green hair algea
- Thread starter JenC4517
- Start date
CeaHorseMaShell
New member
do you know if your seahorse was tank raised?
JennyL
New member
Hi Jen,
This can be caused by a number of things. Water quality, over feeding, lighting (old bulbs), etc.
Try turning off your tank lights for a period of 48 hours and doing a large water change.
You need to find the cause of the problem, not just a quick fix.
Be sure you clean out any uneaten excess foods in the tank right away. If there is excess foods, you are over feeding and need to cut back a little.
This can be caused by a number of things. Water quality, over feeding, lighting (old bulbs), etc.
Try turning off your tank lights for a period of 48 hours and doing a large water change.
You need to find the cause of the problem, not just a quick fix.
Be sure you clean out any uneaten excess foods in the tank right away. If there is excess foods, you are over feeding and need to cut back a little.
POOR YOU!!! I feel really sorry for u. Hair algea is a pain in the a**! I know I had it. I spent hundreds of dollars trying to rid myself of it, but nothing worked! Some things that I tried that didnt work: Cooking my live rock, Burning my live rock, Got a new skimmer, stopped feeding my tank, turned my lights out for over 2 weeks, did water changes every day, got snails, seahare, hermits, and macros, used phosphate removers, I even manually scraped it off my rocks for over a month! NOTHING WORKED!
My advice to you! clean your sand bed! siphon it over and over and get all the detritus out. Then, do a 50 percent water change every 4 days for the next 2 weeks. Then stand back, and look arround the room where your tank is.
If it is anywhere near a window that gets lots of sun, there is your problem right there. If that is your problem, You will either need to move the tank, or tint the window. you can get window tint at homedepot i beleive, and any auto stoor. It would be a plastic film stuff that you stick to the window.
Also, what does your cleenup crew consist of?
Another
My advice to you! clean your sand bed! siphon it over and over and get all the detritus out. Then, do a 50 percent water change every 4 days for the next 2 weeks. Then stand back, and look arround the room where your tank is.
If it is anywhere near a window that gets lots of sun, there is your problem right there. If that is your problem, You will either need to move the tank, or tint the window. you can get window tint at homedepot i beleive, and any auto stoor. It would be a plastic film stuff that you stick to the window.
Also, what does your cleenup crew consist of?
Another
hawkfish21
New member
My tank sits next to a window and I don't have hair algae. I think this is a major myth.
ReefNutPA
New member
Jen, it's a very dangerous thing to siphon the sandbed of an established tank for any reason. I'd not recommend doing that - unless there is no alternative and not until all livestock is removed.
More often than not, siphoning will disrupt the biological filtration causing an ammonia spike for a short period which could kill the inverts (causing more spikes) and stressing the horses.
Something is feuling the algae growth. Most likely phosphates and/or silicates in the water. Frozen mysis shrimp, being high in proteins, can deteriorate water quality.
It's a good habit to start doing and continue to do weekly water changes on the tank. More often if needed until the algae problem corrects itself.
Poly-filter pads work well in removing phosphate from a tank and can be cut to fit in any HOB filter or canister filter. Other media, such as phosphate sponges and other granular phosphate removers can also help control phosphates.
If you have no caulerpa and such, I'd recommend keeping the light completely off except for an hour or two per day for feeding. That combined with water changes and lowering phosphate levels should help the situation.
Once a hair algae problem gets real severe it can take months to correct the problem, unfortunately. As whatnot found out, once a hobbyist lets things get out of control it can feel like an uphill losing battle. It's imperative, especially in low-flow seahorse tanks, to always keep the water in pristine condition and never let uneaten food in the tank.
The conditions of most hobbyists seahorse tanks are perfect conditions for algae growth so care must be taken when setting up the tank to ensure there is adequate flow, but not too much. And to do regular water changes at all times to keep nutrients in the water down to a minimum.
Tom
More often than not, siphoning will disrupt the biological filtration causing an ammonia spike for a short period which could kill the inverts (causing more spikes) and stressing the horses.
Something is feuling the algae growth. Most likely phosphates and/or silicates in the water. Frozen mysis shrimp, being high in proteins, can deteriorate water quality.
It's a good habit to start doing and continue to do weekly water changes on the tank. More often if needed until the algae problem corrects itself.
Poly-filter pads work well in removing phosphate from a tank and can be cut to fit in any HOB filter or canister filter. Other media, such as phosphate sponges and other granular phosphate removers can also help control phosphates.
If you have no caulerpa and such, I'd recommend keeping the light completely off except for an hour or two per day for feeding. That combined with water changes and lowering phosphate levels should help the situation.
Once a hair algae problem gets real severe it can take months to correct the problem, unfortunately. As whatnot found out, once a hobbyist lets things get out of control it can feel like an uphill losing battle. It's imperative, especially in low-flow seahorse tanks, to always keep the water in pristine condition and never let uneaten food in the tank.
The conditions of most hobbyists seahorse tanks are perfect conditions for algae growth so care must be taken when setting up the tank to ensure there is adequate flow, but not too much. And to do regular water changes at all times to keep nutrients in the water down to a minimum.
Tom
i found that lowering the temp helped out my hair algae problem. i'd been keeping a hangon MH over my aqarium (temp was at 78). i then took the MH off, put the plain ole screw in bulbs that came w/ hood of stand, temp stays at 70 (much better for SH's anyway) and hair algae is still there in itsy bitsy quantities, but it's not growing at all!
TamiW
Seahorse Wrangler
Turbo snails are hair algae eating machines. However, remember this is a band-aid solution and you need to work on the water quality issues.
Have you tested your nitrates and phosphates? Do you use tap water or Reverse Osmosis water? If you're using tap water, I suggest switching to reverse osmosis. At the very least, test the tap water for nitrates and phosphates.
What do you have for a nutrient export system? As mentioned above, seahorse tanks are nutrient rich tanks. Frequently, water changes alone are not enough to keep the nutrient levels down. Skimmers, a refugium, a true dsb, chemical removers, etc . . . are all options for removing nitrate. Without something additional to remove the excess waste, you're likely to have these kinds of problems.
Have you tested your nitrates and phosphates? Do you use tap water or Reverse Osmosis water? If you're using tap water, I suggest switching to reverse osmosis. At the very least, test the tap water for nitrates and phosphates.
What do you have for a nutrient export system? As mentioned above, seahorse tanks are nutrient rich tanks. Frequently, water changes alone are not enough to keep the nutrient levels down. Skimmers, a refugium, a true dsb, chemical removers, etc . . . are all options for removing nitrate. Without something additional to remove the excess waste, you're likely to have these kinds of problems.
SaltyMember
Premium Member
Agree with the other recommendations. I beat an awful hair algae outbreak 2 yrs ago with a combination of frequent large water changes, decreased light period and adding large mexican turbo snails. It took almost 2 months to be fully rid of it.
pledosophy
Active member
IME Hair algae has always been associated with low PH. I don't test for PH often, honestly. If I notice some HA out comes the test kit and the buffer.
The other suggestions are good.
I made a nitrate filter for the sump out of seachem's denitrate, a aquafine water bottle and a rio 90. Thing cost me 20 bucks dropped nitrates to 0 on my 65g tank in three days.
Just because the tests read 0 for nitrate of phosphate, with a large amoun of alage they could be present, and being used by the alage. JME
The other suggestions are good.
I made a nitrate filter for the sump out of seachem's denitrate, a aquafine water bottle and a rio 90. Thing cost me 20 bucks dropped nitrates to 0 on my 65g tank in three days.
Just because the tests read 0 for nitrate of phosphate, with a large amoun of alage they could be present, and being used by the alage. JME
