Is green hair algae actually bad?

[THEUNION1]

Seeing that I'm doing a planted tank. Would it be bad if I just allow green hair algae to grow?

 

[Subsea]

Seeing that I'm doing a planted tank. Would it be bad if I just allow green hair algae to grow?

It depends on what you want to look at. Yes, it is easy to grow, it is invasive. It depends on your definition of bad.

What do you want your tank to look like? I am an avid gardener. When undesirables get in my garden, I weed them out. Eventually the weeds choke out the desirables.

 

[THEUNION1]

I don't mind the look of it so I was wondering if there's any ILL effects by having it in a planted reef tank.

 

[BonesCJ]

I have a little here and there, the Macro's very nature helps keep micro algae like that under control.

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I can't think of any ill affects-just natural filtration, like any other algae. It does move nicely in the current. I remember not hating it when I had it. Why not keep it as long as you like it?

A mass die off could drop oxygen to a dangerous level for fish.

 

[rsumner]

I was away on a business trip for a few weeks and came back to a hair algae infestation in my small 20gal tank. While I don't particularly like it, I will say that my copepod population is booming which gives the fish nice little snacks all day.

 

[Subsea]

From a metabolic waste point of view, GHA is much higher with DOC waste than chaeto.

 

[THEUNION1]

From a metabolic waste point of view, GHA is much higher with DOC waste than chaeto.

Maybe i can try to control that via ozone and activated carbon...?

Really though, i should probably get rid of the hair algae just in case it becomes an issue for my fish and anemone.

One cool thing i noticed is there are leaves starting to grow in my sump where the hair algae has populated on a rock.

 

[Subsea]

Maybe i can try to control that via ozone and activated carbon...?

Really though, i should probably get rid of the hair algae just in case it becomes an issue for my fish and anemone.

One cool thing i noticed is there are leaves starting to grow in my sump where the hair algae has populated on a rock.

From a chemistry point of view, the DOC released by corals is full of lipids & proteins while the DOC released by macro is full of carbohydrates, the reef equivalent of "œjunk food".

IMO, GAC would help the most. However, I use UV on 90% of my set ups, except for 25 year old Jaubert 75G display with 30G mud cryptic sponge refugium