AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae

[McSassy]

Maiden's hair is a macro, or sold as one. It is a "beneficial" macro, and I'm not sure you want to kill it, unless you bought it, and it's out of control.


Why would you want to kill it off?

I didn't buy it...it just kind of showed up on its own...I have some red coraline that is growing over parts of it right now trying to compete with it. I just get tired of pruning it...I liked the look of my tank better without it or at least some variety instead of a whole bunch of fuzz boulder action.

 

[iFisch]

I didn't buy it...it just kind of showed up on its own...I have some red coraline that is growing over parts of it right now trying to compete with it. I just get tired of pruning it...I liked the look of my tank better without it or at least some variety instead of a whole bunch of fuzz boulder action.

Did you buy LR within the past few months?

I'm pretty sure this stuff just doesn't grow on it's own. It must have been a hitchhiker on some LR or some LR rubble.


Do you have any pictures?

 

[McSassy]

Did you buy LR within the past few months?

I'm pretty sure this stuff just doesn't grow on it's own. It must have been a hitchhiker on some LR or some LR rubble.


Do you have any pictures?

It did not come on live rock...I've had the same rock for 2 years and it just started growing a few months ago. I have a couple random recent pictures that happen to have it in them.

 

[HighlandReefer]

The picture is not focused enough. It could be a Bryopsis.


Maiden's Hair

Bryopsis

 

[elvis142]

highlandreefer, i just purchased some of this product. i have had this silly a*& hair algae for about a year. i'm sick and tired of it! i have seen alot of posts on alagefix from you. are you affiliated with this product?

thanks

 

[HighlandReefer]

highlandreefer, i just purchased some of this product. i have had this silly a*& hair algae for about a year. i'm sick and tired of it! i have seen alot of posts on alagefix from you. are you affiliated with this product?

thanks

Nope, I'm not affiliated in any way. I have been using it myself and have researched this product fairly extensively. Like many products used to kill organisms in a reef system, AF can be dangerous if not used properly. I would only recommend its use as a last resort and follow the directions.

Do you have a pic of your pest (preferably a focused close-up)?

 

[PhreeBYrd]

I've been told that I have maiden's hair in my tank...not regular hair. Is that macro and would algaefix work on it?

McSassy:
Although it's impossible to be certain from the photographs, I'm quite certain that your algae is not maiden's hair. Cliff posted some excellent pictures of typical maiden's hair and bryopsis. It could be bryopsis, but doesn't appear to have the characteristic fern-like structure of the most common bryposis species, either.

Proper identification is extremely important, and even expert marine botanists can often not identify with certainty without a sample under a microscope (and sometimes, not even then). Still, making your best attempt at identification needs to be your first step. Therefore, I suggest you use all resources available (the www is an incredible source, so do use it) to try to identify your algae. There is no such thing as "regular hair". There are literally hundreds of known species that could be called 'hair algae'... none of which are any more 'regular' than another.

Do you have any herbivorous fishes or other animals in this tank? Most species of Cladophora (which Algaefix seems to work well against) look similar to your algae, although it typically has longer filaments unless something has been eating it.

 

[HighlandReefer]

From this link: http://images.google.com/imgres?img...24&prev=/images?q=Cladophora&gbv=2&hl=en&sa=G

Cladophora algae

Cladophora is a branching, green filamentous alga, that forms a moss like structure. This algae doesn't appear to be slimy. Threads are very strong and very thin. It grows on rocks and submersed wood exposed to direct light, in very bad cases will grow on plants also. Usually it tend to stay on one spot, which makes it easy to remove.

I just realized that these are pictures of freshwater species. :spin2:

 

[HighlandReefer]

This is a marine version of Cladophora algae:

 

[McSassy]

This is a marine version of Cladophora algae:

I think that's it. It feels coarse when I pull it out, it looks just like the pictures of with the algae in the guy's hand and the darker forms are much harder to pull from the rocks than the green.

I will go take a couple pictures right now with more focus and report back.

 

[McSassy]

Okay, here are those pictures I promised. A little late, but I had stuff to do. = )

One close up picture of it and just a few angles of my rock work and what it generally looks like from a distance so to speak.

 

[HighlandReefer]

I believe PhreeBYrd called it right and it is Cladophora. The AlgaeFix Marine label states that it obtained 100% control when used on Cladophora.

