hair algae remover

[cmchap]

Could it be?... I just called my LFS to inquire as to whether he may have a Sea hare available for sale but he did not... he did however suggest a product called SAT which supposedly is a bacterial additive which in 2 - 4 weeks does well to eliminate most hair algae problems. He stated that as it is a bacterial product it is not harmful to other tank inhabitants. I know that when one is confronted with some hair algae he/she would do well to understand where the root cause of the problem lies and adjust for excess phosphates, lighting issues etc. but shy of this a product which could knock down hair algae with no noted ill effects sounds great to me...anyone ever hear of the product SAT?
Thanks...

 

[Sk8r]

Ohhh, this sounds like the start of a scary event. I confess I don't know SAT. But I don't trust it at all when people tell me to drop a mystery cure into my reef, no matter how reef-safe they say it is. I'd say get a pincushion urchin [you can catch them easily] or mail order a sea hare [I think Foster/Smith has them]. It's way cheaper than a mystery ingredient may be, in terms of consequences to your tank. Reefs and their sandbeds are so delicate, and thank goodness you're doing your research before moving on it. Here's one fast vote no, on general principles. Maybe someone else knows what it is.

 

[Critter]

Re: hair algae remover

I had GHA (and still a little left), I bought a sea hare and some snails and I bought Marine SAT. I wanted to try and get rid of it with the hare and snails first... The sea hare wonderd around for an hour on the rocks and then dissapeard and I havn't see him in three weeks. Anyhow, I've doesed twice now the SAT and the first thing I noticed is the green hair turned a brownish after about 1 week. Also I noticed that regrowth of the GHA has stoped. So I started scraping the glass and cathing the larger stuff in a net and removed manually. When I started my entire back wall and one side panel was covered, now the amount I have left is less then what would fit in your hand. And even with scraping now its not cathing and growing on my rocks as it did when I first started scarping and not knowing what it was going to do. So for the SAT, I'm only two weeks into it, but I would say it stops the growth of the GHA allowing you to remove it. It won't remove it, that is still up to you.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7990330#post7990330 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cmchap
Could it be?... I just called my LFS to inquire as to whether he may have a Sea hare available for sale but he did not... he did however suggest a product called SAT which supposedly is a bacterial additive which in 2 - 4 weeks does well to eliminate most hair algae problems. He stated that as it is a bacterial product it is not harmful to other tank inhabitants. I know that when one is confronted with some hair algae he/she would do well to understand where the root cause of the problem lies and adjust for excess phosphates, lighting issues etc. but shy of this a product which could knock down hair algae with no noted ill effects sounds great to me...anyone ever hear of the product SAT?
Thanks...

 

[coralnut99]

It may very well stop the gha from growing any further. I think the worst thing it could do is kill it. Because now you'll have to remove all that dead and decaying organic matter before it really causes a problem. So by itself, it may be reef safe and have no ill effects........except the aftermath. If you're really at wits end with it, I would say go for it (I know, I'm caving in), but be well prepared to remove all the dead gha. What I think you'll find yourself doing is a bunch of water changes, that may very well get you to the same place with just a little more patience.

btw, though it's quite a ride from you, something fishy usually has sea hares in stock. If you go that route be aware that you should acclimate them VERY slowly. I'm talking a slow drip over several hours.

 

[Critter]

For sure.. I re-instated my phosban reactor, incresed my cheto light period, reduced my main light period, replaced my lights, changed out my nitrate sponge. And have started weekly 10% water changes. But I had done all this before the SAT and until the SAT I didn't really notice anything. At this point I probably won't dose any more. I also ordered the Octopus NW150 which should be here Friday. I was away from my tank for 2 months and had low water flow and high tank temps in that period so this is the price I have to pay.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7993252#post7993252 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coralnut99
It may very well stop the gha from growing any further. I think the worst thing it could do is kill it. Because now you'll have to remove all that dead and decaying organic matter before it really causes a problem. So by itself, it may be reef safe and have no ill effects........except the aftermath. If you're really at wits end with it, I would say go for it (I know, I'm caving in), but be well prepared to remove all the dead gha. What I think you'll find yourself doing is a bunch of water changes, that may very well get you to the same place with just a little more patience.

btw, though it's quite a ride from you, something fishy usually has sea hares in stock. If you go that route be aware that you should acclimate them VERY slowly. I'm talking a slow drip over several hours.

 

[lawmary]

It took me about 6 months to get rid of my hair algae through purchasing fish and inverts that eat it and detritus. I think your tank is just going through a natural cycle.
I stayed away from sea hares.

 

[Mal3]

One way to get rid of it is a razor blade for the glass, a brush for the liverock and siphon it out. Cure the cause!

Red Sea Sailfin Tangs love the stuff! When I put mine in the tank, it cleaned out my tank in two days, when I had a tun of it!

 

[zooqi]

How old is the tank ? How it started ? Is it an algae that tang can eat or is Bryopsis ?

 

[Dr4g0nf1y]

I was able to defeat hair algae in my tank using AZNO3 to help remove the nitrates. The Marine SAT is using the same principle except AZNO3 promotes the growth of the bacteria that is already in your tank and SAT is adding bacteria.

The bacterial bloom that you end up causing will fixate the nitrogen in the nitrate and render it useless for the hair algae. I experienced no losses or ill effects from the AZNO3.

Since I know you're in my area I have a good idea on who's pushing the product to you and he's pushed it to me too. I just went for the AZNO3 because I had never heard of the SAT.

In case you're curious here's my thread on it.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=620010