hair algae getting out of control
- Thread starter suprzman
- Start date
kmk2307
Active member
Hi Z,
I don't believe there are any shrimp that are useful herbivores for reef tanks. Do you have a pictue of the algae? Do you test your nitrates and phosphates? If so, what are they? What kind of filtration and water movement do you have? What kind of lighting do you have? Do you use RO/DI or another type of purified water to mix your saltwater and topoff? Do you have any snails, crabs, or other herbivores now? Do you grow any plants or macroalgae?
Keeping your nitrates below 10 and phosphates at zero are the best way to get rid of unwanted hair algae. A variety of snails is probably your best bet as far as herbivores go. Some urchins are useful too. Check out Diadema and "tuxedo" urchins. Growing a macroalgae like caulerpa in your main tank or setting up a refugium / algae filter where you grow algae like caulerpa or chaetomorpha can also help take nutrients away from the hair algae.
Kevin
I don't believe there are any shrimp that are useful herbivores for reef tanks. Do you have a pictue of the algae? Do you test your nitrates and phosphates? If so, what are they? What kind of filtration and water movement do you have? What kind of lighting do you have? Do you use RO/DI or another type of purified water to mix your saltwater and topoff? Do you have any snails, crabs, or other herbivores now? Do you grow any plants or macroalgae?
Keeping your nitrates below 10 and phosphates at zero are the best way to get rid of unwanted hair algae. A variety of snails is probably your best bet as far as herbivores go. Some urchins are useful too. Check out Diadema and "tuxedo" urchins. Growing a macroalgae like caulerpa in your main tank or setting up a refugium / algae filter where you grow algae like caulerpa or chaetomorpha can also help take nutrients away from the hair algae.
Kevin
hey Kevin,
i actually just started the tank a day or two ago, and as of yet i havent added anything but herbivores like hermit crabs, snails, and one urchin. and actually the rock i put in is already cured, so there shouldnt have been much of a cycle. though i'm sure there was die off from the change in tanks, and the moving process, so that might be it. there was some hair algae already on the rock, that i couldnt clean off, but it seems as if it might have grown. the water was RO/DI purified, and as of now i have no sump/refugium set up with macroalgae, though that will be the next step.
i will check the phosphates and nitrates, and i've been told to try carbon and phospa-ban, or something like that.
thanks for the advice,
Z.
i actually just started the tank a day or two ago, and as of yet i havent added anything but herbivores like hermit crabs, snails, and one urchin. and actually the rock i put in is already cured, so there shouldnt have been much of a cycle. though i'm sure there was die off from the change in tanks, and the moving process, so that might be it. there was some hair algae already on the rock, that i couldnt clean off, but it seems as if it might have grown. the water was RO/DI purified, and as of now i have no sump/refugium set up with macroalgae, though that will be the next step.
i will check the phosphates and nitrates, and i've been told to try carbon and phospa-ban, or something like that.
thanks for the advice,
Z.
PROBLEM SOLVED
PROBLEM SOLVED
dude cming from someone who had hair algae for over a year i know how to get rid of it. A product called AZ-no3 from www.marinedepot.com will solve it if you dose regularly for long enough (months maybe) also start up a fuge and that will help too. all of my parameters were perfect too but still had algae.... hope this helps,
Brett
PROBLEM SOLVED
dude cming from someone who had hair algae for over a year i know how to get rid of it. A product called AZ-no3 from www.marinedepot.com will solve it if you dose regularly for long enough (months maybe) also start up a fuge and that will help too. all of my parameters were perfect too but still had algae.... hope this helps,
Brett
i'll check it out.Similar threads
