Massive Hair Algae Problem

[Tennyson]

I'm going to try a sea hare since most seem to favor it. Just need my lfs to get them in again.

Don't urchins eat too much coraline along with algea and or eat corals? I have a reef tank and have heard bad storied about them. Are they true? Are they reef safe or not?

I actually don't know where the algea is coming from. Everything is perfect except for my nitrates which stays at a constant 20 ppm becuase of feeding. No phosphates or anything. The tank is on the opposits side of my window, but I leave the blinds over it so no light gets through, so no lighting interfearing with my tank.

But I do leave the lights on from 8 to 9 or 10.

I think a sea hare will solve all my problems.

 

[gotoneon]

Think a little more short term. You have an algea problem that you want to resolve and you don't want to remove fish or change your feeding habits to actually solve the problem, yet you want to get rid of your hair algea? It sounds like you may have purchased enough critters to maintain no algea but you still have the problem of getting rid of what you have and bringing it down to a managable amount. You are right, a long spine will eat a little good algea as it is mowing through your Hair algea. Just remember your good algea is already being killed by the hair algea, so???? Spend $15 get a long spine, your algea problem goes away, you give the Urchin back to the pet shop, your happy and your good algea has no compatition, seems simple and headache free to me. Or tear your intire tank apart and scrub the rocks with a toothbrush, your coraline will love the massage and your nitrates will spike even higher, that is a bad idea. From my experience with them in my tank the sea hare is better for maintaining hair algea then getting rid of it. I would still add one if I was you, however, a long spine would be the cheapest, most natural way to bandage the wound. Good luck

 

[gotoneon]

And please put your lights on a timer, that will help everything in your tank and you can actually start monitoring and adjusting things. Nothing like staying at your friends house and leaving the lights on all night to solve an algea problem.

 

[plateboy3293]

Yes the long spines does eat coraline but it doesn't kill it. It spreads it by releasing the spores. I think.

 

[Tennyson]

I do have a timer for my lights, but I usually turn them back on or leave the timer off to feed my sun coral.

But aren't urchins not reef safe with corals?

 

[gotoneon]

No more dangerous then hair algea, we are not talking a long term relationship, this is more like a prom date.

 

[plateboy3293]

Some are some aren't blue tux and long spined are the most reef safe.