Help with persistent Hair Algae Problem

[Erasmus]

I've been battling a hair algae problem for a while, and thought I'd throw it out here for some help. My 90g Tech is now about 6 mos old, and has long since cycled. Current inhabitants include one Blonde Naso Tang, two skunk cleaner shrimp, about 8 turbo snails, and a dozen or so hermit crabs. Lighting consists of 4 T5s and 2 150w MHs; the T5s are on about 6 hours a day, the MHs about 4 of those. As you can see, the tank has about a 4" DSB and 100lbs of LR.

As you can also see, I've got several clumps of very pesky hair algae. I manually remove as much as I can every week, but it just grows back. The current growth is about four days old. Anybody have any suggestions on what I might do to contain it? Water quality is excellent: temp 78-80 (chiller controlled) spg at 53, ph 8.2, 'trites, 'trates, and phosphate undetectable. Alk is about 3.5, and Ca around 400. I feed only once a day, and the Tang gobbles everything up in seconds---anything that hits the sand is scooped up by the shrimp or crabs moments later.

I think circulation should be fine; using an Eheim 1262 return and 2 Vortechs in the tank at full blast. The Algae definitely billows in the current

Current thoughts include more snails, more crabs, a lawnmower blenny, or perhaps more flow (e.g., another Vortech). Maybe a 'pod kit? Lighting is already pretty minimal, I would think.

Thanks for any suggestions! I've had FW for a long time, but this is my first serious foray into salt, so I've been trying to be patient, but I was hoping the algae would be gone by now...

 

[themadreeferTN]

Ive eliminated it by taking out the rocks and scrubbing them clean and then rinsing them with fresh water. while you will cause some die off because of the fresh water rinse its helped me in the past.

 

[Erasmus]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12725266#post12725266 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by themadreeferTN
Ive eliminated it by taking out the rocks and scrubbing them clean and then rinsing them with fresh water. while you will cause some die off because of the fresh water rinse its helped me in the past.

Already tried that with one of the smaller rocks (the one the shrimp is holding onto in the photo) to see if it would help before dismantling all my rockwork. Sadly, the hair algae reappeared as strong as ever.

 

[BeesGoneWild]

Take a look at this link, theres 15 things you can do to fight algae. Some you may already be doing.

http://www.brettsreef.com/index.php/tips-on-battling-nuisance-algae-in-the-marine-aquarium/

Phosphates can be undetectable and still be a problem, the reason is that the algae is using them up way beofre you can test for them. Most test kits only test for one type of phosphate too. Running a phosban reactor will help deal with most phosphates.

You should also be using Ro/Di water. I dont see that mentioned anywhere. Algae in almost all cases are caused by excessive nuitrients in the water using Ro/Di water will help this situation as well.

Beef up your clean up crew. For a 90gallon you should have alot more then what you currently have, but dont expect them to work wonders on the algae you already have. But they will prevent Some new growth.

 

[Craig731]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12725308#post12725308 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Erasmus
Already tried that with one of the smaller rocks (the one the shrimp is holding onto in the photo) to see if it would help before dismantling all my rockwork. Sadly, the hair algae reappeared as strong as ever.

I'm in the same situation, and the amount of algae I'm seeing looks like a mirror of your pics.

I've been doing what you are doing, i also bought some 5/8 inch hard tubing and use a toothbrush in the tank to brush off algae and suck it up after. (Dosing with sugar for a week prior will usually cause enough die-off that most of it just falls right off the rock.)

Whenever it seems like it's fully on it's way out, it'll have a resurgence.

I'm sure my problem is overfeeding, however I have to say I'm dumb to how much they need. I feed once daily, either cyclops, flake or pellets.

My lawnmower blenny gave up algae for flakes recently.

 

[Erasmus]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12725520#post12725520 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeesGoneWild
You should also be using Ro/Di water. I dont see that mentioned anywhere. Algae in almost all cases are caused by excessive nuitrients in the water using Ro/Di water will help this situation as well.

Yup; forgot to mention that---15% weekly water changes with RO/DI.

Beef up your clean up crew. For a 90gallon you should have alot more then what you currently have, but dont expect them to work wonders on the algae you already have. But they will prevent Some new growth.

Any suggestions for particular creatures or amounts? I've heard as many as 1 snail/crab per gallon, which seems crazy---what would they all eat? Then again, what do I know?

 

[oknamaste]

water

water

one thing is to test ur ro di water to make sure there arent any phosphates in it. another option is to run a phosphate reactor. im partial to TLF

 

[ryancaudill]

I had a way bigger problem than yours and all parameter were good. I did the rock scrubs. I got fed up to the point where I was going to start over. I now have eliminated about 95% of the problem. I have a 110g and bought 8 emerald crabs about 25 hermits and a foxface which some are known to nibble at hair algea. This helped a little bit. I then bought 8 sea urchins. This helped a little more but I was still having to scrub rocks. Then dumb luck happened. My lighting harness sparked and caught fire (I think a fish splashed it). Luckily I was close to the tank and put it out and no harm other than to my wiring and some burn drywall. To make a long story short my lights were off for 4 days until I had time to rearange and redue my wiring. In this time almost all of the hair algea either died or was eaten. I dont know which. Now things are way more tolerable and the small amount of hair algea is maintained by my tank inhabitants.

