clevelandtampa
New member
I read this article on craiglist and thought I pass it along.
http://tampa.craigslist.org/hdo/for/1303889426.html
At some point in time you will probably come across green hair algae. This fast growing algae is long and stringy, but can be removed by plucking it at the base with your fingers. It typically grows on Live Rock and the aquarium walls. It is normal to see a small hair algae bloom one month after moving or starting a saltwater aquarium, but growth should be limited after the addition of a clean-up crew. To grow, hair algae requires light, nitrate, phosphate and carbon dioxide.
In general, Green Hair Algae is caused by excess Dissolved Organic Carbons or DOC's in the water. The most common reasons for having too many DOC's include overfeeding, lack of filtration and the use of tap or well water for water changes or evaporation top off. Thankfully, Green Hair Algae is a fairly easy problem to correct when proper equipment and aquarium habits are combined with a clean-up crew.
What can I do to reduce the introduction of DOC's?
1. Use RODI Reverse Osmosis water to prevent the introduction of phosphates and nitrates. Typical tap and well water has a TDS, Total Dissolved Solids, of 250 to 500ppm. TDS is how much stuff is in your water. This includes copper, chlorine, phosphate, silicate, iron, zinc, lead and nitrate. After RO purification the typical TDS is between 5 and 10ppm, and after RO Deionization purification it is between 0 and 5ppm. As a result, algae has 25 to 50 times less nutrients that it can use to grow.
2. Reduce the frequency of feedings and the amount of food fed to the aquarium. Stop feeding flake and pellet food. Instead, use high quality frozen or live foods as they have typically contain less phosphate and nitrate. See our Article, How to Feed Your Fish.
What can I do to increase the export of DOC's?
1. Weekly 10-25% water changes with reverse osmosis water. Using tap or well water will only make the problem worse.
2. Use a GFO (Granular Ferric Oxide) like Phosban to remove phosphate from the water.
3. Increase filtration by adding a Protein Skimmer. Do not skimp on this piece of equipment. Buy the best your budget can afford.
What else can I do to control Green Hair Algae?
1. Manual removal is the easiest and fastest way to reduce the population of Green Hair Algae in the aquarium. With your hand, remove as many large clumps as you can from the live rock and aquarium walls. It is not critical to completely remove the algae, as any short patches will be eaten by the clean-up crew.
2. Add a clean-up crew. Astrea Snails and Turbo Snails are excellent Green Hair Algae grazers. These snails will eat algae off live rock and aquarium walls. About one Astrea Snail is recommended per two gallons of water and one Turbo Snail per five gallons of water. Other popular additions include a variety of hermit crabs, like Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crabs and Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs.
3. Introduce an algae eating fish, like a Lawnmower Blenny recommended for aquariums 30 gallons or larger, or a Yellow Tang recommended for aquariums at least four feet long with plenty of rockwork where the fish can hide and a long stretch where the fish can swim. Most yellow tangs will quickly outgrow a 55 gallon aquarium, so be prepared to trade it in as the fish grows in size. Please note, these fish can grow to eight inches and have venomous pikes on each side of the tail. They will flare these spikes when scared or threatened, so caution should be taken when handling.
4. Add a Refugium and macroalgae to compete with the Green Hair Algae for nutrients. Popular macroalgaes are Caulerpa and Chaetomorpha.
5. Increase water flow, Green Hair Algae will grow more rapidly in aquariums that allow fish food and waste to settle. See our Article, Saltwater Aquarium Water Movement.
6. Reduce your aquarium's photoperiod. If you run the lights for 12 to 16 hours per day, try cutting back to 8 to 10 hours per day.
7. If your bulbs need replacement:
Power Compact older than 6 months.
Metal Halide older than 6 to 12 months.
VHO/NO/T5 older than one year.
As the bulb ages, it begins to shift in color spectrum and intensity. This shift can encourage unwanted algae growth.
8. Use a commercial Green Hair Algae remover like Algae Fix Marine. Green Hair Algae is referred to as Cladophora in the AlgaeFix Marine description. Green Hair Algae will continue to grow if DOC's are not reduced during the treatment.
