Ok so I've been dealing with green hair algae for a very long time, and I've used algae fix I have an urchin I've done a million blackouts, but I've recently gotten a few acropora and when I finally turned on the lights after this last black out my one acro had lost some color, and the blackouts would keep the GHA at bay but I don't want to harm my acros. I do also run GFO. Is there any creatures that work really good? Like I said I have an urchin and I also have an emerald crab. I've heard some snails are good at it but idk which ones
Green hair algae!
- Thread starter Rob6311
- Start date
If you're running GFO and you still have hair algae, then you're not running enough. I assume you are already feeding sparingly.
Sea hares work well, but I've never had them live more than a couple weeks. And the hair algae will just grow right back anyway.
I would recommend using a toothbrush to brush off the algae and simultaneously suck it out with your water change hose.
And just keep running massive amounts of GFO.
Sea hares work well, but I've never had them live more than a couple weeks. And the hair algae will just grow right back anyway.
I would recommend using a toothbrush to brush off the algae and simultaneously suck it out with your water change hose.
And just keep running massive amounts of GFO.
Astreas are sometimes good at eating GHA but not foolproof at all. Are you sure it is GHA and perhaps not bryopsis? They look similar and sometimes mistaken. In any event, you can also try running your Mg at 1400-1450ish for a few weeks and that in my experience has been known to give it a good kicking. Hope that helps.
I have a new tank and I'm new to this, but I had hair algae the other week that was on a good bit of my rocks. I added a couple more emerald crabs, a pencil urchin and a couple turbo snails to my CUC and in two days I had basically none. I saw the emerald crabs every day around the algae. Each day a different side of the tank was pretty well cleaned up. I had a coral frag of Pipe Organ that had some algae in it and something picked it clean and the coral is looking shiny and new as well. Good luck. I hope my algae luck continues.
whosurcaddie
New member
Phos is zero because the algae is consuming it. Your GFO is most likely being exhausted faster than you think. How often do you change it.
If you have a sump I would highly recommend building an algae scrubber. Total cost is about 100$ depending on the pump you use. Honestly its a very simple build and once established is the most efficient way to keep your tank algae free.
If you don't want to go the algae scrubber route try this for a while. Change out your GFO every two weeks. Up your water changes to 15% a week and feed every other day. I'm thinking your rock might be leaching and the GFO is becoming exhausted very quickly.
If you have a sump I would highly recommend building an algae scrubber. Total cost is about 100$ depending on the pump you use. Honestly its a very simple build and once established is the most efficient way to keep your tank algae free.
If you don't want to go the algae scrubber route try this for a while. Change out your GFO every two weeks. Up your water changes to 15% a week and feed every other day. I'm thinking your rock might be leaching and the GFO is becoming exhausted very quickly.
Yeah, looks like plain old nuisance GHA to me. I'd try the GFO recommendations whosurcaddie suggested and if those don't help, try my Mg increase suggestion. I suspect it's probably a saturation of PO4 perhaps from the rock as he said though. If your rock is leaching that could be a PITA for a while.
Reeferside
New member
You can also try NoPoX, forgot what brand.. I think it was Red Sea that made it.
Another thing you can try is dosing your tank with H2O2. I've been doing it to rid my tank of dinos and its GREAT!!! My hair algae, cyano, and dino are all dying!! finally !! lol
Another thing you can try is dosing your tank with H2O2. I've been doing it to rid my tank of dinos and its GREAT!!! My hair algae, cyano, and dino are all dying!! finally !! lol
ardsman
New member
I had the same problem, I talked with someone on here who recommended a Lawnmower Blennie, I put one in along with 2 emerald crabs and the algae was decimated in 5 days, now I feed them with algae grazer rings. I added a GFO reactor after the algae cleared up and the tank is looking good.
Forget about the tests. If you have algae, you have excess nutrients.
Keep your nutrients down by reducing feeding, doing frequent water changes, and running massive amounts of GFO.
In the meantime, physically remove the green hair algae with a toothbrush and sucking it out with your water change hose.
Continue to repeat this process and the green hair algae will be gone within a couple months.
