropriate level help the hair algae problem?

 

[1ocean]

I would bring nitrate up some before you have other issues. It will not make the hair algae go away.
Hair algae is basic result of too much nutrients and light..
What are your lights set too. Too much white and red will add to the problem.
Cutting back on white light and how long they are on will help reduce algae.
Iam running my lights at about 1800K average I guess, which is a mix or 4 radions set to 2000K and 3Kessils set to a white/blue which add some white light to the mix...But they only on for 6 hours.

 

[magicjosh]

I would bring nitrate up some before you have other issues. It will not make the hair algae go away.
Hair algae is basic result of too much nutrients and light..
What are your lights set too. Too much white and red will add to the problem.

I’m running the Red Sea ReefLED 50 light at 45% blue and 5% white. It ramps up from 8am to 9am, then ramps down from 5pm to 6pm.

 

[1ocean]

is your tank mixed reef, SPS or LPS...
Have you taken a par reading you might be giving the tank too much par...and if so you could lower it and it may help reduce algae...

 

[Cookiesreef26]

I'd say at those levels of light from the RS LED 50 that it isn't the issue - I am running the same light on my tank at a much higher level, although I ramp up on a curve throughout the day rather than a flat line across the top all day as some people do (I can upload my schedule if it will help). I have zero hair algae issues with this and my phosphate and nitrate are 0.05ppm and 20ppm respectively.

Do you have any natural light near your tank coming from any windows or otherwise? This wouldn't help and you'd notice if this was an issue as the hair algae would grow thicker on the side of the tank where the natural light is hitting.

I agree with everything 1ocean said above, hair algae is always caused by too much light, nutrients too high or a mixture of both. In my experience I have found that sometimes doing too much can make things worse I.E. reducing your nitrates to 0 with dosing - this will create a nutrient imbalance and cause you other issues.

If this were me in your situation I'd personally do the following:

- Stop all dosing of bacteria etc
- Shorten light schedule
- Switch to 5 gallon water changes every week (removing hair algae each time)
- Personally I don't run any phosphate remover as I don't feel the need on smaller tanks with weekly water changes (I run a RS reefer 170) but what you'd prefer to do with your phosguard is up to you.
- I'd be looking to raise the nitrates to at least 10ppm - multiple methods to do it, although you may find as you remove the algae it'll raise on its own as it won't be being consumed so I'd monitor closely.
- potentially add a SMALL algae eating fish such as a foxface (keeping in mind it will need moving on as it grows)
- Monitor everything closely and most importantly, give it time and patience.

I've not touched onto feeding as it hasn't yet been mentioned, but I tend to feed once in the morning and once at night - a mixture of frozen brine and mysis (approx 1.5 frozen cubes per day in total) with a similar bio load to you.

Please keep in mind I am by no means an expert so take it all with a pinch of salt, but with that said, It seems I am running a similar set up to yourself and I have a clean tank with healthy growth from LPS and SPS coral - so I must be doing something marginally correct. Hope this helps and please keep us updated on how you get on!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Red sea light is 50 watts, I run a 100 watt nicrew on my 32 at 75%, I don't see the lights as the issue, if anything the light is set very low already if only at 45%.

How is the flow in the tank, do you have powerheads? how much are you feeding? How many snails do you have in the tank? Are you doing weekly water changes, if not, then how often? Do you clean out your filtration equipment?

Hair algae IMO is the result of increased nutrients and dissolved organics and lack of algae grazers.

 

[DexterKarin]

Had same including 0 nitrates. Manual removal 2x week. Got a sea hare that died after a week. Dosed a little bit of nitrate and contacted Reef Cleaners. For a 30 gallon they recommended 25 assorted hermit crabs. I was scared so I got 15. Started to see a change,Bought 6 more hermits and areas are becoming gha free. Nitrates are starting to measure above 0 now. I dunno but it is working in my tank. Wish I had got the full 25 hermits the first time. Thank you Reef Cleaners.

 

[W31Olds]

I would also mention adding Pods to you tanks to help. As far as feeding, pellets can add to your problem. Uneaten is like fertilizing your lawn.

 

[1ocean]

excess light and excess nutrient's are #1 contributor of excess algae...most tanks have a little algae here and there..

 

[Louis Z]

Lights out killed my HA . Fluconazole did nothing to it . I assume different strains of hair algae . The one I had would grow on the lowest light . This one was a fast grower and really hideous . Had to completely shut off my lights on a FOWLR . Turned lights back on after 2months . I can now start over . I am still on. Only blue light but I figured another couple of months I will bring on the white LED s . So far no HA . I have other film algae on the glass . Introduced wild little neck clams that I had held in a different setup with no light to QT them . Could be a source of the film algae or the other algae I had prior just started to grow back . Nothing that algae magnet can’t take care of .