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View Full Version : Help! Green Hair algea bloom


danny zubot
12-07-2004, 03:00 PM
Can someone tell me an effective way to rid my tank of green hair algae? Last time I had a bloom I spent hours pulling and scrubbing my rocks. :evil: I don't want to do that again, its too stressful on my tank. Do I need a certain snail or crab or fish?

Sushiman
12-07-2004, 04:14 PM
You need to stage a multi front attack: assess your filtration, feedings, lighting photoperiod, bioload & h2o changes. these all contribute. Next keep a healthy population of detrivores to keep wastes from piling up & fowling the tank water. Consider adding an urchin, in my experience one of the best algae destroyers out there. Add a quality <phosphate resin to your sump. I have been algae-free for three years using this approach & I was plagued by hair & Bryopsis. Scrubbing the rocks will just spread algae like wildfire, pluck it off & try what I've mentioned. I also have a large UV on my set-up, like'em or hate'em, my tank is loads better since I added one. :cool:

gbeef
12-07-2004, 05:17 PM
Id say time. i had a horrible aglae bloom
everything was green, just do your water changes and patienice.
if you wan critters i found turbos and trouches worked really good.

danny zubot
12-07-2004, 06:22 PM
Well, the water changes aren't a factor. The green algae bloom as well as a brown algae bloom has all occured since I did a large water change after treating for cyano. the total change was about 45% over a couple of days so there shouldn't be any real No3 and waste problem. I did however stir up my sand bed a bit, causing either a ditritous fallout over my tank. Or I killed enough nitrifying bacteria to warrant having the bloom due to under nitrification. This is one of my therories, ther other is my photo period as mentioned. In the past 2 months I have gone from 180 watts of NO and Pc lighting to 380 watts of MH and Pc lighting. The MH bulb is new but the PC was purchased from a fellow reefer in Calgary and I was told that is was 4 months old at the time, 6 months old now.

I do have a lot of hermits, and cerith snails, and a couple of tourbon snails in my sump. I will consider and urchan, but will a tang eat hair algae? This is my real question.

AJ_77
12-07-2004, 06:37 PM
You might want to consider a lower-form of algae eater rather than a Tang, Danny. That's a big commitment - seriously... What about the snails/sea hare route?

And yeah, that big a change in lighting will often give what you have now. I took 2.5 weeks to ramp up when I got my MH, and it wasn't a problem for me. (Of course, you want to turn them on NOW, and get that full photoperiod you paid so much money for... :biggrin: )

Beverly
12-07-2004, 11:06 PM
Do you have any kind of macroalgae in the tank to help soak up the nutrients?

albert_dao
12-07-2004, 11:48 PM
I have a seahare I could "rent" out if you want Danny.

$5 til he's done and just bring him back. Gauranteed to eat bryopsis (I grow it in a Rubbermaid tub for him). Lemme know if you're interested.

marie
12-08-2004, 12:00 AM
Well, the water changes aren't a factor. The green algae bloom as well as a brown algae bloom has all occured since I did a large water change after treating for cyano.
Thats the problem with using chemicals to get rid of cyano. You don't find out what causes it and just end up with a different type of algae.
I would suspect a combination of, lights and nutrient build up , maybe in the rocks or sandbed

gbeef
12-08-2004, 12:15 AM
heres a pic of my tank during the end of its cycle.
http://www.canreef.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1404

fuge worked from me also.

StirCrazy
12-08-2004, 12:39 AM
Gauranteed to eat bryopsis .

Does it eat normal hair algae though?

Steve

albert_dao
12-08-2004, 12:51 AM
Gauranteed to eat bryopsis .

Does it eat normal hair algae though?

Steve

Not sure, but cerith snails go nuts on it and he has some. I'd wager it's probably bryopsis that he's dealing with.

danny zubot
12-08-2004, 02:52 PM
Hey everyone, I was to busy at work yesterday to keep up with the posts, glad to see everyone respond though.

Last night I put my big Tourbon snails back in the tank to see if they will help my campagn.
Beverly asked:Do you have any kind of macroalgae in the tank to help soak up the nutrients?

I do have a shaving bruch calurpa in the tank but I have been messing with it to try and propigate the brushes. It has caused it to grow very slowly so I don't think it has had much effect.

Albert wrote:
I have a seahare I could "rent" out if you want Danny.
I might take you up on your offer, I was also considering an urchin if you have any there. I will be by on Friday after work, are you working?

Gbeef! That is one nasty looking pic of your tank. :razz: I'm not there yet and I hope I don't ever get to see my tank looking like that. How long ago was that pic taken?

Thanks everyone for your help, I have a few ideas to help me out now. :smile:

OCDP
12-08-2004, 04:02 PM
I'm also having some problems with Hair Algae... I just scrubbed the rocks on Saturday and it is now Wednesday... and I already have a "fuzzy coating" of hair algae back on the rocks. I do use conditioned tap water (using prime) but I don't think this is the cause? I scrub the rocks OUT of the tank too, in a bucket of fresh SW. I do weekly water changes (tank is only 20g) .... I have had the tank setup since August. Although, I do not have a cleanupcrew yet... maybe I should start off there first ... what do you guys recommend? I have some cyano and hair algae ... hair algae being my biggest concern right now though. It appears to be more of a fuzzy layer growing on the rocks as opposed to actual hair ... but it is still quite short so I am sure it will get there once it grows.... I just am not sure what size cleanup crew to get, and what type of inverts to get... suggestions? Tank is only 20g!

danny zubot
12-08-2004, 04:22 PM
Hi, OCDP.
I use Prime as well, and have been for a while, I don't think its the cause either. Based on what everyone here has told me I have come to this conclusion: :neutral:

In nature algae blooms occure often after storms which stir the waters, thus coating the rocks above with nutrient rich ditritus. After the storm when the sun comes out algea diatoms germinate and begine to thrive on the detritus. I suppose time is the only cure for this naturally occuring incedence. With the help from my reef crew I might be able to achieve a natural balance once agian.

