Hair algea :(:(

[Coral Hoarder]

So I have a masive hair algea problem here's some stats
30 galon tank skimmed sps Lps softies zoas

2 clowns halk fish 1cardinal 1 dotty back
4 bulbs t5 3 blue one blue plus
Skimmer and a huge refugee is the filter as well as a bunch of rock

I do 50%weekly water changes with ro water

I think the rock is causing it I didn't do an acid bath :(

What should I do.

My options right now are keep battling it manual removal and urchins or

Take all the rock out acid bath it and then let it cycle and add it back?

If I was going to do an acid bath what would I have to do step by step?

[Skimmin]

Maybe try vinegar? Or fozdown? Not sure if nitrates or phosphate is an issue?

[Coral Hoarder]

OK what way would I use vinegar

Dose?

[Ryanerickson]

Scott you should check out this site it's full of info www.google.com

[jason604]

Scott you should check out this site it's full of info www.google.com

lawl

[gregzz4]

Scott, first off how old is the tank ?

I've been battling hair algae since before summer in my nearly 3-year old tank

I tried cutting food back, cutting light back, more gfo, more waterchanges
I added hermits, tried sea hares, added tons more snails, added 3 kinds of urchins ...
I could only keep up with the algae by manual removal
Don't add critters to mask the issue .... it doesn't work

I finally settled on;
One shot of pellets for lunch (instead of 2), and alternate between frozen and flakes for dinner (instead of frozen every night)
Started cranking lights up for corals to grow and out compete algae
Been bumping my T-5s by a couple hours every 2 weeks
I'm up from 1836 watts/day to 2268 watts/day, and am planning on going as far as 2592 watts/day total
Corals are looking great so far. Lots of new growth and no bleaching

Knocked my gfo back from 225mls/100g bi-monthly to only 100mls/100g bi-monthly
I've always suspected my gfo to be adding iron to fuel the algae
Can't confirm it, but my PO4 is still reading low >0.03

I'm currently only performing 10% weekly WCs, but will change that to 25% bi-monthly soon

Hope that helps a bit

BTW, all my hair algae is 99% gone. Just a couple tufts of something different hanging on, but my Yellow Tang in QT will probably knock the rest out

[Skimmin]

Yes dosing. Google reefkeeping magazine vinegar dosing. Theres a lot of good info and a chart for how much to does. Also there is another thread on Canreef http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=110956. Reefwars put up the chart for how much vinegar to use in a 4 week process. The reefkeeping magazine chart is more drawn out over sixteen weeks.

[gregzz4]

:wink:OK what way would I use vinegar

Dose?
http://glassbox-design.com/2008/achieved-through-observation-and-experimentation/
Read until your head explodes

[BuschWacker]

Raise your magnesium. I used to target dose kent marine tech m right into to patches of HA. It would fall off the rocks after a couple days.

[Coral Hoarder]

Pfff Ryan I didn't know about that sight!

[gregzz4]

Higher Mag levels have other issues to consider ...

[asylumdown]

My vote is poison it. Life's too short to look at ugly hair algae that makes you hate your tank.

Order some Algaefix Marine off eBay, dose according to instructions, enjoy tank.

Simple.

It might come back as a 30 gallon is too small for most of the really good hair algae predators, but at least once it's gone you'll be able to tell if you have a nutrient problem and do something about it, which the hair algae will be masking and fighting you tooth and nail for as long as it's in there.

[jason604]

My hair algae was outta control and smothered many corals or death. I have couple threads in here about it. I'm currently manually removing it by hand a lot and just started dosing vodka and vinegar with rowaphos reactor. So far I think it's working. But still too early to know for sure.

[Coral Hoarder]

Thanks guys will try vinegar I don't have gfo and I'm doing 50%weekly so that looks like my best bet

[Slyguy00]

Scott you should check out this site it's full of info www.google.com

Hahaha a. Classic:lol:

[acepumping]

Pfff Ryan I didn't know about that sight!

Haha scottie. I don't think you do :biggrin:

If it was me, tear it down. Do a bleach of the rocks like im doing right now and recycle..
Do less of a water change. I always found if I did too much of a water change, it would cause my old algae to thrive more

Better yet. Run a crap load of rowa.. it may bloom but will.slowly go away..

Send me a pic of it on what's app..

Try a sea cucumber maybe too