gsp with hair algae question

[bboy aqua]

i have a nice rock covered with gsp but theres also hair algae growing out of it

i always have to pluck the hair algae off like every 2 weeks but the small traces left just grow back

i was wondering if theres any dip i can do to kill the remaining algae but not the gsp's

thats the only place in my tank that has HA growing and my ammonia trites and trates are from 0- low


my tank has been running for about 6 months so my tank went through the "stage" where the algae blooms

any suggestions welcomed

 

[ReefWidowed]

you could move the gsp to an area with higher flow....or you could take a (new never used) toothbrush and scrub it off.....I do it periodically for the same reason....if you have a fuge that you can keep dark for a few days you can try that too....or it's time for new lamps in your fixtures......or reduce excess nutrients....Good luck

 

[bboy aqua]

wouldnt scrubbing it with a toothbrush just scrape the mat right off the rock?

the higher flow thing hasnt worked for me

my nutrient lvls are on the low side

my bulb is only 5months old so that cant be it

theres no dip that can kill the algae because id prefer to do that

 

[ReefWidowed]

Nah, they are pretty resilient..I'm not saying throw your whole body weight into the brushing....but you can in fact use a toothbrush with no harm

 

[bboy aqua]

i could scrubb it but the hair algae on it is a thicker species and wont come off from scrubbing

 

[pledosophy]

if manual removal is not working, then other then a biological solution there is nothing you can do.

I have never encountered anytype of algae that will not scrubb off IME.

I would try it, just make sure you scrubb it in salt water outside of your tank so you don't spread the spores.

For biological answers emerald crabs have worked for me.

 

[BigRick08]

you could just get some turbo snails or a cucumber couldnt you?

 

[bboy aqua]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10019316#post10019316 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BigRick08
you could just get some turbo snails or a cucumber couldnt you?

i got turbos but they dont eat the HA off the gsp's

im pretty sure that the HA is growing from under the mat and coming up right through it

thats why i want to know if theres a dip that will kill the HA from the inside out

 

[32flavors]

In the reef shop I work in we get sea hares from time to time--the larger ones mowed a large patch of HA in one of our reef displays down to white rock--overnight. It was AMAZING. With sea hares you won't have hair algae, BUT they have VERY HIGH METABLISMS and must be supplemented with their own serving of seaweed each day when moderate qualities of algae aren't present. They will die of hunger in 5 days or so. But nothing BIOLOGICAL beats them.