Green hair algae

[Marcom12]

So, I'm curious as to what the right path is with my green hair algae.

Do I let it run its course? It seems to be binding up my top layer of gravel.... I can lift an edge and pretty much roll it up.... Taking some gravel with it.

Also in some areas it looks like it's died off and turns into a short length whitish/grey.... Covering? I can roll that up also.

I think my biggest concern is I can see fish poop accumulating in it... And it's not being able to be kept in suspension and exported...

 

[Steve1025]

Hi
The water parameters would have to be shown first to get a good idea on what could be causing the issue also lighting and feeding regimes.
It could be high phosphate, strong light and the length of time the light is on, heavy feeding, food with high phosphate content.

 

[savageajc]

Yes, where are you getting your water? How much are you feeding and what lights do you use?

 

[Marcom12]

I make my own water with a ro/di unit.

Last two times I tested both nitrates and phosphates are zero...

I feed once a day small pellet food with occasional rod foods complete.

I have two clownfish, one bta, a cleaner shrimp and a peppermint shrimp...

75 gal tank, 30 gal sump, ball of cheato

 

[Steve1025]

You definitely have the low readings to confuse, although the algae could be using the nutrients to give false readings, what testing equipment are you using? , do you think your sand/ gravel bed has excess nutrients? and a syphoning of the bed would help in removing this and the algae , although you would only want to do a small patch at a time spread over several days, you didn't mention your lights and times.
You might also like to look at Dr Tims Waste Away.

 

[Marcom12]

Have led lights and on about 8 hours a day..

 

[Marcom12]

I guess my main question is....do I physically remove the hair algae? Or let it take it's course?

 

[Mr.Rocc]

I guess my main question is....do I physically remove the hair algae? Or let it take it's course?

Just a heads up, everyone has had this happen to them and it goes away. However, right now, your job is to find why its happening to prevent it from spreading more. First I would manually remove as much as you can. I'm not sure how thick your gravel bed is, but if you have the 1" ish bed you can just syphon it all up. Before you do this turn off all returns and wave makers so its not blowing around everywhere. Give yourself a decent 15% water change. Next, I would give your tank a good 3 day blackout. This has no negative effects on your corals unless you conceal your tank too much and your tank heats up. After the black out try to manually remove more and do another 10% water change. Keep up with your water changes weekly. It will go away eventually. To prevent it from coming back, cut back on feeding, your fish don't need much food. Carbon dose, if you aren't already, and keep flow up.

 

[Marcom12]

Well I think that's one of my main issues.... I don't know what's causing it.

Ca:420
pH : 8.2
Nitrates: 0
Phosphate: 0
Blue lights:10 hours
Whites: 8

Decent flow.

75 gal tank, 30 gal sump 1 ball of cheato.

 

[Marcom12]

I don't really mind it alot.... I'm not in any hurry to get rid of it, though I do want it gone. But if fixing the problem allows it to just fade away that's great. If I actually NEED to physically remove it I will. But I'd ideally like the tank to run it's course and right itself with a little help if needed...

I just don't know if I don't remove it will it just go on forever? Or will it, given right conditions, just eventually shrink to acceptable levels.

 

[Marcom12]

No thoughts huh?

 

[Jason mack]

What % are you running your lights at ...I would decrease your whites too 5.5 -6 hrs a day ...and run them at 30% or less...
I would definitely start dosing nitrates and phos ...if they are 0

 

[Jason mack]

And if you really cant get rid of it you can always use this

And this does work ...theres plenty of 5hreads on here for it ..

 

[Marcom12]

Blues at 45 and whites at 5

Blues come on at noon.... Off at 10
Whites on at 2:30.... Off at 9:30

 

[brandon429]

why not just blast clean all the substrate and put the whole tank back together perfectly clean, skip cycle, and algae free, w no wait no meds. could draw your old water off the tank before cleaning, put it back, this is low makeup water work. its drain access cleaning.

 

[tdlawdo]

Just a heads up, everyone has had this happen to them and it goes away. However, right now, your job is to find why its happening to prevent it from spreading more. First I would manually remove as much as you can. I'm not sure how thick your gravel bed is, but if you have the 1" ish bed you can just syphon it all up. Before you do this turn off all returns and wave makers so its not blowing around everywhere. Give yourself a decent 15% water change. Next, I would give your tank a good 3 day blackout. This has no negative effects on your corals unless you conceal your tank too much and your tank heats up. After the black out try to manually remove more and do another 10% water change. Keep up with your water changes weekly. It will go away eventually. To prevent it from coming back, cut back on feeding, your fish don't need much food. Carbon dose, if you aren't already, and keep flow up.

My water is similar with all at zero using Hanna as well as Red Sea to double check. I got rid of it by turning down my photo period a bit but more so turning off the red spectrum and it was gone I’m no time. So I just one week ago added back in the reds and wallaaa the GHA returns. The urchins like it but not me.
I have a WaterBox 230 with three radions two mp40 and two gyres. I’m about 14 weeks in. Also have diatoms for but they are slowing down. Manually remove and turn off or down the red spectrum it might Just work for you too. Let me know how it goes.

 

[Marcom12]

I'd really like to do without dosing or chemicals if possible. Or at least try for a bit... Tank is new and would kinda like it to just do it's thing for now.

 

[Marcom12]

My water is similar with all at zero using Hanna as well as Red Sea to double check. I got rid of it by turning down my photo period a bit but more so turning off the red spectrum and it was gone I’m no time. So I just one week ago added back in the reds and wallaaa the GHA returns. The urchins like it but not me.
I have a WaterBox 230 with three radions two mp40 and two gyres. I’m about 14 weeks in. Also have diatoms for but they are slowing down. Manually remove and turn off or down the red spectrum it might Just work for you too. Let me know how it goes.

Well I have cheap lights, which may be a bit of the issue... I only can control blue and white..... There are red LEDs in it ... Maybe I could try a piece of tape to block?

 

[tdlawdo]

Well I have cheap lights, which may be a bit of the issue... I only can control blue and white..... There are red LEDs in it ... Maybe I could try a piece of tape to block?

Well it’s the reds and yellow. Just turn them down intensity and way less photo period

 

[will25u]

And if you really cant get rid of it you can always use this

And this does work ...theres plenty of 5hreads on here for it ..

+1 on the Reef Flux. We battled GHA for over six months. We gave up and did the three week Reef Flux treatment. The source of our phosphates was the water.