Fighting an existing Hair Algae problem.

[SpoonReef]

I have been fighting a Hair Algae problem for a long time now, I can get it under control and then it comes raging back. There are many things that I have done but none have been a permanent solution. My first action against the algae was to do 40 gallon water changes on a total 100 gallon system every couple weeks, that never once stopped the problem. During all my water changes I also manually removed some by hand. It made me think it was the water I was adding I hooked the RO DI unit up and checked my water to be sure, then I had my LFS check it as well, it came out clean. My second step was to get some GFO and see if it would affect the algae, it didn't. I did the first two steps together and it worked better but still it wasn't going away. I decided then to try some dosing. I started with vodka and used a guide I found online. I added it over a month and nothing happened still. I have become frustrated with the problem and have since stopped messing with the algae. My wife and I just had a new little one so all this stuff has become exhausting. I plan on getting better GFO and trying some bio pellets. I have fallen back on water changes and I need a good schedule to get back on along with trying stuff to get rid of this algae so I can actually add corals to the tank. I left a lot of things out so here is some fillers. My rock is BRS eco saver rock I did not nuke the rock which is probably a bad idea but it is too late now or is it? idk I have 2 apollo reef leds on the tank 15k color temperature 8 inches above the tank. My light schedule is 1 pm to 8 pm. I have a reef octopus sssxp1000 I should of went a model bigger but money gets tight with these large purchases. The tank is also bare bottom. Sand crashed my 29 gallon so I chose not to use it. I am asking for advice and a good water change schedule. If anyone is curious about other things just ask.

 

[KJAG]

Have you tried running your Mg high (1800 range) for a little while? I saw improvement with this method, along with daily H202 dosings

 

[ReeferBob]

You do not need the lights on that long for FOWL tanks. Use your lights sparingly perhaps only when viewing the fish. Algae needs light and nutrients to grow. What are your phosphate and nitrate levels? Too much food also will contribute to Algae. Fish do not need to eat every day. I would go with an every other day feeding schedule and 1/2 as much or less then you are feeding now. You also could get something that uses the same food as algae that you want like Chaeto in the sump. A good ball of Chaeto will consume most of your nutrients. New rock can leach out phosphates until they are depleted. It can take a year for this cycle to complete. Be patient, keep an eye on your water parameters and don't overfeed/overlight. Also have you checked the water parameters of your RO-DI before adding it to the tank?

BTW: Algae likes "bad" light. So if your bulbs are old or you are using cheap bulbs, this could be a contributing factor.

I suggest 10% every 1-2 weeks for the water change.

 

[SpoonReef]

I don't plan on the tank only being a FOWL that is why my light cycle is the way it is. I only feed once a day, I feed what they can consume in a 2 minute period, which I can't imagine is too much. The tank is about 2 years old. My nitrates are 4 ppm and my phosphates are .032 ppm but I know that algae consumes the phosphates so the numbers can be off. My leds are only about 1 and a half years old, I wouldn't expect that to be the problem either. I don't want to deny all suggestions but some of the food suggestions and light suggestions I have tried, turning on and off lights doesn't seem even like a good idea for the light fixture itself.

 

[Otter_rs]

Hair algae is a difficult and frustrating beast. Patients is necessary to beat it. In most cases, hair algae is feeding on phosphates absorbed in your rock. Even after you start to beat it, you will see other types of algae quickly take its place. Don't get discouraged. These algae's too shall pass. It should be a little easier for you since you do not have a sand bed.
Here is what I would do for quickest results;
A 100% water change right off. Premix the saltwater needed to refill the aquarium heated to the right temp. Make sure the water being mixed is at 0 TDS before adding salt. Mix for at least 24 hours. Drain 50% of the cleanest old water into tubs. Cheep plastic trashcans work. Move algae covered rock into all tubs except one. Move some of your cleanest rock into that one and put your fish in there. Drain the rest of the aquarium including all detritus. Refill aquarium with new water leaving room for rock. Use a firm bristle plastic brush to scrub the crap out of all rock with algae on it and rinse it very well in either old tank water, or better yet, fresh salt water. Replace the rock into your display however you want. Replace fish and inverts. Cut light intensity and duration as much as you can without harming anything. Do 10-20% water changes once a week removing any new algae growth and detritus in the process. Use GFO and change it out every 2 weeks. I've done this before, and it does speed up the process 10 fold. Hope the info helps. Good luck.


