Can't get rid of hair algae

[gonioporagirl]

Ok, so recently, I have been having a ton of green hair algae growth. I tested my water and I don't have any nitrates or phosphates, so I'm not really sure why it is growing so quickly. I did notice that when I targeted my liverock with a turkey baster, a lot of detritus and cyanobacteria came out. The algae is getting out of control as it is starting to grow on one of my toadstool corals. I am hoping the toadstool will shed it off. What can I do to stop the green hair algae growth? :angryfire:

 

[thegrun]

Even though your test results show no nitrates and phosphates both are certainly present, the algae will not grow without both nitrates and phosphates. The algae is sucking up all the available nutrients so your test results are low. I would both reduce the amount you are feeding the tank and make a couple of large 40-50% water changes.

 

[shaginwagon13]

1) Less food
2) More frequent water changes
3) Change RO/DI filders and blocks
4) Lessen your lighting schedule

Should take about 1-2 months but it will slowly go away and not come back.

 

[Sk8r]

1. did you set up with ro/di and is that what you're using?
2. have you used GFO (Phosban, et al) in a reactor?
3. size of tank, type of skimmer?

 

[Jaffster]

Hair algae isn't a nice thing to deal with, I had a similar battle 6 months ago.

Phosphates are king for algae like this (nitrates also being a Biggie), once you are at a TRUE level of zero with phosphate then hair algae becomes pretty easy to remove by hand as it goes soft and loses its grip on your rockwork.

How are you testing your phosphate? I tried Salifert, Tropic Marin and Red Sea test kits, all of which gave me wrong readings when I eventually compared it to the Phosphorus Hanna checker that I bought. Invest in one of these, they're well worth it.

 

[sde1500]

Not a permanent fix, but try Flucanazole. It will kill off GHA after a month. It is not a permanent solution though. You will need to keep up on maintenance afterwards. So if you were slacking on water changes or other means of nutrient exports, it will return. I speak from experience. I've eradicated all algae twice using Flucanazole, first time I continued to slack on maintaining the tank and GHA returned. Second time I installed an auto water change system after I dosed. Few months later and the tank is pristine.

 

[mcgyvr]

Please don't forget that trying to solve an algae problem by starving a tank of nitrates and/or phosphates means you are also starving your corals. They need those same nutrients...
One must be very careful when your nutrient levels are undetectable/low already..
Solving one problem can quickly create another..

I will always recommend algae predators (snails/urchins/fish,etc...) or treatments like fluconazole now and almost never recommend GFO as it can cause more problems than its solving by lowering levels too quickly/too much..

 

[gonioporagirl]

Thanks for all the replies To answer some of your questions, I use premixed RODI water, and i feed my fish a pinch of hikari pellets once a day. However, since I also have an anemone who has more demanding dietary needs, I feed him a few mysis shrimp every other day or so. To test my phosphates and nitrates I just use a basic API testing kit. I also haven't used any filters specifically for removing phosphates or nitrates, I just run carbon. The tank that has this problem is a Biocube 32 gallon, with many thriving corals. I wouldn't want to deprive the corals of their light, so I keep the light on from 9 AM to 6 PM. What lighting schedule is best for LPS?

Again, thank you guys for being so helpful

 

[Jaffster]

Thanks for all the replies To answer some of your questions, I use premixed RODI water, and i feed my fish a pinch of hikari pellets once a day. However, since I also have an anemone who has more demanding dietary needs, I feed him a few mysis shrimp every other day or so. To test my phosphates and nitrates I just use a basic API testing kit. I also haven't used any filters specifically for removing phosphates or nitrates, I just run carbon. The tank that has this problem is a Biocube 32 gallon, with many thriving corals. I wouldn't want to deprive the corals of their light, so I keep the light on from 9 AM to 6 PM. What lighting schedule is best for LPS?

Again, thank you guys for being so helpful

How often do you run carbon?

