Hair algae?Disolved organics?

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buzzbait00

New member
Ive got a outbreak of hair algae.Can't shake it!
ph-8.2
kh-9 dkh
sal.-1.025
cal-460/480
rite-0
rate-below 5 to 0ppm
PO4-Less than 0.1 to 0.1ppm
these numbers are mine and have been double cheaked at CRA

I have heard if you have nussance algae you have a nitrate or phosphate problem.Well my numbers are pretty good!
I think Eric Bornman(spell police)Said you can put a white piece of paper on one side of the tank.look through the tank and if it doesent look white you have alot of disolved organics.Well mine didn't look white.With all the blue lights I don't see how it could!?Is their a more pacific test for disolved organics?Could disolved organics be fueling the nussence algae?Or my big question!!Is nussance algae just part of it?Some are just lucky and some are not??
 
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Do you use activated carbon? GAC can adsorb some dissolved organics. Algae is good at sequestering phosphate and nitrate as soon as they are generated and our hobby grade test kits does not really measure them all that accurately.

You need to keep nitrate and phosphate low, but herbivores also help a lot to keep them mowed down. Have you tried Mexican turbo snails? Rabbitfish and algae eating nudi/sea hare help, too. I try to keep a variety of herbivores to keep algae mowed down. I don't think any aquarium is completely devoid of algae. Some are just better maintained to keep the outbreaks from occurring.

Tomoko
 
How can I get phosphates and nitrates any lower?No Im not useing carbon right now but im fixin to hook up a mag 350 full of carbon and run it for a few days.I've also added ferric hydroxide(pura phoslock)bout a week ago.I've got one big turbo.A few torcheous,few left Hander crabs 10 blue legs,medium yellow tang lawnmower blenny for herbivores.Did have two sea hares.One got in my seioRIPand the other I found dead in the middle of a ric!RIPI think the ric killed it but I do;t know for sure.I need some more turbos and sea hares How about another Florida pets group order????
 
I suppose some fish and critters are really hit or miss when it comes to eating algae.

My lawnmower blenny don't eat hair algae. He eats mainly the filmy thing (diatom and green filmy algae probably) on glass and rock surfaces. I hear about some lawnmower blenny eating hair algae. I don't know if left handed crabs and hermit crabs eat derbasia, either, although they are great leftover cleaner-uppers. My rabbitfish eat red bubble algae, but not filamentous algae like derbasia. I have seen Rainford's gobies actually eating hair algae in a few shops.

I would imagine that your phosphate reading will go further down with GFO in your tank. Nitrate wise, aggressive skimming and the periodic use of GAC help to keep it low.

Anytime there is a death in a tank, there comes ammonia. A small amount of ammonia really fuels the algae growth - a lot better than nitrate can. If you have a powerhead with an uncovered intake opening in your tank, I would stay away from nudibranch and sea hares, although Darrel and Lucy periodically get these nudibranch that erradicated hair/turf algae really quickly.

If no one else wants to get in on a group order, I would check with CRA or The Aquarium Shop for Mexican Turbo snails. You just need half a dozen or so of those things for your 75G. I know LFS like The Aquarium Shop charges almost $7 for a large Mexican Turbo (a little cheaper by the dozen), but by the time you add shipping to half a dozen Turbo at Florida Pets ($3.25 ea), the cost will even out.

A bad thing about Mexican Turbo is that they are not tolerant of a high temp. In my reef tank they usually last 6 months or so. Other type turbo snails live a lot longer. But Mexicans are so good at keeping algae in check. They also love to eat all your red macroalgae as well. I think I have only one or two right now in my 120.

Tomoko
 
i officially no longer look at hair algae as a nuisance. i now harvest it daily to help fight ANOTHER cyano outbreak.

i'm worried about getting nudis...what happens if the hair algae is ever in check? then what do they eat?

besides turbos, what is sturdy that eats algae?

i have a few lefties, a lawnmower, sea cuke, the little snails with the one giant probiscus in front, and two blue hermits.

other critters are rbta, gsm, sally lightfoot, peppermint, porcelain, sand sifting star.

what else will help this issue?

thanks for starting this thread 8...i was afraid to bring it up again...

tim
 
Tim,

I would not worry about nudi starving if you are fighting a bad hair algae battle. If it ever comes to the point of not having enough to keep them fed, give the critter away to someone who needs them. I have lost a few nudis in the past several years, but nothing bad happened to my tanks. It's really not like losing a giant sea apple or a cuke unless yours is really huge. If you are worried about losing an animal, I'd be concerned about that sand sifting star. They tend to starve to death fairly quickly in an aquarium.

