Hair algae eating animal

[Jmas4]

What animal eats hair algae. My phosphates are 0.05 and getting lower. But I need a animal to eat it first so the phosphate stays in the water for my reactor to get out instead of it getting sucked up by algae. I heard sea hares and lettuse nuds eat it. What is the better type? Is thre something else that eats it?

 

[PatW]

I hear that sea hairs are voracious. But most tanks do not produce enough algae to support them.

Your GFO reactor will pull phosphates out of the system and the hair algae will stop growing and get pale. The rocks do need scrubbing to get the dead algae off of them. Also a series of big water changes will do the job.

 

[twilliard]

Hands down the Sally Lightfoot crabs

 

[Jmas4]

When the Hair alage getting eaten I will have a plan for the animal

 

[Jmas4]

Realy? Lightfoot crabs eat them? Have you had one

 

[twilliard]

I have raised them for many years

 

[Jmas4]

Don't they eat other snails, crabs and even small fish?

 

[twilliard]

Nope not in the years I have had them (about 5 years now)

 

[FishOfHex]

I think instead of looking for an animal to eat it i recommend you look for the cause. If you correct the problem the hair algae will go away.

 

[Jmas4]

I know the problem it is phosphates. Ia am running gfo in a reactor but hiar algae eats it first

 

[Xmoji]

I was having this same issue in my new tank I started with dead rock. My hair algae was more of a brown color. I tried a sea hare but it died. I ended up getting more snails as clean up crew to pick up any uneaten food and waste. I upped my water change from weekly 5 gallons to weekly 10 gallons. I also started running Gfo mixed with carbon in the reactor. I noticed the amount of algae on the rock has improved and what is left is really pale or light brown. I might have to take out the rock and scrub off what's left. I checked phosphates a week ago and they were at .25 ppm. I will do another test to see how they are now with the changes made. Hopefully that helps.

 

[Xmoji]

Forgot to mention I also got a tang which I believe helped with my issue.

 

[Jmas4]

I have 7 tangs only abour 2 to 4 inches that will go in there after qt, will they eat them? It is a red sea sailfin, powder blue, lavender,white ringtail, kole eye, blue hippo, naso. Don't worry they will have a 1000 gall fish tank they will be moved to. After it is completed

 

[Jmas4]

Do any of you guys had luck with a lettuse nud my lfs has some and I heard they eat hair algae

 

[Jmas4]

It turns out guys that mixed in with the hair algae is bryopis. So I will buy tech m and dose until 1700 will that kill hair algae too?
Guess I will find out.

 

[Reefahholic]

Mex turbo snails will devour certain kinds of GHA.

 

[Reefahholic]

It turns out guys that mixed in with the hair algae is bryopis. So I will buy tech m and dose until 1700 will that kill hair algae too?
Guess I will find out.

Try the large mexican turbo snails first!

 

[AlanM]

Lettuce nudibranchs will likely get pulled into a powerhead if you are running a reef. They don't hang on that well.

 

[jsker]

Hands down the Sally Lightfoot crabs

That would be a nice addition to the tank.

 

[philfree]

whoa, sally lightfoot? really?
im interested in hearing more about this.
Its one of those crabs i saw a lot in the hobby a decade ago and in the late 90s , not so much now.