Hair algae help
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codycolina707
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I have had pretty good luck with brightwell razor along with siphoning out the dead hair algae and emerald crabs may not eat corals but they sure will knock them over any chance they get that and when they get big they seem pretty aggressive swiping at anything in the tank that's close enough that and I've had zero luck with my 5 tangs and fox face ever touching hair algae occasionally I'll see my kole tang peck the rocksWondering if anyone has any advice for a bit of a hair algae issue I’m having. Nitrates are around 8ish and phosphate has been at 0 for the last few weeks at least, I feel like I feed plenty and I turned my skimmer off for a few days and phosphates still don’t register, (I have a ULR Hanna checker). Tank is about 7 months old and I run my lights for 9 hours a day. Would like to get on top of this before it takes off. Thanks!
Pkunk35
Valuable Member
Personally I would manually remove until coralline covers everything and the coral load overtakes the algae’s ability to consume most of the tank’s nutrient (the time on that will vary). In the meanwhile scrub the algae out and WC the debris of the algae bodies out. Remember that some algae is good! Tiny life needs it to eat (although I can understand the need to remove it trust me). It will grow back and you will rinse and repeat until that tank gets balanced.
Snails work great too but sometimes they are just too dang slow for me or clean all the wrong things or won’t eat it when it gets huge so I’ll clean most of the algae in my new tank and leave small new patches for the snails and crabs and pods to consume (or whatever will)
If you can get a fish to eat it then I would do that because it’s way cooler.
Snails work great too but sometimes they are just too dang slow for me or clean all the wrong things or won’t eat it when it gets huge so I’ll clean most of the algae in my new tank and leave small new patches for the snails and crabs and pods to consume (or whatever will)
If you can get a fish to eat it then I would do that because it’s way cooler.
Broose51
Community Member
Yeah coralline is coming but not fast enough for my liking, haha. I’m ok with some algae, I just really hate when I get it all over the glass. My flipper doesn’t come close to getting it all so I’ve been scrubbing away with a magic eraser when I do a water change, which helps but even then it’s difficult to get it all. I ordered a few turbo snails and a conch from reef cleaners, I’ll see if that helps at allPersonally I would manually remove until coralline covers everything and the coral load overtakes the algae’s ability to consume most of the tank’s nutrient (the time on that will vary). In the meanwhile scrub the algae out and WC the debris of the algae bodies out. Remember that some algae is good! Tiny life needs it to eat (although I can understand the need to remove it trust me). It will grow back and you will rinse and repeat until that tank gets balanced.
Snails work great too but sometimes they are just too dang slow for me or clean all the wrong things or won’t eat it when it gets huge so I’ll clean most of the algae in my new tank and leave small new patches for the snails and crabs and pods to consume (or whatever will)
If you can get a fish to eat it then I would do that because it’s way cooler.
I totally agree. Hair algae is a typical occurrence in new reefs. Not a big deal. Usually associated with dry rock leaching phosphate. It will subside with stable parameters and good clean up crew. I was throwing out a product that works if a chemical additive was needed but should have explained that better
Tankkeepers
Valuable Member
This does not really work for gha thus is more for bryopsis even then it's hit or miss I would not use this for gha ever as to the op question good matnence and time will fix it
Yeah every tank is unique. For me it completed bleached out all algae in my tank. I had bryopsis earlier in my tank. For that I had success with raising magnesium with tech-m by Kent but I'm sure reef flux would work there as well.
spfahnestock
Active Member
I totally agree. Hair algae is a typical occurrence in new reefs. Not a big deal. Usually associated with dry rock leaching phosphate. It will subside with stable parameters and good clean up crew. I was throwing out a product that works if a chemical additive was needed but should have explained that better
Just a question as I used dry rock to start my tank and have a nice "field" of hair algae growing also. Once the PO4 is under control in the water column what is an average time for the hair algae to deplete the PO4 build up in it and causing it to flourish?
Tankkeepers
Valuable Member
Not really a set amount of time honestly could be a week or 2 could be a month or to depends on what else you are doing to keep it low and that you never let it get higher in the water then in the rocks
Tankkeepers
Valuable Member
Also just becouse your water is testing good does not mean it actually is the algie could be eating it fast enoff to show good results on the test but in reality its still more going into the system then being removed
I agree with this. Much of the issue is just that your rock isn't established. Make sure to get some really good sized seeded rock that has good life like microalgae growth,critters, and coralline. This helps outcompete green hair and with help you balance out. Initially your tank doesn't have the means to handle nitrate and phosphate efficiently because of no natural life but it will in time.