There are many grazers that eat algae. Here are three part articles on grazing snails by Dr. Ron Shimek:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/index.php
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rs/index.php
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/rs/index.php

If you are interested in more articles by Dr. Ron, check out his site:
http://www.ronshimek.com/Online Articles 1.htm

What else will help the issue of algae? Keep your nitrate and phosphate down. Don't overstock your tank and don't overfeed.

Tomoko
 
Thanks Tomoko,
I going to see what the phoslock does,Lower my skimmer cup,run carbon in a canister filter for a few days and get some more turbo's.See what happens!By the way its not all bad.Claudia thinks the green moss on the rocks is pretty!
 
Does anyone have a nudi they dont really need anymore?

Good articles on snails...he didnt specifically say 'this snail=this algae' so does that mean if the algae grows on that part of the tank the snail inhabits, he'll eat it?

with my luck, i'll get a few glass cleaners that wont touch hair!!!
 
For me the best hair algae eater I've had is my Fox Face rabbit. My sailfin and my naso also eat it.. But I think they eat it just cause the Fox face does.. I also agree with tomoko though its pretty much hit or miss. I had a blue line rabbit in my 72 that kept it spotless and was one of my favorite fish! He jumped in my overflow and died when I took down the tank :(. I got another one for my 92 a month or so ago to keep the algae in check. Well this one doesn't touch hair algae. But IMO for a 75+ size tank I would give some kind of rabbit fish a try.. Even if your water is perfect your going to have spots of algae here and there. Keeping your levels low just helps slow the algae's growth. You need some kind of herbivore keep it mowed down.

BTW if you want to test disolved organics its VERY simple. dont bother with the paper cause like you said your lights are blue so not much help.. Get a large white plastic cup like you get a fast food joints.. Fill it with your tank water now take the cup outside or just anywhere you have good light and look in it.. If the water has a yellow/brown tint then you have disolved organics and need to run some carbon.HTH

Will
 
Tim,

Get a variety of snails and stop worrying about which one eats what. They don't read so they won't follow what's written anyways ;)

Tomoko
 
Yea I had heard that rabbit fish were good!I had my eye on one at cra but didn get it becouse I want another tang and don't want to overstock.I might go ahead and get one though.
 
Well if you get a tang you might get lucky and get one that eats it. Like I said my sailfin seems to eat most any algae. Read around some tangs seem to do better then others with algae. I would for sure keep your live stock in mind.. If you add a bunch of critters to eat the algae but end up over stocking your tank then you will just be adding to the problem.. The only reason why I said I would try a Rabbit is cause your levels don't seem to be the problem.. I run phosban good skimmer, I use nothing but Ro/Di all my levels are where they should be. Even with all that I'm sure If I took my tangs and my rabbit fish out of my 180 I would have spots of algae with in a couple of weeks.

Snails help but I never seem to be able to keep them long term. Seems like I have to get a dozen of them every few months. You still need snails but I think fish that graze on the stuff seem to be a more long term fix.


Tim I agree with Tomoko, Just get a variety of them. Mexican Turbos do seem to do more for Hair algae then any of the other ones do. But all of them will help with algae.

Will
 
Claudia thinks the green moss on the rocks is pretty!
Click to expand...

LOL, beauty is in the eyes of the beholders. Whatever works to keep her happy, right? :)

If you are thinking about using some snails to keep filamentous algae in check, I recommend that you try to remove the algae manually as much as possible. Snails and nudibranch seem to like young tender sprouts. They tend to ignore the tough old ones until they run out of food.

If you can take a rock out, you should scrub the algae with a tooth brush to remove them and pour boiling water on the scrubbed spot. You should rinse the rock with salt water to get rid of any loose debris on the rocks before returning the rock to the tank.

Tomoko
 
Will,
I did the cup thing.I like that aproach better.I saw no yellow tent.So maby my D.O. are not to high.

Yea Tomoko my Yellow Tang eats all around the thick stuff.Likes the new tender growth.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9750445#post9750445 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tomoko Schum
I suppose some fish and critters are really hit or miss when it comes to eating algae.

My lawnmower blenny don't eat hair algae. He eats mainly the filmy thing (diatom and green filmy algae probably) on glass and rock surfaces. I hear about some lawnmower blenny eating hair algae.
Click to expand...

My lawnmower is the same way, He occasionally eats hair algae, but mostly just the green film. I bought an Emerald Mithrax Crab yesterday for bubble algae, placed him in the tank right next to a large patch of bubble and he turned to the rock behind him and started pulling up and eating hair.
 
Could we sort out a group buy of GAC, If we can make it big enough I wont mind taking delivery & splitting it out.

Andy
 
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