Hair? Algae driving me crazy!

[Aparker2005]

Hey guys! We've got what seems to be a takeover of brown hair algae. I'm at a loss for what to do. It's long, thick, and pulling it out only seems to make it spread.

We've tried crabs, foxface, blennys, and just got an urchin to try and help some. Nothing seems to help, and some corals are starting to get taken over.

Once we get the long parts off, which come off rather easily, the short stuff is very hard to remove. It's taking over our heaters and nearly a complete takeover of the back glass.

ANY suggestions? We feed once per day (mix of flakes, pallets, frozen). Lights are Current USA R24 Reef LEDs (sunrise at 10:30 am, sundown at 8:30 pm to moonlights).

Water change of 10-15% weekly or every 2 weeks depending on work.

Last water params were:
Temp: 78
Ca - 440
Phos - 0.20
Nitrate - 5
Kh - 8 - 143.2

 

[Fishinabarrel]

My thought is up the nutrient export strategy somehow.

And any interest in starting vodka or vinegar dosing to get bacteria competing for resources? It's what I would try next.

 

[Aparker2005]

My thought is up the nutrient export strategy somehow.

And any interest in starting vodka or vinegar dosing to get bacteria competing for resources? It's what I would try next.

Absolutely wouldn't mind trying it. Any specifics?

 

[Mical]

My guess is mag is low. Bump it up to 1500 and let it come back down to around 1300.

 

[Fishinabarrel]

Absolutely wouldn't mind trying it. Any specifics?

I would read up on it from a few different sources. Some love it and stand by it.
Others do not. There are a few youtube videos out there.

Dosing Vodka: Why? | Melev's Reef

www.melevsreef.com

Slow adding is the only way to go.

I use a strategy of mixing vinegar with Kalk to make a saturated solution. I then add this to my auto top off.

If you want excruciating painful details look here:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/index.php

 

[Dan_P]

Hey guys! We've got what seems to be a takeover of brown hair algae. I'm at a loss for what to do. It's long, thick, and pulling it out only seems to make it spread.

We've tried crabs, foxface, blennys, and just got an urchin to try and help some. Nothing seems to help, and some corals are starting to get taken over.

Once we get the long parts off, which come off rather easily, the short stuff is very hard to remove. It's taking over our heaters and nearly a complete takeover of the back glass.

ANY suggestions? We feed once per day (mix of flakes, pallets, frozen). Lights are Current USA R24 Reef LEDs (sunrise at 10:30 am, sundown at 8:30 pm to moonlights).

Water change of 10-15% weekly or every 2 weeks depending on work.

Last water params were:
Temp: 78
Ca - 440
Phos - 0.20
Nitrate - 5
Kh - 8 - 143.2

Maybe this isn’t an algae. Can you put some under a microscope?

 

[Aparker2005]

Maybe this isn’t an algae. Can you put some under a microscope?

Don't have one unfortunately

 

[Dan_P]

Don't have one unfortunately

Too bad.

Can you photograph the stuff with white light?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yikes.. Keep it simple.
Reduce white light intensity and pull as much as you can by hand and discard. Allow cleaner crew such as nerite-astrea-turbo-nassarius and trochus snails and even a pin cushion urchin to finish clean up
By any chance:
- Is tank at or near window?
- Are you using tap water from faucet or RODI water ?

 

[Aparker2005]

Yikes.. Keep it simple.
Reduce white light intensity and pull as much as you can by hand and discard. Allow cleaner crew such as nerite-astrea-turbo-nassarius and trochus snails and even a pin cushion urchin to finish clean up
By any chance:
- Is tank at or near window?
- Are you using tap water from faucet or RODI water ?

Blues are 100%, whites at 45 for daylight duration.

Tank is in the living room, but not near a window. Also use RODI water from our 4 stage filter. Reef crystals for salt.

 

[Aparker2005]

Here's with the whites only. Ugh

 

[Aparker2005]

Any thoughts with the white lights picture?

 

[G Santana]

I just finished a 3 month long battle with GHA, No fun.
I let it grow as long as it would go, this pulls nutrients out of the tank
I lowered the P04 to .03, choose your method
I dosed Vibrant for 7 weeks
I dosed hydrogen peroxide for a few weeks
Started dosing phyto

Then I started to vaccum the rocks daily for a period of two or weeks
Eventually it just started coming off the rocks in huge clumps filling my filter sock
I haven't had an issue in months

It takes time, I assume that as my tank matured, the parameters did not favor GHA and my tank is now pristine.

I know your pain