Anyone Here Ever Battled White Hair Algae?

[wingman48]

Hey All,

I bought this tank from another reefer and I've had it up and running for almost 9 months now. Within a few months of moving it, everything was running really really well. The rocks were almost solid purple with coraline, and my frags were all starting to grow.

Then, I had a bad fight with dinoflagellates. The brown bubble snot covered everything and I eventually did a 7 day blackout to kill them. Lost a couple of the smaller frags but everything else pulled through.

Then, when things started to recover, I got hit with this white hair stuff. No one around me has any clue what it is or how to kill it. Any of you have any ideas?

Here are some pics and videos: Photo Album

Some interesting info:
- It's definitely sensitive to light -- doesn't grow under rocks, only on the tops.
- Somehow, the "easy" stuff in the tank is struggling. Zoas stay flat to the rocks and don't open all the way and my leathers aren't extending like they should. Some mushrooms do well, but others shrivel a bit. Clove polyps stay closed until they disappear. One set of GSP is thriving amazingly well, and another type stays closed.
- My LPS are thriving and doing very well though.
- I have some cabbage corals and they're doing wonderful.
- My anemones seem to be doing fine.
- All of my fish are as healthy as can be.


Here are some stats:
- 180 Gallon tank with 40 gallon sump (chaeto refugium and a skimmer)
- BRS Reactors running GFO / Carbon
- ~45 gallon water change every 2-3 wks. (Fritz Reef Pro)
- Full RO/DI starting point (I re-charge my DI when i get 2TDS)
- Fairly light bio-load (~10 small fish, 2 anemones, and abut 30 misc. cleaners)
- Salinity 1.025
- Ammonia, Nitrites - 0
- Phosphates, Nitrates - Almost Zero (slightly colored on the tests)
- Calcium 390
- Magnesium 1200

Let me know if anyone has any ideas on how to kill this crap.

 

[JP Reef]

Have you tried Fluconazole? I used it to eliminate hair algae in my tank. You can find a few places online to purchase it. There are a few threads on it. Dose it one time at the correct amount and wait a few weeks. It takes a few days for you to notice it working.

 

[FoxFace Fish]

honestly I do not know a single reefer who has not battled it.

I believe the best way to handle any issue is elbow grease. be religious with water changes and scrubbing your tank down also manual removal as well. I have never tried to use a chemical for algae just hard work and water change and find out what is causing it or what is the issue. also a algae blenny is a good option for it.

 

[RioReefr]

Your tank looks very nice and you seem to be very experienced.

I had a bout with hair algae -- I was using Purigen and Matrix Carbon, but did not help at all.

I decided to get a 100-micron filter sock and dose a small amount (1mL) of Red Sea NoPox daily. I noticed the hair algae falling apart after about 2-3 days and I would pull it out with a net. After 1 week, it was almost entirely gone.
Anyway, I would say give the NoPox a try and under-dose according to the directions. I was really hesitant pouring the stuff in my tank, but it really worked and now all my corals looks so much better.

 

[Uncle99]

I as well have been dosing NoPox for 10 months now......nitrates holding at 5, phosphates holding at .012, corals looking great, happy with the product except a bit costly...

Virtually no algae, except the good stuff!

 

[HBtank]

You can swap to a Vodka/Vinegar mixture in place of NoPox if you want to save a bit and dose carbon long term.