Brent \><{{{{*>
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[SpoonReef]

Thanks for the suggestion Brent I have to attempt this even though it will be a nightmare.

 

[fragmatic]

Are you feeding powdered or flake foods?

 

[Otter_rs]

Thanks for the suggestion Brent I have to attempt this even though it will be a nightmare.

It sucks! I know, but it will be an easier battle if you do. I would help you if I could.


Brent \><{{{{*>
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[SpoonReef]

I feed Spectrum pellets nori and mysis sparingly. Nori once a week for my yellow tang. Mysis are fed as replacement to pellets on occasion soaked in garlic extract.

 

[Otter_rs]

Your feeding doesn't seem to me to be the problem.


Brent \><{{{{*>
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[Otter_rs]

Starting bio pellets should help in the long run too. Any chance you can remember when things started getting out of hand?


Brent \><{{{{*>
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[SpoonReef]

What about bio pellets will that help me any?

 

[mike007]

If all else fails you can get a conch they will eat the algae in short time . I don't think i would suggest a 100% water change . I have pulled some of my rock and scrubbed off the algae. But remember you need to find the root of the problem to stop its growth. I still agree with the other posts about overfeeding. It does not take much to overload the nutrient level that spawns the algae growth. Personally i feed my fish once a day very little and i don't use any of that coral food. My tank is algae free. I also carbon dose with Redsea nopox . Phosphate gets absorb into the rock and carbon dosing is the only way i know of to get it under control. Water changes are only a tempory fix if you have other issues the algae will keep growing.

 

[mc-cro]

I am having a very similiar problem. I let my hair algae get a foot hold in my display tank, and now I am fighting it weekly, and I just cant get ahead of it.

I have reduced my ligths to 4hrs per day, my skimmer is pulling 2-3 cups of nasty chunky dark green skimmate a day, and running GFO. My cheato ball kept dying out, so I switched to a Algae scrubber, but the display is still growing algae like crazy. I have been doing weekly 50g water changes on my 220 system, so almost 100% water changes every month for the last 3-4 months. I spend every Friday night siphoning hair algae.

I am not sure the 100% water change is going do what you want. The removal of all the rock and scrubbing it is a great tactic though.

Its a long battle. If you can remove all the rock, thats a quick way to get head of it. You may even consider giving it a good splash of h2o2 also. But you for sure want to get something else in place to use up the nutrients before the display hair algae starts in again

 

[Otter_rs]

I have been doing weekly 50g water changes on my 220 system, so almost 100% water changes every month for the last 3-4 months. I spend every Friday night siphoning hair algae.

I am not sure the 100% water change is going do what you want. The removal of all the rock and scrubbing it is a great tactic though.

Doing four 25% water changes does not equal a 100% water change. If I can come close to guesstimating in my head I think it ends up being less than 50% dilution. Big difference.





Brent \><{{{{*>
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[joeyhatch11]

When I was going through my problems with it. I started using Kents Phostphate Sponge and it cleared up in a week. After running that, I started with PhosGuard in a tumbler and I haven't seen it come back since. About 2 months now. The Phosphate Sponge turned it white with in days and then with a few water changes it was gone.

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[mc-cro]

Your correct, and I understand the dillution equations. The real problem is where the p04 coming from, its not coming from the water itself. (he said it tested good). It may slow it down for a couple of days until p04 leaches back out.

Its really a mute point, if he is going to remove all the rock to scrub it down, then he may as well do a 100% water change.

 

[Otter_rs]

There are a few reasons I do it this way if I can;
1. You can only test easily for inorganic phosphate and most people do not test for organic phosphate. So phosphate can be present with a 0 test.
2. All detritus needs to come out when doing this, so why not just go ahead and do 100% when you already have everything out of the aquarium.
3. If there are any other imbalances in the water chemistry that you are not testing, then this more or less fixes it.
Also, most of the phosphate that is coming from the rock is probably now in the algae tissue so you are taking as much phosphate and nitrate completely out of the system all at once. It makes it a lot more difficult for the algae to rebound.


Brent \><{{{{*>
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[Otter_rs]

Just a warning, as you keep up with the new algae and as it goes away (and it will) you will start to see red slime show up among other types of algae. This is a good thing! Keep removing it and it will go away too.


Brent \><{{{{*>
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[SpoonReef]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. The problem started about 6 months after the cycle. I am not sure where it is coming from, and I would like to find a permanent solution to all of it.