Purple Hair Algae

[FishHick]

I have purple macro algae that almost looks like hair algae growing all over my tank. It is really difficult to remove because it is attached so tightly to the rock. Here is a picture of it.

Is there any fish or other type of creature that will eat this and be small enough for a 24 gallon tank?

Thanks for the help.

 

[SaltyDr]

You need to pull out what you can, atleast trim it back. a lawnmower blenny or Mexican turbo snail might like it. What have you tried?

 

[BigScott]

pull all of it off that you can.. thats what i do an my LMB munches it..but then again hes like almost 6 inches long..

scott

 

[kevin2000]

That looks like red turf algae ... if so .. good luck because I don't think anything eats it and its a tough algae to deal with. In some cases people will toss the worse rocks .. many will remove the rocks and scrub.

 

[FishHick]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try the mexican turbo snails like the article says. How many should I get for my tank?

 

[RickGemme]

general rule of thumb is one snail per 10 gallons i believe, i have 4 in my 45 gallon and they cleaned the entire back glass clean in a day

 

[Reefmack]

My LM blenny doesn't go for that type (but they seem to differ in what they'll eat). Turbos maybe. I've had a ton of success with a sea hare eating some rock hugging, mat-like dark green fibrous stuff. He's also eaten the little bit of hair algae that the turbos & LM blenny wouldn't eat. He even ate a few small patches of a brown-black cyano. The thing amazes me in how clean my rock has gotten in the week since I put him in. Trying to get him to eat some dried algae on a clip now, but I may have to put him up for adoption in the local reef club so that he doesn't eventually starve.

Ugly but adorable critter. My wife even likes him!

 

[fatdaddy]

As I've discovered, not all "sea hares" are the same. I ordered two before I realized this is what I wanted:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Awesome-GREEN-B...5103222QQihZ003QQcategoryZ46308QQcmdZViewItem

The seller seems knowledgeable. I'd ask him about your hair algae to find out.

 

[Reefmack]

Yep - that's the type I have. Amazing algae eater!

 

[jkobel]

@FishHick

This thread is ancient but I have the same purple hair-type algae growing. Did you find something to eat it?

 

[Sk8r]

If it's only a tiny patch, remove the rock, scrub the patch off with a toothbrush, then dip the area into hydrogen peroxide for 30 seconds, rinse well in a cup of salt water and replace. Hydrogen peroxide can produce bubbles of pure oxygen that can burn other sea life, though the oxygen itself is not a problem in the tank.

 

[jkobel]

Thanks Sk8r!

What would you recommend for large patches over much of the rock in an established 75 gal reef?