Hair Algae

[6 man reef]

I followed a tip from Melevs reef when this happened to me. I think most tanks go through this as they mature. He reccomends pulling it off and siphoning it with a rigid tubing connected to airline into a carbon bag rubber banded to the other end of the tubing siphon it off of the rocks into a bucket or sump the bag will catch the hair and you can return the water to the tank. There are alot of nutrients caught up in the hair and by exporting it from the tank you will take it's (food) away.

 

[Sk8r]

When algae runs out of fertilizers [nitrate and phosphate] it will stop growing. Fuges work, because so long as nitrate and phosphate are bound inside the algae, when one piece dies, another piece sucks up what it sheds and keeps growing. Export is where you actually get it out of the tank: you encourage it to grow in the fuge, and then you divide it up and sell part of it.

 

[ljosh]

Manually removing as much algae as you can will speed up the process.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11687457#post11687457 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
When algae runs out of fertilizers [nitrate and phosphate] it will stop growing. Fuges work, because so long as nitrate and phosphate are bound inside the algae, when one piece dies, another piece sucks up what it sheds and keeps growing. Export is where you actually get it out of the tank: you encourage it to grow in the fuge, and then you divide it up and sell part of it.

sk8r---I didn't realize that myself----I just regularily harvest the stuff---didn't realize that the other pieces suck up the n and p's from the dead stuff

so really you don't have to take the dead stuff out if you don't want to?

 

[scottandkristen]

I pulled as much out by hand then, I bought a brown ugly slug and it ate almost every bit of it within a week in my 29g bio-cube
If I ever have a algae problem again I will deff buy another one THEY WORK GREAT!

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11688837#post11688837 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scottandkristen
I pulled as much out by hand then, I bought a brown ugly slug and it ate almost every bit of it within a week in my 29g bio-cube
If I ever have a algae problem again I will deff buy another one THEY WORK GREAT!

you've met my brother:eek2: :lol: :rollface: :lol:

 

[mksalt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11688837#post11688837 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scottandkristen
I pulled as much out by hand then, I bought a brown ugly slug and it ate almost every bit of it within a week in my 29g bio-cube
If I ever have a algae problem again I will deff buy another one THEY WORK GREAT!

How big was the slug? Is the slug still with you?

 

[tazzmanian123]

After 9 months, my hair algae problem is almost gone. Believe it was 3 things that did it.

First I made sure there wasn't any left over detrius falling from LR sitting on sand to accumulate.

2nd I pruned my chaeto way down. Figured I had to export phosphates locked up in chaeto out of tank, & make room for small ball of chaeto to grow & absorb more phosphate.

3rd & prob. the main reason hair algae under control was Mg. level back in normal territory. Water parameters were good except Ca/Alk were low Ca 360/Alk 4dkh, & Mg was very low.

Started dosing Mg. 2 weeks ago with Tech M. & now Mg. at 1425ppm, Ca420/Alk 9dkh.

Hair algae has been turning brown & withering away. Couple more days it will be gone. Its been over a 9 month battle for me, & this is what worked for me.

I have a phosphate reactor made by via hooked up 3 weeks ago for 1 week till their cheap pump quit. So that wasn't doing anything.

Water parameters, especially Mg. Thats what worked for me.

 

[Wh0wantsrice]

start doing water changes every other week.. maybe some phosphate pads i had same problems

 

[Wh0wantsrice]

start doing water changes every other week.. maybe some phosphate pads i had same problems