Hair Algae

[LouPhoenix]

The hair algae is starting to get to me. I cut down the photoperiod by two hours. I've been doing 20% water changes every 3-4 days (its the best I can do), i've cut down feeding to a few times a week, phosphates, nitrates, nitrites read at zero or near zero. I've only been using RO water for top offs and i've added a troop of turbos who seem more interested in the glass than the actual hair algae.

I'm thinking about a sea hare. Are they biological time bombs (like cucumbers?) Is there anything (reef-friendly) that will absolutely eat the hair algae? I've already got hermits and snails, but they've been good at picking out the small stuff and keeping the glass clean.

Interestingly, the excessive growth seems localized to a specific area of the tank -the front, namely- I've been feeding from the back of the tank to keep food from settling on the hair, and the light penetrates equally on all sides of the tank, so I wonder why it stays on that side only.

 

[ek9vboi]

Have you tried to scrap it off? Clean the area daily since its glass.

 

[LouPhoenix]

The problem algae is not actually growing in the glass, it is growin on a couple of plate-shaped live rocks (which are impossible to remove without re-doing the entire tank), so scraping them would spread more loose algae in the tank, which I understand would lead to more algae spots elsewhere.

Do I simply need to be doing more frequent water changes? I'm trying to figure out what i'm doing wrong...

 

[scubasteve247]

yeah def add a sea hare, they are not timebombs and just trade it back into you LFS when all the algea is gone, otherwise it will starve.

i would recomend a flat back or a dwarf sea hare.

 

[ezdive]

I have had luck with Mexican Turbo snails. I usually just place them on the patch and they go to town.

 

[LouPhoenix]

I was reading about them... I know they release some sort of ink when disturbed... I wonder if it is toxic.

I also read that they will only eat algae that matches their coloration. i.e. a red hare will only eat red algae, etc.

In any case, I wonder what stores in Miami currently have sea hares in stock?

 

[BFISHMAN]

How old are your bulbs?

 

[LouPhoenix]

Power Compacts... maybe 2 months old.

 

[ReefWreak]

They won't ink unless you've got a fish that likes to eat inverts. You should brush the hair off while doing a water change, and put the siphoning hose right next to the algae, so it just gets sucked out. Otherwise, some suggestions from battling it for so long is macroalgae. Macroalgae does wonders.

 

[jessp]

do less water changes

 

[LouPhoenix]

I thought more water changes would be beneficial....

I haven't had time to go pick up Chaeto from Abengochea -who kindly offered some- but i'll try to get it sometime this week. Hopefully it will help.

 

[jessp]

sometimes you add nutrients when you do a water change and you i think can do to many to frequently.

i could be wrong though.

 

[LouPhoenix]

Dunno... I thought that the waste simmering in the old tank water would amount to more nutrients than those in freshly introduced water....

 

[jessp]

i know it sounds weird. are you making water or buying nsw?

 

[LouPhoenix]

Buying NSW. I don't have an RO/DI filter, so I'm limited to what I can buy, waterwise.

 

[jessp]

the nsw could have nutrients in it that the hair algae likes. could be all kinds of stuff in it, i use it myself so i can't knock you for that. when i had a slime algae problem someone else told me not as many water changes. I was doing them frequent like you and it did seem to slow down after i did less changes. my 37 has like 30 snails and 25 hermits as well and a fuge so it could be that as well.