Just ordered hair algae mower

shananagans said:
There are some cool looking blue spot sea hares at the petco on broadway. 2 of those will set you straight in no time.
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I was going that route and may still try one again. I had two and put them in two different tanks. Both died within 2 days. I actually really liked them and was sad they didn't make it. One of the more interesting and alien creatures. They must have not shipped well and were doomed. The third I put in at my stores tank and when I came in the next morning it was attached to my open brain. RIP.

From what I have seen the tool makes a lot of sense. I currently cannot clean my sand due to the depth and shape of my tank. It will make it so I can reach my bed/rocks and vacuum the cr@p off of it plus the hair algae without removing water.

It also says it is effective at aptasia removal. I don't plan on using it much for aptasia. Even if it got the aptasia I dont see how the spore like babies wouldn't get away.
 
Hope it works for you. The only problem I see using it as a vacuum is its just catching the particles. Your still releasing nitrogen in your tank, thus gonna cause more hair algae and spikes in water parameters.

For 70 bucks tho, I feel like it should automaticly clean my glass as well. :p
 
brettinteriors said:
http://www.algaemower.com/products

It got good reviews at macna and also doubles as a sand/rock vac minus the tube siphon ect. I cant reach my sandbed to clean by traditional means so when i saw it as a fab it was a go for me. I will let you know how it works.
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So I went to their booth at MACNA. Actually I went a few times. I remember because they had a real cute model, I think originally from the Philippines, that was hired strictly to attract people to the booth. It worked!

I did speak with the vendor and inquired if they made a model for deeper tanks. I think it will probably do your job, but I have to tell you, it is really a cheaply constructed product that he imports from China. Kinda like something you would see on a late nite commercial "...for just $19.95 + $5.99 shipping!". I don't think that it will work better than a siphon and 1/2 hose but we will let you be the Guinea Pig!
 
I just watched the videos and for $70 I am going to give it a try. I will post the results after I use the product.

I've been fighting a Cyanobacteria issue in my Redsea Max tank, and it will be nice to have something smaller than a sand vac to get it out. I did a 3 day black out back in August, however I am just starting to get it back.

Good point in the earlier post on using it to clean the sand and circulating the water back into the tank, however it does have the ability to siphon the sand just as a sand vac. You just have to attach a tube to the unit and have the water go to a bucket.

I like that it goes from 1' to 3' without having to add any attachments. Time will tell :-)
 
ynnhoj86 said:
Hope it works for you. The only problem I see using it as a vacuum is its just catching the particles. Your still releasing nitrogen in your tank, thus gonna cause more hair algae and spikes in water parameters.

For 70 bucks tho, I feel like it should automaticly clean my glass as well. :p
Click to expand...

That's something I would want because I'm carbon dosing, so I might bit the bullet and order one Friday. Tired of seeing the hair algae and tired of manually pulling it out just to grow back.
 
Curious how it works out for you. Following along. I just got a sea hare myself to deal with hair algae. Hoping it works, but knowing such problems an easy fix is often not in the cards.

Device looks interesting, but seems overpriced.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
 
I love my seahare, they are definitely alien, mines name is Jaba. He is a total weedwhacker. It is important that you get the right kind, the dolabella seahare that is brown with dark spots eats gha and can be supplemented with nori and romaine. I have been told by several people that the bluespot seahares dont eat the gha. Either way no matter how well you take care of them, they have about a 12-18 month lifespan.

The vaccuum looks pretty cool too, especially for the deeper tanks. Im anxious to see what kind of results you guys get.
 
A little overpriced, I agree. I also carbon dose so my No3 is less than five yet I still have some hair.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
Ok, I got the unit and have had a few days to play around with it.

The unit top down.

Handle: Can put a battery in it or use the wall adapter.

Shaft: I really like the fact that it telescopes making it much easier to work in both tight and deep places. The shaft does have a somewhat cheap feel to it. I feel like I need to be careful and handle it gently.

Pump/drill.
The pump clamps on to the shaft and also is able to pivot to 90 degrees. This is great for getting onto the underside of things or in other hard to reach areas. The inlet side has a drill bit sticking out on the inside of a small tube tube. The outlet side has a few attachments. I used the tie on bag to catch the x*(%. Again it feels on the cheap side like someone had a great idea and made it himself. But it does work well and while it could be marketably better it functions just fine.

