Hair Algae!

But wasn't there a (former) Amish wise man who said that one should not purchase and count on the tank inhabitants to control problems in the tank as this was not a cure, just hiding the symptoms of the true problem?
 
Bottom line if you have hair algae is that you have too many nutrients (phosphates/nitrates). You just have to figure out why those extra nutrients are there and try to reduce them. A complete description of your tank setup and how long it's been running would be very helpful.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7251085#post7251085 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shooter7
But wasn't there a (former) Amish wise man who said that one should not purchase and count on the tank inhabitants to control problems in the tank as this was not a cure, just hiding the symptoms of the true problem?
Click to expand...

I agree 100%. In general, I recommend not buying critters to actually eat the algae. Although if you don't have enough of a cleanup crew that is a good thing to improve to fix this. You just have to reduce/remove the nutrients that make it grow.
 
if its on your glass just use an old credit card or a blockbuster member card, somethang like that

otherwise I always like snails you can see their tracks through the stuff like a lawn mower
 
I know that you have to find the source. Eventually you will. But if you don't like looking and waiting, then you buy something or temporary relief. Plus it's more fun to go and buy a new animal I think! Yet, I totally agree that you will have to find the source. I never found my source, but there's no hair algae anywhere! So maybe there was no source. Maybe it was new tank syndrome or maybe just a rock with some hair algae on it to begin with. Either way it's now gone and this fat angel won't dare let it grow!
 
agreed you should attack the root of the problem. i find that a couple of the big turbo's in my 46 keep everything in check.. plus they keep the powerheads clean and the spots in the tank i cant get. maybe 1 would be better. plus you can always donate them back after the root issue has been resolved.
 
Turbos are great for grazing but the #$%&$^&(#$% things constantly bulldoze frags. I've had candycanes shoved way down into holes and the turbos still manage to knock them over.
 
2 ways to look at that problem. If the nutrient build up is due to a LACK of clean up crew, then the solution is biological. But if you have to have an inappropriate high level of critters to keep up with it, then it won't fix anything, just mask it for awhile. Usually more flow fixes most problems since our tanks can't even compare to the thousands or hundreds of thousands of turnover rate the ocean has. Kole tangs like to eat hair as well as any bristletooth tang. Also those lettuce sea slugs sometimes called lettuce nudibraches will eat it until it runs out then die or trade them off to the next guy posting he has a hair algae problem.
 
BTW, we never have seen the tank parameters/equipment yet which is really the start of figuring the problem out.
 
He was in here this morning.

I'm going with the conspiracy theory...his significant other is pulling the HA out of somebody else's tank and sticking in his. :bum:
 
He's only had 2 posts so he hasn't become reefcentral addicted yet. We need to help him with that problem before the hair algae problem. :lol:
 
I'm a lot better. Mine was just a sinus/allergy thing I think but last night our littlest one Jack started puking, then Carson came home from daycare with my mom and he was puking in her car on the way home. So after cleaning up all that and holding them I may be due up for that one especially since I'm already run down and that resembled nothing I was feeling. I'll know in a day or two. Better not hit me on Sat. I have an all day training class to sit in and it won't come around until this fall if I miss.
 
i have a 75 gallon....400 watts of light.....a sump with a built in protein skimmer......2-1200 powerheads,,and 1-400 powerhead... and quite a bit of hair algae on my back glass..some on rocks and other stuff..mainly back glass of tank!
i run my lights around 10 hrs a day!
 
nitrates, phosphates, temp, salinity, age of tank????

Hope you didn't mind us playing in your thread for awhile. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Please help reef tank
Replies
2
Views
605
SantaMonica
S
A
Please help reef tank
Replies
9
Views
686
wvned
wvned
D
New- skimmer question
Replies
3
Views
1K
Guygettnby
Guygettnby
J
Can anyone ID this algae
Replies
2
Views
673
wvned
wvned
J
Algae
2
Replies
23
Views
3K
griss
griss
Back
Top