Hair algae outbreak.

[Cameron]

I have some snails eating it slowly....

Can somone rent me a sea hare or something to get this undercontrol?

[SAMSHUNG]

I can lend you my Cuisinart skizz0rs free of charge. Worked brilliantly for me. Actually what I found worked best was throwing in a clump of chaeto algae which starved the hair algae to next to nothing. Trochus snails polished off whatever was left. All within two weeks time. Love those snails. I should add that I had LOTS of hair algae as well so I think my approach worked well.
Are you using tap water by any chance?

[Greenmaster]

Hair algae is a symptom not the problem... you have high nutrient production (your tests will read low because the algae is eating it all.) You should look at other ways of reducing your nitrates (Macro algae in the sump with a light, cutting down the amount of extra food that is being fed, do more water changes, and/or use a reactor method like de-nitrate) After you have reduced the amount of nitrates available to the hair algae your CUC should be able to take care of the rest.

[Cameron]

I'm using RODI water through my Aqua FX Baracuda: http://www.aquariumwaterfilters.com/shop-by-product?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&product_id=22&category_id=12

I am also using a TLF 150 reactor with bio pellets.

I don't feed to often, every couple days.

I am bad about water changes but have done a few this week already.

I do have a ball of cheato in there that has not really grown in size in the 4 weeks it was in there.

Bioload in a RSM250 is:
2 bangaii cards
2 perc clowns
1 6 line wrasse
1 foxface

[Greenmaster]

Does the cheato have a light?

[burrows14]

your cheato wont grow much if it all if your running bio pellets. how long have you been running the pellets? the cheato and pellets are in direct competion for the same nutrients

[Greenmaster]

your cheato wont grow much if it all if your running bio pellets. how long have you been running the pellets? the cheato and pellets are in direct competion for the same nutrients

If the pellets were taking all the nutrients he wouldn't have hair algae.

[Cameron]

Anyone else have a suggestion? The skimming is pulling out some rancid milk mainly because of the pellets.

[Edmonton newbie]

if your pellets are not tumbling hard then they dump a slime into your tank and you get a huge ha outbreaki had this happen to me too. take your reactor off line and clean it well, rinse the pellets, clean the pump and hoses good, when you get it started again make sure they tumble hard

[DiverDude]

I too am having an HA problem. Ironically, it's come back SINCE I started running pellets.

I do a 15% water change every 7 days (max)
I feed very little
My Bioload is low
Pellets tumble hard

I've reduced my photo period and added a chiller and things are a bit better but not great.

I rented a sea hare from Red Coral but they only had a small one. I thougt it might be good to get in tight areas but the thing spent 2 days on the glass then disppeared into the rockwork never to be seen again. I tore half the tank apart to find him and nothing. Now I'm doing even more water changes !!

There is no easy answer/solution !

[OceanicCorals-Ian-]

I too am having an HA problem. Ironically, it's come back SINCE I started running pellets.

I do a 15% water change every 7 days (max)
I feed very little
My Bioload is low
Pellets tumble hard

I've reduced my photo period and added a chiller and things are a bit better but not great.

I rented a sea hare from Red Coral but they only had a small one. I thougt it might be good to get in tight areas but the thing spent 2 days on the glass then disppeared into the rockwork never to be seen again. I tore half the tank apart to find him and nothing. Now I'm doing even more water changes !!

There is no easy answer/solution !


Highly efficient skimming is absolutely essential whether using PHA pellets, Zeovit, Fauna, or VSV nutrient control. You need to skim heavy and wet, you should also be dosing a bacteria product like, Microbacter 7 or Zeobac in order to increase the diversity of the bacterial colonization and prevent such things as a monoculture. You would only need to dose maybe once or twice a month.

Give it a shot!

[Cameron]

I must say my skimmer is pulling harder than a woman's curling team. You have seen the vid of my pellets tumbling also.

The HA is bad, its flowing smoother than Fabio's hair....


AAAGH

Could my calc and alk and ph be so far off to cause this also?

[no_bs]

Water changes, and turn your light back an hour or two(MH 5-6 hrs. Actinics 10 hrs.). Add more flow. Cut out as much as you can. It should start to receed soon. What is your NO3?

[Borderjumper]

I must say my skimmer is pulling harder than a woman's curling team. You have seen the vid of my pellets tumbling also.

The HA is bad, its flowing smoother than Fabio's hair....


AAAGH

Could my calc and alk and ph be so far off to cause this also?

LOL Cameron.. just give up and sell me your RSM:mrgreen:

[DiverDude]

I dosed MB7 right onto the dry pellets before closing the reactor. I also dose MB7 once every few weeks. Skimmer is set to skim fairly wet but it's just not pulling much right now as I'm doing 15% water changes every 3-4 days right now. Also, other than a dead sea hare somewhere in the tank, I have a light bioload.

HA growth has slowed in the last week but it's not receeding.

Highly efficient skimming is absolutely essential whether using PHA pellets, Zeovit, Fauna, or VSV nutrient control. You need to skim heavy and wet, you should also be dosing a bacteria product like, Microbacter 7 or Zeobac in order to increase the diversity of the bacterial colonization and prevent such things as a monoculture. You would only need to dose maybe once or twice a month.

Give it a shot!