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#1
05-09-2004, 03:36 AM
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Hair Algae Please help
My tank is increasingly with what I believe to be hair algae. Here is a pic:
http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...ALGAE2.jpg?131 Can anyone tell me what kind of hair algae this is? If so, then how can I get rid of it. I have been doing water changes with DI water for weeks and I have been ripping as much out as I could. I even pulled the LR out and scubbed it down a couple of times, but still it came back. I am about to lose it. If there is some critter that will eat it, please tell where to go and what to get. Thanks for your time. MoMan[/img] 
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#2
05-09-2004, 04:04 AM
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Theres a few things you can try,but not knowing about your parameters and tank set up its hard to pin down the problem.
Ok, keep up the water changes,feed less,check your DI water for TDS your filter may be getting used up.(If you don't have a meter try your LFS they might do it for you)Check your bulbs they might be getting old.If you have a high bio load you may need a bigger skimmer or a planted refuge.Test your water and let us know what its at, and tell us what you have in the tank and the lighting, and someone will be able to help you out.
__________________
No matter how hard you try, you can't baptise cats.
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#3
05-09-2004, 04:18 AM
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Tank Parameters:
50gallon tank, 2X65W 10000K PC, 2X65w actinic. Prizm protein skimmer. 1 Maxi-Jet 900. Aquaclear 300. 40-50lbs LR. I use IO salt. Lights are on for 7-8 hrs per day. I have cut back my feeding considerably. pH ~8.5, , Ca 350ppm, sg 1.023, PO4 ~1ppm, NO3 ~10ppm.
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#4
05-09-2004, 04:27 AM
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I tried a long spine sea urchin for the heck of it, and he cleaned 90% of my hair algae within 5 days. However my corraline algae is taking a beating. Take the good with the bad I guess
__________________
Starting to put together a new tank for my new place.
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#5
05-09-2004, 04:43 AM
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Just the regular black long spined urchin? Who can I order it from?
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#6
05-09-2004, 04:48 AM
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The lighting I have in my tank is new, I got it from JL about 2 months agO. I would hope the lights are still good.
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#7
05-09-2004, 05:52 AM
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When a fellow reefer had an oput break of hair algea he cut back on the lighting and it went away. Either that or buy a urchin they eat it.
__________________
http://ryandoolittle.tripod.com/ryansdwarframs/
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#8
05-09-2004, 04:32 PM
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had the same problem couple of months ago
Hade the same problem a couple of months ago. It was brutal. physical removal helps, keep that up. Got a lawnmower gobie ( some people told me it is a lawnmower blennie) and then a fox face. Added a bunch more crabs and snails. Kept a close watch on my water quality and the algae all disappeared. Most of the organisms that I thought were being choked out recovered quite nicely and i learned two things. One- Don't panic. Two- there a lot of really great, knowledgable, helpful people here. Good luck it is ugly stuff.
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#9
05-09-2004, 05:24 PM
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I tried a lawnmower blenny and he hasn't helped at all. In fact, he died within two weeks of arrival.
Has anyone been able to identify what type of hair algae i have?
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#10
05-09-2004, 06:45 PM
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Your lights skould be ok if they're only 2 months old.How bad is the out break, is it the whole tank or just the area in the pic.?Your PO4 and NO3
aren't off the scale,but if you have alot of algae it may be taking up the nutrients before it can be measured.I haven't had much luck with the prizm skimmer,mine is on a 30g with a low bio load so it does the job,but if you have alot of fish it may not be able to keep up.Phos.pads may work for now,but you need to find out where the nutrients are comming from.The two ways that I can think of that cause high nutrient are adding water and food.You have already cut back on feeding and you can only cut back so far. The DI water, is it bottled water,or do you use a tap water purifier(sp)or an RO/DI unit?Even if its store bought old filters can still be a problem,so its a good idea to have this tested for TDS.If you can't cut back what you put into your tank,then you have to look at ways to take nutrients out of the tank.The choices I can think of for this are water changes,better skimming,havesting(planted fuge)and animals.I find animals are better for matinance than for reducing algae.IE if you put in enough snails or other animals to reduce the algae,then when its gone you end up with a bunch of dead snails,because theres not enough food left. Try the phos.pads for now.This is a bandaid approach it just covers up the real problem,but it may give you time to find the real problem. Good luck Greg
__________________
No matter how hard you try, you can't baptise cats.
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