In summary, to control and eliminate Green Hair Algae you must reduce the amount of DOC's entering your aquarium, while increasing the amount of DOC's exiting your aquarium. Snails, Hermit Crabs and Algae Eating Fish will be helpful in the daily battle against Green Hair Algae, but large clumps should also be removed manually.
http://tampa.craigslist.org/hdo/for/1303889426.html
At some point in time you will probably come across green hair algae. This fast growing algae is long and stringy, but can be removed by plucking it at the base with your fingers. It typically grows on Live Rock and the aquarium walls. It is normal to see a small hair algae bloom one month after moving or starting a saltwater aquarium, but growth should be limited after the addition of a clean-up crew. To grow, hair algae requires light, nitrate, phosphate and carbon dioxide.
In general, Green Hair Algae is caused by excess Dissolved Organic Carbons or DOC's in the water. The most common reasons for having too many DOC's include overfeeding, lack of filtration and the use of tap or well water for water changes or evaporation top off. Thankfully, Green Hair Algae is a fairly easy problem to correct when proper equipment and aquarium habits are combined with a clean-up crew.
What can I do to reduce the introduction of DOC's?
1. Use RODI Reverse Osmosis water to prevent the introduction of phosphates and nitrates. Typical tap and well water has a TDS, Total Dissolved Solids, of 250 to 500ppm. TDS is how much stuff is in your water. This includes copper, chlorine, phosphate, silicate, iron, zinc, lead and nitrate. After RO purification the typical TDS is between 5 and 10ppm, and after RO Deionization purification it is between 0 and 5ppm. As a result, algae has 25 to 50 times less nutrients that it can use to grow.
2. Reduce the frequency of feedings and the amount of food fed to the aquarium. Stop feeding flake and pellet food. Instead, use high quality frozen or live foods as they have typically contain less phosphate and nitrate. See our Article, How to Feed Your Fish.
What can I do to increase the export of DOC's?
1. Weekly 10-25% water changes with reverse osmosis water. Using tap or well water will only make the problem worse.
2. Use a GFO (Granular Ferric Oxide) like Phosban to remove phosphate from the water.
3. Increase filtration by adding a Protein Skimmer. Do not skimp on this piece of equipment. Buy the best your budget can afford.
What else can I do to control Green Hair Algae?
1. Manual removal is the easiest and fastest way to reduce the population of Green Hair Algae in the aquarium. With your hand, remove as many large clumps as you can from the live rock and aquarium walls. It is not critical to completely remove the algae, as any short patches will be eaten by the clean-up crew.
2. Add a clean-up crew. Astrea Snails and Turbo Snails are excellent Green Hair Algae grazers. These snails will eat algae off live rock and aquarium walls. About one Astrea Snail is recommended per two gallons of water and one Turbo Snail per five gallons of water. Other popular additions include a variety of hermit crabs, like Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crabs and Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs.
3. Introduce an algae eating fish, like a Lawnmower Blenny recommended for aquariums 30 gallons or larger, or a Yellow Tang recommended for aquariums at least four feet long with plenty of rockwork where the fish can hide and a long stretch where the fish can swim. Most yellow tangs will quickly outgrow a 55 gallon aquarium, so be prepared to trade it in as the fish grows in size. Please note, these fish can grow to eight inches and have venomous pikes on each side of the tail. They will flare these spikes when scared or threatened, so caution should be taken when handling.
4. Add a Refugium and macroalgae to compete with the Green Hair Algae for nutrients. Popular macroalgaes are Caulerpa and Chaetomorpha.
5. Increase water flow, Green Hair Algae will grow more rapidly in aquariums that allow fish food and waste to settle. See our Article, Saltwater Aquarium Water Movement.
6. Reduce your aquarium's photoperiod. If you run the lights for 12 to 16 hours per day, try cutting back to 8 to 10 hours per day.
7. If your bulbs need replacement:
Power Compact older than 6 months.
Metal Halide older than 6 to 12 months.
VHO/NO/T5 older than one year.
As the bulb ages, it begins to shift in color spectrum and intensity. This shift can encourage unwanted algae growth.
8. Use a commercial Green Hair Algae remover like Algae Fix Marine. Green Hair Algae is referred to as Cladophora in the AlgaeFix Marine description. Green Hair Algae will continue to grow if DOC's are not reduced during the treatment.
In summary, to control and eliminate Green Hair Algae you must reduce the amount of DOC's entering your aquarium, while increasing the amount of DOC's exiting your aquarium. Snails, Hermit Crabs and Algae Eating Fish will be helpful in the daily battle against Green Hair Algae, but large clumps should also be removed manually.
