Green hair algae in refugium

Joe Batt · May 9, 2018

I have recently restarted my tank using a large refugium and a Kessil H380.

I am getting lots of green hair algae in the refugium but not in the tank. The refugium seems to be doing what it should.

However, what is the feeling on removing GHA from the refugium? Just let it be or remove?

AshwinRavi · May 9, 2018

I am definitely not the expert on this, I recently started a refugium on 20L for my 75G display. I get very little GHA right by the return on my DT and I remove it off manually and it doesn't affect me much. I think if you let it accumulate to a sizeable portion and then remove, it might tip something off, but I remove it as and when they form, so it doesn't seem to affect my tank much.

Adele · May 9, 2018

I had that problem but it was sucking all the nutrients so my chaeto died. Since I have rubble in my fuge it was on a million bits of rock. I wanted to get rid of it so went lights out for a few weeks. Maybe should have just left it and let it be my nutrient control. I will be curious to see what some of the others have to say.

Joe Batt · May 9, 2018

I'm kind of inclined to leave it at the moment, but wondering on the clever people's
thoughts.

Skynyrd Fish · May 9, 2018

I think I would harvest. Your kessil is awesome and will outcompete your display lights. Sounds like you have a Algal turf scrubber fuge. How is your cheato? If they are both growing well I'd harvest some of the hair. You don't want it getting out of control and taking over. You could always add a screen in the fuge to harvest easily.

Mr.Rocc · May 9, 2018

The only issue with GHA is that it will spread and spread and spread and it will make its way into your display. Personally, I would pull the GHA out of your sump and try to jump start that macro algae. It also will eat up all the nutrients and eventually kill your cheato. I personally would manually pull as much as I could, increase my gfo(GRADUALLY!), and wet skim. Also, throw some snails in there to help with the clean up!

Joe Batt · May 9, 2018

Cheato is doing ok...growing slowly so seems that generally, the fuge is doing its job

Rjramos · May 9, 2018

Chaeto egg crate sandwich idea.
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?posts/1684307/
Here is my idea. I have been using chaetosandwich for sometime now. It allows you to place your chaeto within the sandwich and grow out of the egg crate like a chia pet, suspended just below the water level. It allows the chaeto to prosper while everything below it dies off. Good luck![emoji1303]

Joe Batt · May 9, 2018

Nice idea I have my cheato in a mesh bag at the moment but may well try this, thanks

Huff747 · May 9, 2018

I put a decent sized turbo snail in my refugium and he mowed through the algae in short order.

Adele · May 9, 2018

Rjramos said:
Chaeto egg crate sandwich idea.
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?posts/1684307/
Here is my idea. I have been using chaetosandwich for sometime now. It allows you to place your chaeto within the sandwich and grow out of the egg crate like a chia pet, suspended just below the water level. It allows the chaeto to prosper while everything below it dies off. Good luck![emoji1303]

That is VERY cool

Fourstars · May 9, 2018

Doesn't matter as long as it's pulling nutrients. Just put a couple of turbos as previously suggested and try to keep the Chaeto clean. It will eventually go away.

NickK · May 11, 2018

I have the same thing. I don't consider the hair algae in the refuge an issue. Mine grows like crazy and appears to out compete my Chaeto for nutrients. I harvest the hair algae weekly.

The central philosophy here is that you are using algae to export nutrients. Don't sweat whether that is through Chaeto, turf scrubber, or just random hair algae that you pull from your refuge.