 

[Erasmus]

About six weeks out, the problem is back with a vengeance. I purchased a phosphate reactor, and have been running it for about a month. I also adjusted the rock work slightly to improve flow in the algae-prone areas. For the first week or two it seemed to be helping---it seemed like the war was finally won. Sadly, the tide has turned, and I'm now back to where I was before. In fact, the algae is now more prevalent than in the photos above.

Again, no 'trates, 'trites, or phosphate. Weekly water changes with RO/DI. Is it possible my bulbs (both the T5 and MH are the stock bulbs that came with my Orbit fixture) are causing the problem, as the previous poster suggests? I still haven't increased my cleaning crew, but could do that as well if folks have recommendations for particular numbers or species for a 90g.

 

[ryancaudill]

Read the hair algea article in this months issue of reefkeeping. It is excellent and will give you some more things to consider.

 

[Erasmus]

Thanks; that's a great pointer. I've heard many times that phosphate kits frequently do not detect the actual phosphate level in the aquarium. Given that the Phosban reactor seemed to help initially, I suspect I may be in a similar situation to the article's author: mine is also elevated but undetected. So, two questions:

1) The author mentions getting other phosphate kits that did detect it. I've been using the Salifert test. Can anyone recommend alternative phosphate test kits that might give broader coverage?

2) Given that I can't detect the phosphate levels, I have a hard time knowing how often to change the Phosban media in my reactor. I have yet to change it. Anybody have any recommendations on how often I should be changing the media in my 150 reactor for my 90g system? Obviously I can go nuts and change it weekly, but I don't want to pour money into what may not be the problem...

 

[ryancaudill]

Salifert tests are know to be one of the most reliable tests out there. I change my media about every 3 months.

Given that you tank is still relatively new you may want to try cooking your rocks as mentioned in the article. The problem also may be with your sand. If either of these were the case your phosphates would not test high. As soon as the phosphate concentration even out from getting leaching out of the rocks your media reactor would suck it up. So the concentration would be high within the rocks at the surface and that is what is feeding the algea. At least this is the way I understand it.

I would get this completely tackled prior to adding corals.

 

[Tomorleans]

Are you using a Refugium?

 

[Erasmus]

No, just a 30g sump below the tank. Things are pretty tight in the sump right now with the filter bag, skimmer, and return pump, so don't really have room for a 'fuge. I understand growing a ball of cheato would be a good option, but unfortunately the display tank is in the middle of the living room and I don't have a tank room to hide a fuge in.

 

[SaltyDr]

I'd change the phosban every couple of weeks and see if that helps. If you haven't upped you CUC, I'd try that.

 

[hall]

hair algae

hair algae

I'm still new at this (8 months) but had a problem like yours and I've eliminated all the algae except 1 rock with a piece of hair algae the size of a dime. I have 8 small fish in a 55gal so I thought I needed to feed them daily. I was feeding 1 cube of mysis a day. I would just unfreeze in a cup of water and pour it in. I have since changed to a 1/2 of a cube every other day with some seaweed in between mysis feeding. I'm running phosphate remover and also have about 6 emerald crabs, 3 mexican snails, about 15 blue leg hermits, and 15 turbo snails (pyramid shell). Not sure about this but I believe the mexican snails are eating a majority of the hair algae and the algae that's left is in an area that the snails cannot reach due to their large shell. I also use RO/DI water and change 10 gallons a week. Instead of dumping the water with mysis into the tank, I started feeding with a turkey baster (a little at a time) to ensure the food is eaten. I also use the baster 2-3 time a week to clean the rocks. I know it sounds like a lot but it worked for me. It took about 3 weeks until I saw the difference.

 

[ryancaudill]

The water the mysis is frozen in is full of junk. You also may benefit from straining the food out of the water they are frozen in. There is a suction cup soap dish you can buy that has lots of holes in it that i have seen for housing in tank chaeto since you dont have room for a fuge. All the little things can help.

I would definitly try upping you cuc then shut the lights out for a while. I would recommend urchins, emerald crabs, and the mexican turbos (if you can find them). Make sure you acclimate the snails correctly. I just recently discovered that the snails in my LFS are kept in SG of 1.018 and they cannot handle a large increase in salt concentration. If you dont have anything that needs light, I would try it for a week or more. HA needs photosynthesis and nutrients to grow.

 

[rlee81indy]

Mexican turbo snails are pretty durable. Any time I bought them I float acclimated them and tossed them in. Ive never had a problem with that.
I know many will disagree but as long as you are taking care of your tank the feeding of mysis is not a problem. One of the guys in my local club feeds his 72 bowfront about a 1lbs block of mysis a week. He feeds really heavy and his tank looks great and his fish and corals are huge.
I do have a question for you though. Are you maintaining your sand bed? A deep sand bed requires a lot of maint. and can be the cause of a lot of algae problems if not done correctly.

 

[Erasmus]

Perhaps I'm not maintaining the DSB properly, then. I've been syphoning out any detritus at the top once week, but that's a bout it. What else should I be doing?

 

[ryancaudill]

Another active thread
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1435522

I use a baster 1 per week gently.