Emerald Crab vs. Hair Algae

[ScottyD36]

So I been battling Hair Algae for a while in my tank. It is getting increasingly frustrating. My tank has been up and running for over a year and a half. I have a 45 gallon CVUE tank. I have tried everything. I run a reactor to keep my phosphates down. I have a refuge in the back with Chaeto growing. I manually pull the hair algae out on a daily basis. My cuc crew I have 4 urchins that wont touch the stuff. My hermit crabs dont touch it. Basically anything I add to my tank just doesnt work. Someone suggested I try dropping in some emerald crabs and that they may be able to remove the problem. I was curious if anyone has success using emerald crabs to control hair algae or has something that would be good in removing it from my tank. I appreciate any input. I didnt post my parameters because I want this to be just a discussion for a tank mate that can help remove it.

 

[thresher]

Try large turbo snails. They are bulldozers but they did the trick fir me.

 

[blaxsun]

I have a large male emerald crab (about 3") and no hair algae. I also have a pair of blue tuxedo urchins and about 2 dozen ring cowries for the rocks.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

My emerald doesn’t touch the hair algae.

 

[paintman]

I feel your pain buddy! In the last 4 weeks I have spent close to $500 on fish and CUC's, trying to battle GHA. In my opinion, if you want to waste money in this hobby start with CUC's. They are the most overated, overhyped, of all the junk pushed on us. I think a turkey baster blow to the tank once or twice a week does far more good. Wish I had an answer as far as the emerald crab. My guess is it would be a waste of money and do far more damage to your tank than help by chewing on everything you don't want it to.

 

[rmorris_14]

The only thing that helped me get ahead of the hair algae, was removing the rocks (1 per week), scrubbing with a steel brush and then treating them with H202 before putting them back. I don’t think a CUC can get ahead of that much GHA. You have to get it down first and then use them to keep it that way. In fact none of mine seem to like the long stuff

 

[ZoWhat]

After 15yrs....found the Only way to beat GHA is to dose Nanno phytoplankton to starve it out... but evrryone is stuck in their own methods

 

[frizzayyyyreef]

So I been battling Hair Algae for a while in my tank. It is getting increasingly frustrating. My tank has been up and running for over a year and a half. I have a 45 gallon CVUE tank. I have tried everything. I run a reactor to keep my phosphates down. I have a refuge in the back with Chaeto growing. I manually pull the hair algae out on a daily basis. My cuc crew I have 4 urchins that wont touch the stuff. My hermit crabs dont touch it. Basically anything I add to my tank just doesnt work. Someone suggested I try dropping in some emerald crabs and that they may be able to remove the problem. I was curious if anyone has success using emerald crabs to control hair algae or has something that would be good in removing it from my tank. I appreciate any input. I didnt post my parameters because I want this to be just a discussion for a tank mate that can help remove it.

They suck imo n they go nuts on corals atleast I’m my expensive I just found one as a hitchhiker chucked him..Dk if you can but I got rid of mine by turning the rocks over lol

 

[Lavey29]

Tuxedo urchins and 2 turbos cleaned my whole tank in 3 weeks and I had a jungle. You need to hand place the lawn mowers right in the middle of the forest and force them to eat their way out.

You also need to identify the source of your GHA and remedy that situation.

 

[paintman]

Tuxedo urchins and 2 turbos cleaned my whole tank in 3 weeks and I had a jungle. You need to hand place the lawn mowers right in the middle of the forest and force them to eat their way out.

You also need to identify the source of your GHA and remedy that situation.

How do you force a tuxedo urchin to eat GHA? Please explain. If you can't it's fake news.

 

[Lavey29]

How do you force a tuxedo urchin to eat GHA? Please explain. If you can't it's fake news.

Did you read my post?

 

[Dburr1014]

How do you force a tuxedo urchin to eat GHA? Please explain. If you can't it's fake news.

Hmmm, my tuxedo is always hanging out in the gha bed.

 

[Lavey29]

Hmmm, my tuxedo is always hanging out in the gha bed.

Mine and the 2 turbos stripped my jungle clean. Not one strand anywhere in only 3 weeks. I'm worried they may starve now.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Try large turbo snails. They are bulldozers but they did the trick fir me.

This!!! One huge turbo rid my tank of all hair algae and cyano in a few days. Put my 2 lazy emerald crabs to shame lol.

 

[Roatan Reef]

This!!! One huge turbo rid my tank of all hair algae and cyano in a few days. Put my 2 lazy emerald crabs to shame lol.

Zebra and Mexican Turbo Snails FTW! They are Reef Algae Bulldozers, Lawnmowers...they will go to town. Place them directly on your Rock, or Algae Bed...they do work!

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I would grab some urchins

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Zebra and Mexican Turbo Snails FTW! They are Reef Algae Bulldozers, Lawnmowers...they will go to town. Place them directly on your Rock, or Algae Bed...they do work!

So true! Mine was gigantic though - he kept knocking over corals and killed a baby ricordea by "walking" all over it. Ugh, lol. Took him back to my lfs after ge cleaned my tank spotless, and I was wortied he'd go hungry. But I plan to get a couple small ones if I can find them.

 

[ATXreefer]

I had a similar issue. Giant turbo snail cleaned out the forest in no time.

 

[paintman]

Did you read my post?

So your telling me that just by placing tuxedo urchins in GHA forest you are forcing them to eat it. Thats like saying if you place someone who is anerxic in a room full of marshmallows you will force them to eat there way out. Pure nonsense!

I have 6 tuxedo urchins in my 200 gal. All of them where placed directly on GHA. Within 2 days all of them where climbing the glass, and never touched the GHA.

 

[Tom Does Disney]

Emerald Crabs are the most veracious algea eaters around IMO.

Do you have a UV sterilzer or at least bulb? What media is the reactor running? How often do you feed?