Green Hair Algae

[Sk8r]

Toothbrush, wind and yank, watch it doesn't clog your downflow teeth; but to do the most good, a GFO reactor (about 50.00) with a load of medium changed monthly until you see the algae thin out and finally die out. THe problem is phosphate, which leaches out of rock and sand (and tap water) and until you've exported it from the tank (eaters only poo it back in) you'll be seeing the green. If I dropped a rock with it into my tank, it would lose its algae within a week...nothing eating it, just not that much phosphate for it to use.

 

[homer1475]

Battling the cr*p myself, and have been for the last 6 months. My tank looks horrible and all my corals are really suffering(some zoas have been strangled right out).

This is a tank upgrade and I started with all dry pukani(I apparently didn't soak them in seaklear long enough). I will admit that the last couple months haven't been the greatest of times for me as its the busiest time of the year at work and I do nothing but work and sleep. So the tank has been getting neglected as far as husbandry goes.

Now that I have some ME time again, I'll get it in check with some manual pulling, aggressive GFO use, Weekly WC's, and a couple weeks of 3 day blackouts.

 

[RobZilla04]

Same issue here. Read tons of threads on it, got blue leg hermits, turbos, etc.

I've learned patience and persistence work best. Reactor w/ GFO plus pulling/brushing along with water changes works. The key is don't expect results in just two or three weeks.

 

[wildman926]

Short term - use API's Algaefix Marine. Search for a thread about it's success here on RC.

Long term - deploy an ATS and never look back.

I have actually done this method, and after 2.5 years, I have not had any nuisance algae except where I want to grow it, in the ATS.

 

[MondoBongo]

Short term - use API's Algaefix Marine. Search for a thread about it's success here on RC.

Long term - deploy an ATS and never look back.

I have actually done this method, and after 2.5 years, I have not had any nuisance algae except where I want to grow it, in the ATS.

i've had this AlgaeFix stuff recommended to me as well, but i'm reticent to try it since i'm not confident it wouldn't hurt my corals, and desirable macro algae.

 

[ssick92]

I bought a lettuce nudibranch and it completely eliminated the algae covering a 30g tank in a week. It popped up because I originally used tap water to fill the tank (before I found this site), but after a few large water changes (with RO/DI) and a week with a lettuce nudibranch my battle was over.

The nudibranch will only get rid of the algae, but will not get rid of the underlying cause of the algae so it is important to still figure out why you are getting the algae in the first place.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+524+724&pcatid=724

 

[ajoe]

Molly Miller Blenny to the rescue. Goodbye GHA. Puts a Lawnmower Blenny to shame IMO. Also, ..full of personality and a fun addition to any tank. You will need to supplement feeding with protein and GA wafers once they reduce the GHA in the tank. They don't bother a thing in my tank other than the GHA.

 

[StrangeDejavu]

i've had this AlgaeFix stuff recommended to me as well, but i'm reticent to try it since i'm not confident it wouldn't hurt my corals, and desirable macro algae.

I wouldn't dare put it in a reef tank personally. I can't speak for the marine version, but I used regular AlgaeFix on a planted tank once. I had an amphipod infestation in a newly set up shrimp tank (good in saltwater, but in freshwater amphipods will attack baby shrimp). A double dose killed all amphipods in the tank in a matter of hours. The plants I had just planted were also hit kinda hard. A specific Ludwigia species took almost a month to bounce back to normal. I couldn't imagine doing a half dose of that and exposing it to coral.

 

[MondoBongo]

I wouldn't dare put it in a reef tank personally. I can't speak for the marine version, but I used regular AlgaeFix on a planted tank once. I had an amphipod infestation in a newly set up shrimp tank (good in saltwater, but in freshwater amphipods will attack baby shrimp). A double dose killed all amphipods in the tank in a matter of hours. The plants I had just planted were also hit kinda hard. A specific Ludwigia species took almost a month to bounce back to normal. I couldn't imagine doing a half dose of that and exposing it to coral.

That's good to know. Thank you!

I'm always wary of using chemical "cures" for anything. Looks like I was probably justified here.