It works. It does a great job of removing hair algae and "stuff" from areas that there is no way I could get it before. I have successfully drilled/sucked off a lot of cr*p. It is basically a pump with a small drill attached to the impeller.

It came quickly and well packaged but obviously imported. $70 is both overpriced and not. I look at it two ways, there isn't anything on the market that is like this and it really does what it is supposed to so I am glad I bought it and I feel I got my moneys worth. It does feel kind of home made but not in a bad way. Like a smart person put together a device from off the shelf stuff. Or a pre production prototype without the clean looking branded covering. As long as it lasts I am a happy customer.

At $70 there is certainly a great profit margin on it. I think someone could build a similar unit better and at the same price point. But as no one is, I like it.
 
brettinteriors said:
Ok, I got the unit and have had a few days to play around with it.

The unit top down.

Handle: Can put a battery in it or use the wall adapter.

Shaft: I really like the fact that it telescopes making it much easier to work in both tight and deep places. The shaft does have a somewhat cheap feel to it. I feel like I need to be careful and handle it gently.

Pump/drill.
The pump clamps on to the shaft and also is able to pivot to 90 degrees. This is great for getting onto the underside of things or in other hard to reach areas. The inlet side has a drill bit sticking out on the inside of a small tube tube. The outlet side has a few attachments. I used the tie on bag to catch the x*(%. Again it feels on the cheap side like someone had a great idea and made it himself. But it does work well and while it could be marketably better it functions just fine.

It works. It does a great job of removing hair algae and "stuff" from areas that there is no way I could get it before. I have successfully drilled/sucked off a lot of cr*p. It is basically a pump with a small drill attached to the impeller.

It came quickly and well packaged but obviously imported. $70 is both overpriced and not. I look at it two ways, there isn't anything on the market that is like this and it really does what it is supposed to so I am glad I bought it and I feel I got my moneys worth. It does feel kind of home made but not in a bad way. Like a smart person put together a device from off the shelf stuff. Or a pre production prototype without the clean looking branded covering. As long as it lasts I am a happy customer.

At $70 there is certainly a great profit margin on it. I think someone could build a similar unit better and at the same price point. But as no one is, I like it.
Click to expand...
Did you take before and after pics? I'm ordering one ASAP, even if its a temporary fix it still can help make the tank look better until you solve the root cause.
 
I didn't. I am not doing it all at once. I don't like to make took many changes or stir too much up at once. That and I have 3 kids and a wife that always bug me :)
I also sucked up an aptasia with ease.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
It could get them from just about anywhere. However, using it for aptasia removal could have a pitflall if not done right. Aptasia can reproduce asexually from a single cell. So I think to not cause babies you would need to use the hose attachment and drain the suck water instead of just using the bag.
 
Just received mine the other day, I will post my thoughts as soon as I get a chance to unbox it and use it.

I also emailed him after my purchase with a few questions. This is what he wrote back.

As far as how the tool looks and feels, everyone has his or her opinion and that is fine with me. The important thing is that I have designed the algae mower vac in such a way that it is handy, light weight and convenient to use by the majority of hobbyists.

The general feedback from what I heard from the MACNA show is very good. This is a solid tool that should last you for a long time. It does require a little bit assembly for the handle and using different segment of the rod. I have made a video to show the steps if you need some clarifications. Once it is done once, it is set for your tank size and you don't have to worry about it anymore. BTW, If you need to use the water hose, use your hair blower to remove all the kinks first.

I guess, when something is light weight, long and configurable, some people might have an impression that it is not solid!

I do believe that the tool can make a lot of people who are frustrated with their tanks' bad conditions become much happier and loving the hobby more because now there are quick fixes for a lot of labor intensive and tough cleaning chores because of the Algae Mower Vac!

Please keep my updated on how it works for you if you can. Thank you again for your support.

Regards,
Kong Ho
 
So far very happy with it. Great at the hair and cleaning areas that gunk builds up on like shelves etc. My only minor gripe is I wish the pump was a little more powerful. If you get into serious hair it stops for about five seconds and restarts. A failsafe if you suck up something hard but a little too sensitive.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
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