 

[mcgyvr]

I wouldn't want to deprive the corals of their light, so I keep the light on from 9 AM to 6 PM. What lighting schedule is best for LPS?

Again, thank you guys for being so helpful

6-8 hours of good light is sufficient for corals..

 

[Conchman]

Proper tank husbandry. A lot of people think just because the tests show low or no nitrates it is not there. As others have stated it just being consumed. Evaluate CUC and start regular, consistent w/c. Also going dark for a couple few days should be okay. Most corals can tolerate it. And it helps. Good Luck....

 

[Uncle99]

Thanks for all the replies To answer some of your questions, I use premixed RODI water, and i feed my fish a pinch of hikari pellets once a day. However, since I also have an anemone who has more demanding dietary needs, I feed him a few mysis shrimp every other day or so. To test my phosphates and nitrates I just use a basic API testing kit. I also haven't used any filters specifically for removing phosphates or nitrates, I just run carbon. The tank that has this problem is a Biocube 32 gallon, with many thriving corals. I wouldn't want to deprive the corals of their light, so I keep the light on from 9 AM to 6 PM. What lighting schedule is best for LPS?

Again, thank you guys for being so helpful

The dietary needs of the nem is light....you should not be feeding him at all esoecially with an algae problem. Stop the nem feeds, that likely your problem or at least, a big contributor. You can feed him once, twice a month once your GHA is under control.

Nems can last forever with only light as food...

It's not as much the length of the photoperiod rather the type and intensity of light. For a nem in a 32g, you would need at least one 165w LED, or better, one 250 watt MH light, on say 8-9 hours per day.

 

[shamoo]

Thanks for all the replies To answer some of your questions, I use premixed RODI water, and i feed my fish a pinch of hikari pellets once a day. However, since I also have an anemone who has more demanding dietary needs, I feed him a few mysis shrimp every other day or so. To test my phosphates and nitrates I just use a basic API testing kit. I also haven't used any filters specifically for removing phosphates or nitrates, I just run carbon. The tank that has this problem is a Biocube 32 gallon, with many thriving corals. I wouldn't want to deprive the corals of their light, so I keep the light on from 9 AM to 6 PM. What lighting schedule is best for LPS?

Again, thank you guys for being so helpful

Hello

i too went through the same issue, my basic API testing kit was showing 0 phosphate, after researching i knew i must have phosphate for the amount of diatoms and green hair algae to grow. i bought a Hanna phosphorus digital testing kit, recommended by BRS (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SFMWRG0fRM) after testing it my phosphate level was over 0.613, i was aiming at 0.02, even though the API said it was 0!

so after ruling out anything other than tank water being the issue (lights and feeding was fine as well as ro/di water) a 30% water change, a little bit of dosing and then adding a GFO/phosphate reactor my levels have dropped to 0.070, stll a bit to go, but it will continue to drop.
i would recommend getting a hanna testing kit, dose to lower the phophate, but keep an eye on the other levels, and add a phosphate reactor. As mentioned before, you do want a small amount of phosphate to feed the corals, most aim for around 0.02 ppm.

good luck

 

[detour]

I had a hair algae invasion in my 120DT. I hadn't noticed that my fuge light died and my fuge crashed, which caused issues in the system and I lost a lot of my coral (SPS). Hair algae quickly took over and I had just gotten discouraged and lax in some of my maintenance habits. I was harvesting what hair algae I could easily get to every 1-2 weeks, and eventually got to a point where it wasn't spreading - but I couldn't reach many of the areas it had taken hold (I still had colonies of zoas and polys and some softies, so I didn't want to break down my rockscape). I re-established my fuge, got more aggressive with water changes and skimming, and with the addition of supplementing Red Sea NoPo3x, turned a corner and it is now completely gone. I've increased my CUC to deal with areas of the tank I can brush/vacuum, as well as keeping up with water changes and a very healthy fuge.

It took a while - but as Conchman said, good husbandry practices is the key -