Help with green hair algae

[Sir Edward]

Help, I'm running out of ideas. This green hair algae started growing a few weeks ago. It continues to grow. I test with Salifert, and as follows: PHOSPHATE 0.10; AMMONIA 0.0; PH 8.0; NITATE 50; NITRITE 0.0; MAGNESIUM 1200; CALCIUM 460. The water temp stay right around 78, with the chiller and a/c in the room. I have since changed my r/o filters and added a phosban reactor. I have done 50 gallon water changes the past 3 weekends. Still it grows! It is now beginning to overtake some of my corals, what can I do? I plan to do another water change tomorrow but . . .

 

[jfl14609]

The only red flag i see is your nitrates they are a bit high. Hows your bio load and feeding schedule

 

[Dave VG]

The only red flag i see is your nitrates they are a bit high.

I agree with jeff. If the nitrates are that high and the hair algae is still growing they are most likely higher than what you are measuring as the alage eats them up pretty quick. How old is the tank and how long has the phosban reactor been up and running? When I added mine to my 90 it took three to four weeks before I noticed it starting to recede and that was changing out the phosban every week. Some have had luck bumping up the magnesium level. Do a search on this there were many posts on it.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

got herbivores? (algea eating fish, snails etc.)

get a phosphate reactor and run some GFO.

The correct amount of Rowaphos can (literally) kill off Bryopsis (or Derbesia) overnight. Elevated Mg can mess with bivalves and/or univalves (clams/snails) IME and only a certain Mg supplement works.
It's important to monitor alkalinity if using chemicals to eliminate hair algae as many of the chems drive alk down (some rather rapidly).

 

[Sir Edward]

The phosban was hooked up a week ago. That is when I also changed the r/o filters (which a water change with the new filters has not happened yet, tomorrow it will).This tank has been up and running since last October. I do have a yellow tang, purple tang as well as a blue hippo and foxface, along with a few other fish. They are fed twice a day, alternating frozen foods of plankton, brine shrimp, mysis, and cyclop-eeze. It is consume within a minute! Another interesting note I had not mentioned was the snails. I had about 15 Astrea snails, and they all slowly died off. I was blaming it on the hermit crab that is in there. Maybe I need to get rid of that hermit, and pick up another dozen snails. I also have the skimmer on a somewhat wet skim. Actually, it seems that nothing has changed, just all of a sudden the hair algae started to grow. I first thought my r/o filters needed changing (I have no means to test it), so I bought new filters and have always planned on installing a phosban reactor, so did that as well. I'm just stumped.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

if given a choice, Zebrasoma will not consume hair algae. You might want to think about that if your fish are fat on prepared foods.

Certain hermits are snail killers. Large turbos are your best snail choice for algae eradication.

Make sure your SG is at 1.026- this is far more important for optimal skimming than skimming wet all of the time.

 

[Sir Edward]

Gary, I just checked the SG, it is at 1.026. Think I should pull that hermit out, and go to ABC and grab some turbo's?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

how I operate:

how I operate:

the first thing I'd do is to identify the "green hair algae"

check this thread out:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1113109&highlight=kent+magnesium+bryopsis
if you decide that Bryopsis is your problem
and
if you decide to use the Kent supplement to battle Bryopsis

I wouldn't purchase snails.

Based on my personal experience
my first plan of action against Bryopsis would be PO4 reduction (GFO/reduction in feedings etc.) and snails.

 

[Johnny C]

+1 to Gary's advice. Boosting MG will kill Bryopsis and Turbos/GFO should take care of any hair algae. Unfortunatly the Salifert readings for PO4 are innacurate. A Hanna Photometer (most LFS's have one) will give you a true reading. With HA present, it's obvious that you have PO4 present, too.

In the mean time, how much GFO are you using? How often are you feeding the fish?

 

[Sir Edward]

Gary, thanks for the good link, this is exactly what I have going on.I just tested and the Mg is at 1100. I will begin bringing that level up to the 1500 range.
Presently, I use the PHOSBAN 150G, that I just started using a week ago, when the reactor came in. The feeding takes place twice a day, but it is all consumed within a minute, so I'm thinking that's ok, but maybe not.
I think I will make a trip this afternoon to ABC Reefs and pick up a some turbo's.