Having problem with green hair algae

[kenyacat]

I seem to have lots of green hair type algae growing on my sandbed and rocks. I am having trouble getting it off of my sand bed. It seems to be everywhere. I am getting a phosphate sponge and will put that in next week.

Will the GHA die once the sponge soaks up the extra phosphates? In other words, do I need to do this extensive cleaning job on my sandbed at this point?

 

[graveyardworm]

It'll probably take more than a phosphate sponge depending upon some other factors.

You're feeding habits, any other forms of filtration/nutrient removal, what you use for water top off, and for mixing salt?

 

[conformity]

i am experiancing the same issues in my tank . i have found that when i try to remove the algae that has rooted in the substrate by hand or gav-vac it almost only creates more problems. when attempting to remove the algae i can remove some but, it mixes the sand and mixes the remaining algea down into it. then the left overs decompose and feed a new mat of algae to cover it. i'm sure the organisms in the sand do process some but it's doing the same thing that farmers use to enrich thier soil by tilling the remainder of previous crops into the soil.

 

[kenyacat]

Wow, that sounds like a never ending battle.

I feed formula 1 most of the time. I have read a few things and one was to cut back on feeding, so I did. I Use RO water and it is a wet/dry kind of filter. All built in in one cube aquarium.