Hair Algae

[GoPhish]

What is the best way to prevent hair algae

 

[lvpd186]

Honestly probably good husbandry. Keep your nutrient levels in check, don't over feed, keep up with water changes, etc. IMO hair algae is usually the end result of problems with the tank.

 

[Jerry W]

Honestly probably good husbandry. Keep your nutrient levels in check, don't over feed, keep up with water changes, etc. IMO hair algae is usually the end result of problems with the tank.

Agreed.

 

[droth335]

Agreed.

Agreed. To me the good husbandry practices to prevent HA are:

- don't overfeed
- regular water changes
- turkey baster blast liverock at least weekly to get detritus in water column
- run GFO

 

[Michael]

another agreed here, one thing though, if you have some get your hand in the tank and try to pull some out as well as the advice given by the above.

 

[Sk8r]

It feeds on phosphate. You get some phosphate from the live rock: it will release it slowly, and when that is all gone, the algae thing gets better. But it also arrives in tapwater, if not filtered out by a ro/di filter. Ways to remove it include a fuge, a GFO reactor (Phosguard, Phosban) or Polyfilter.

 

[GoPhish]

What is GFO?

 

[sedor]

Its a product that is run in a reactor in order to remove PO4 from the system. Bulk Reef Supply sells some that is very popular and it most people who use it and using it in place of a refugium.

 

[GoPhish]

If I have a refugium do I need GFO?

 

[GT3]

If I have a refugium do I need GFO?

No if you have a good amount of cheato in there, they eat phosphate good!

I also have some small amount of green hair algae growing on my rocks, but I also see most of my other rocks are covering with coraline agree from time to time so I guess I wouldnt bother with my hair algae, they will turn coraline after they starve.

 

[sedor]

GFO and a refugium will just fight each other to win the same battle...so no.

 

[Whisperer]

Export nutrients/waste with protein skimmer and macroalgae. Careful balance between exporting nutrients and feeding leaves little for hair algae to thrive .

 

[droth335]

What is GFO?

GFO = Granular Ferric Oxide and is used as described above to remove phosphates.

Personnally, I use GFO as well as macro algae (chaeto) and still get good chaeto growth. While it may be a "belt and suspenders" approach I've never had an issue with hair algae in this tank....and hopefully will keep it that way!