green hair algea

[greg97527]

What will control or eat the long green hair like algea in my tank, it is getting overwhelming?
I have no luck with blennies.
I have a brown bar goby and an emerald crab.
I tried a sally light foot and will Never do that again.

 

[TheFlyingTang]

Get yourself some turbo snails, they eat like crazy.

 

[wahwoo]

Try a Sailfin Tang or a Foxface. Algae Eating Hermits. Most of all reduce those nitrates. Build a refugium and load it with different kinds of Macro Algae. Do a heavy water change.

 

[greg97527]

turbo snails do not seem to live long in my tank. My nitrate levels are zero. as for hermit crabs they ate my snails so i will look into the sailfin tang and fox face. are they compatible with the items i have in my tank?
5 damsels 1 emerald crab
1 astreas
1 brown bar goby
4 peppermint shrimp
2 pencil urchins Obletus Snails

 

[Alaskan Reefer]

Just an idea, what are the "marine grow lights" listed in your system?

 

[greg97527]

I have gotten the algea under control by turning off the lights more often now. between 8 and 9 am i turn on the marine lights and halides and turn them off at 7-8 pm at night and things seem to be calming down as far as algea growth.

 

[PatMayo]

I would still investigate the grow lights? That could be part of the problem.
You still have an 11 hour lighting period. Based on what I see in your sig you really have nothing yet that requires that long of a lighting period. You probably can reduce it to 8 hours and be in really good shape.

As well this article may help.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=147010

http://www.melevsreef.com/gha.html

Regards,

Pat

 

[Bluemorningwind]

Hey Greg,

Don't worry about your hermits hunting your snails because it doesn't happen.

However, if the snails are badly acclimatised then the snails become weak, die and then the hermits do their job.

A healthy snail will never be chased down and eaten by a hermit. It doesn't happen.

I reckon you need to work on establishing a desent CUC.

 

[greg97527]

excuse the noob question but what is CUC? and is anyone out here willing to help me get setup? i have 2 skimmers but no refugium or overflow and sump setup etc. used items would be fine as long as it all works.

 

[Jeepman3sk]

Try a phosphate sponge. the reason you have that hair algea is it is sucking up all of your phosphate. So try another method of getting rid of it

 

[akbuuur]

yellow tang will tear up that algea

 

[greg97527]

is a yellow tang compatible with everything I have in my tank listed under tank description?

 

[PatMayo]

I would not use fish to rid yourself of this problem. I would find the underlying cause and fix that. Otherwise it will be back.

Regards,

Pat

 

[Fast Fred]

I agree with Pat. Algae grows because of excess nutrients in the system. If you get a critter that eats the algae, then it poops the nutrients back out, you haven't done anything but create a new cycle of algae. You have to find out WHY you have algae growth.