Does this sound about right?

AJ_77
12-08-2004, 04:36 PM
... I have had the tank setup since August. Although, I do not have a cleanupcrew yet... maybe I should start off there first ... what do you guys recommend?

Yikes - that mostly explains it... You need a monster cleanup force, dude. :mrgreen: Check what some of the online retailers recommend for your size of tank (20g) and you'll see that you've been about 24 animals short for a few months now... (Look down at Package #2 (http://www.jlaquatics.com/static/livestock/janitors.htm)).

As soon as levels permit is the time to get your crabs and snails in there, so they can stay ahead of the growth curve for nuisance algae in its various stages. A good mix of critters is important, as has been mentioned here.

danny zubot
12-08-2004, 04:51 PM
Based on those numbers I think I'm a bit shy too! :eek: I only have about 40 critters and they say I should have closer to 90.

albert_dao
12-08-2004, 05:17 PM
Personally, I have never been a big fan of the "MONSTER" cleanup crew. All the tanks I have ever run have gone with minimal cleanup crew. I think a lot of my success with controlling algae can be attributed to diversity of cleanup crew as opposed to numbers.

For example, in my 75 gallon system (50 gallon sump/refuge), I have the following to control algae:

6 trochus
9 cerith
3 money cowries
1 scarlet red hermit
5 astrea
2 orange turbo's

This is all assuming all these animals are alive since their initial point of purchase (almost three years ago) and that isn't very likely. No new snails or hermits have been added since the initial introduction of the cleanup crew.

My seahare gets dropped in whenever I notice any bryopsis, which is almost never lately.

Aside from that, I also have a naturally occuring population of both blastamusa and a small brown and beige striped snail. These animals fill up the gaps that my reduce numbers have left.

I've always found large numbers of introduced reef janitors to be fairly unstable with many dying off due to starvation. I'd much rather start with a minimal amount and add according to observation and wait for naturally reproducing snails to start populating. Additionally, buying species that consume specific problem algae's is also important. 300 astrea's isn't going to do any better then 5 if you have red turf algae taking over your rocks and neither will perform as well as true Mexican turbo's which are about the only option one would have against this problem algae (a little besides the point, I know, but only for illustration purposes).

Anyway, I'll be there on Friday from 2-6 Dan. Do you think you could take a picture of your hair algae? There's a couple different kinds and I'm sorta curious as to what the hare will and will not eat in case you decide to grab him.

OCDP
12-08-2004, 05:31 PM
Albert, if you dont mind me asking... for a 20g tank, what size cleanup crew would you recommend? and consisting of which critters? Like I said, hair algae seems to be the biggest problem right now, but I still have cyano in the tank. Need to get a PH or something soon.

Any True Percs in? :lol:

AJ_77
12-08-2004, 05:42 PM
Personally, I have never been a big fan of the "MONSTER" cleanup crew.

Me neither, hence the green smiley... but now he is behind the curve, so to speak, and has fewer options open to him. Not everyone has "Rent-a-Hare" as you do. :mrgreen:

But but I like your post Albert, and it explains an approach that is similar to my own. I think I have half as many animals as they recommend, but had adequate numbers and variety from the beginning also.

danny zubot
12-08-2004, 05:44 PM
I haven't got access to a camera right now but if you have any in your tanks at Gold's I'll be able to identify it. Are you open tonight?

albert_dao
12-08-2004, 06:41 PM
Albert, if you dont mind me asking... for a 20g tank, what size cleanup crew would you recommend? and consisting of which critters? Like I said, hair algae seems to be the biggest problem right now, but I still have cyano in the tank. Need to get a PH or something soon.

Any True Percs in? :lol:

You'r probably looking at no more then 15 animals using a mix of trochus and cerith snails. Trochus are awesome with the diatoms while cerith do a great job with some types of hair algae.

Keeping that in mind, I wouldn't add more then 5 snails at a time, giving them 1-2 weeks in between additions to observe how well they keep up with your algae.

No percs right now.. hah

I haven't got access to a camera right now but if you have any in your tanks at Gold's I'll be able to identify it. Are you open tonight?

The store is open til 8 tonight but I'm not working (school).

OCDP
12-08-2004, 07:01 PM
Thanks, Albert. I will be by next week for a cleanup crew then. I am assuming you guys have some hermits as well?

Thanks for the info.

Scott

G1GY
12-08-2004, 07:28 PM
No hermits man.

Edit: Oops, I'm at Gary's house and didn't log out.

OCDP
12-08-2004, 11:54 PM
Hmm, bummer... any ideas as to if you'll have some like next thursday or friday? I called today, Dennis said you got snails... and probably some hermits , but he just has to find them lol

I only have a 20g tank, so not many hermits would be needed.

Thanks for letting me know dude

Scott