Brown Hair Algae Triton Method

[SharkSlayer]

Greetings,
I have a brown hair algae problem as shown in the pictures below. My nitrates and phosphates are zero. I run GFO and carbon. The pictures below are my set up. I only feed one frozen cube a day that is strained and has vitamins in it. My RODI water is zero. I currently do the triton method with a large refugium and Core 7 4 part. The growth you see in the pictures is after two weeks of the rocks not being scrubbed. I don’t think it is a nutrient problem I just think I need something to eat it as it grows relatively slow. Below are the fish I have. If any one has any recommendations about a fish or invertebrate that would help or something I could do better I would appreciate it.
Foxface, diamond goby, clownfish, fire goby, starry Benny, watanabe angel, Anthia, scarlet and electric blue hermits, Trocus snails, short spine urchin, 2x emerald crabs,

redsea reefer 625. Running triton method.
I run radions at 60% for 8 hours and taper off for sunset. No sunlight hits the tank.

 

[DanH86]

Mexican turbo snails; I bought 4 this weekend to eat exactly the same stuff and they are loving it!

 

[SharkSlayer]

Is there a tang that will eat this algae that people could recommend

 

[Jason mack]

You can raise your magnesium to 1800-1900 ppm ..this will kill off the hair algea ..you can raise mag 100ppm per day safely ....or you can add Mexican turbos snails or a tuxedo urchin...I would definitely start dosing no3 and po4 so they aren't 0 .......
You can also try and remove as much as you can with your hand each day...

 

[Jason mack]

Is there a tang that will eat this algae that people could recommend

Yellow doctor

 

[SharkSlayer]

Great thank you. I don’t understand What do you mean DoS no3 and po4?

 

[Jason mack]

Great thank you. I don’t understand What do you mean DoS no3 and po4?

Sorry I meant dose ...

 

[SharkSlayer]

You can raise your magnesium to 1800-1900 ppm ..this will kill off the hair algea ..you can raise mag 100ppm per day safely ....or you can add Mexican turbos snails or a tuxedo urchin...I would definitely start dosing no3 and po4 so they aren't 0 .......
You can also try and remove as much as you can with your hand each day...

Great thank you. I don’t understand What do you mean DoS no3 and po4?

 

[SharkSlayer]

Sorry I meant dose ...

Ya I understand dose. But why dose no3 and po4?

 

[Jason mack]

Great thank you. I don’t understand What do you mean DoS no3 and po4?

I mean you need too add nitrate and phosphate too your system you want about 5ppm no3 and between 0.04 - 0.1 p04 ...for a mixed reef ... once the hair algea is gone you can always reduce the dosing when you start too see it rising...having 0 no3 and po4 ...can lead too other problems like dinoflagetties or an unbalance in bacteria.. or turn your gfo off for a while

 

[SharkSlayer]

Ah thanks

 

[GregOyeah]

I would not dose nitrates and po4 in a tank that already has a GHA problem. Maybe just dose nitrates if you want to bottom out the po4, but I think it’d be better to find the root of the outbreak

how old is the tank?

was the live rock cured before it was put in the tank? Even if it was dry

 

[SharkSlayer]

I would not dose nitrates and po4 in a tank that already has a GHA problem. Maybe just dose nitrates if you want to bottom out the po4, but I think it’d be better to find the root of the outbreak

how old is the tank?

was the live rock cured before it was put in the tank? Even if it was dry

Tank is a year old. Yes it was dry and cured. In my opinion I don’t think it’s a nutrient problem I think it’s a consumption problem. I will scrub Out the green hair algae every three weeks and it takes about three weeks for it to come back. It is not consuming the tank just a pain. I think if I could find something to eat it That would solve my issue. I’ve tried Emerald crabs scarlet hermits. I am picking up some Mexican turbos today and maybe a tang if people think that would work

 

[SharkSlayer]

Tank is a year old. Yes it was dry and cured. In my opinion I don’t think it’s a nutrient problem I think it’s a consumption problem. I will scrub Out the green hair algae every three weeks and it takes about three weeks for it to come back. It is not consuming the tank just a pain. I think if I could find something to eat it That would solve my issue. I’ve tried Emerald crabs scarlet hermits. I am picking up some Mexican turbos today and maybe a tang if people think that would work

I tried a short spine urchin as well

 

[GregOyeah]

Are you against using a chemical removal?

I had a similar issue on a much smaller scale and used reef flux and it took care of the problem.

vibrant may also work.

 

[SharkSlayer]

Tried Mexican and regular turbos. Put them in the hair algae and the just left it alone. It has gotten long now so I am going to physically remove it and see if snails will eat it. I’ve heard they will not eat it if it is long. Will tangs eat gha. Any suggestions on type of tang? Thanks again appreciate all the feedback

 

[Jason mack]

Tried Mexican and regular turbos. Put them in the hair algae and the just left it alone. It has gotten long now so I am going to physically remove it and see if snails will eat it. I’ve heard they will not eat it if it is long. Will tangs eat gha. Any suggestions on type of tang? Thanks again appreciate all the feedback

Try a tuxedo urchin

 

[SharkSlayer]

N

Try a tuxedo urchin

next on the list waiting for lfs to get one in

 

[Crabby48]

Vibrant but it would kill the macro in fuge

 

[SharkSlayer]

Vibrant but it would kill the macro in fuge

Ya want to avoid chem is possible.