Nice tank.

 

[McSassy]

I believe PhreeBYrd called it right and it is Cladophora. The AlgaeFix Marine label states that it obtained 100% control when used on Cladophora.

Nice tank.

Great work guys, thanks. Finally nailed it in the head it seems. So what happens when I dose the algaefix? It starts falling off the rocks or something and I manually take it out?

Thanks for the compliment on my tank as well. :spin1:

 

[iFisch]

Great work guys, thanks. Finally nailed it in the head it seems. So what happens when I dose the algaefix? It starts falling off the rocks or something and I manually take it out?

Thanks for the compliment on my tank as well. :spin1:

Although Cliff can answer this 100%, I've never heard of alea falling OFF rocks. I've heard and seen it change color, maybe die off a little bit, but mostly remain on the rock. It will take some manual scrubbing, and time.

A skimmer/GFO should help exponentially.

I've heard some people, with terrible situations, just take everything out (fish & corals) to a holding tank/secondary tank, and just nuke everything and buy dry, macro rock (100% dead rock), new sand and restart. Some people have patience, others don't.

 

[McSassy]

Although Cliff can answer this 100%, I've never heard of alea falling OFF rocks. I've heard and seen it change color, maybe die off a little bit, but mostly remain on the rock. It will take some manual scrubbing, and time.

A skimmer/GFO should help exponentially.

I've heard some people, with terrible situations, just take everything out (fish & corals) to a holding tank/secondary tank, and just nuke everything and buy dry, macro rock (100% dead rock), new sand and restart. Some people have patience, others don't.

I would never resort to that...I like my rocks! It's what makes my tank rock! :jester:

Yes, my plan is to get all the nuisance algae gone and under control, then add a few more corals and then add a few more fish and just kind of let it grow from there.

 

[HighlandReefer]

Great work guys, thanks. Finally nailed it in the head it seems. So what happens when I dose the algaefix? It starts falling off the rocks or something and I manually take it out?

Thanks for the compliment on my tank as well. :spin1:

Your welcome.

I agree with iFisch.

Most hobbyists seem to start to see results when using AF at around the 5th dose. The algae will become easier to remove from your rock. It is important to remove as much of the algae before you dose the AF as possible. This will make each dose more effective. Good old fashion elbow grease is important, by keeping your water column as clean as possible. Dead algae brakes down and provides additional food for the living algae and cyanobacteria which may be mixed in with the algae.

 

[jamirlima]

I understand each dose every 3 days and also read that most people see results on/after the 5th dose (15 days). My question is do you guys do water change during the AF dose period?

I am on the third dose and I dont see any GHA turning brown or losing its color. In fact they are looking more greener.

Please help. Thanks

 

[iFisch]

I understand each dose every 3 days and also read that most people see results on/after the 5th dose (15 days). My question is do you guys do water change during the AF dose period?

I am on the third dose and I dont see any GHA turning brown or losing its color. In fact they are looking more greener.

Please help. Thanks

I'll chime in with my opinion.

When I do WC's, which occur every 2 weeks, since dosing AF, I've only been doing 10%, instead of my normal 20%. Cliff says the product brakes down in 24 hours. So, I dose 3 days before my WC. Let the new WC stabilize a little bit, and re-dose about 12 hours later.

I'm not totally sure if that's right - or wrong, but my HA has turned from green to almost an extremely dull green - almost a grey-ish color. Upon Cliff's recommendation, I vacuumed what I had off my sand, which was mainly small particles of HA, attached to nothing - just clumping up. Also removed a small rock in which the HA had just started to grow. Since it was a tiny piece, I just removed it. Since I have quite a bit of water movement, I have it mainly pointed up, from about 50% up, instead of anything pointing down around/near the sand. If I do, immediately the sand starts to blow around and create craters.

I also purchased a Tunze nano skimmer from MD this weekend.

 

[au01st]

I had absolutely no results on hair algae with this product used over a 2 month period. I did notice that there was almost no film algae on the glass during that time. I used to have to clean the glass every 3-4 days, but using the AF maybe once every 2 weeks.

 

[HighlandReefer]

jamirlima,

I agree with what iFisch has stated.

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au01st,

Sorry to hear the AF did not work for you. Unfortunately AF does not work on all species of algae. Do you have a focused close-up of your pest?