Hair algae I’ve tried everything!!!!

[ReefJake123]

I’ll look into it thank you

 

[ReefJake123]

Is peroxide safe for fish and coral

 

[Maritimer]

If used within reason, yes. If overused/abused, less so - and it's particularly rugged on shrimp.

I've twice used an "Aiptasia-X" syringe full of peroxide to dose Bryopsis in my 220, with no adverse effects on coral or fish - even on a hammer that sits directly above the Bryopsis patch. A cleaner shrimp that wandered over to check out what I was doing though, vanished overnight.

~Bruce

 

[ReefJake123]

Wow good thing is I don’t have shrimp currently so thank you all for the comments I’m gonna go with peroxide

 

[Somuchflo99]

Also try a sand conch they do work

 

[ReefJake123]

Ok

 

[Somuchflo99]

I put one in my 20 gal and now I am transferring to the other tank to do some clean up cuz he’s running outta food where he’s at now took him a good 3 weeks but my sand bed is bright white now

 

[Somuchflo99]

B4 and after a with one tiger sand conch

 

[ReefJake123]

Coool I look for one

 

[mcarroll]

it was covering ever last bit of my sand/rocks it was horrible

Can't let it get established....that's the first step before it gets out of control.

What was your CUC like before and during the outbreak?

What were your NO3 and PO4 tests like before and during the outbreak?

And my algae has killed 5 of my favorite corals

Algae can make it rough for corals sometimes, but if your system was really being stripped of PO4 with GFO pads and was low in nitrates too, then corals may very well have been suffering as much or more from that. Some corals have very low tolerance for zero PO4.....especially under certain conditions.

Wow good thing is I don’t have shrimp currently so thank you all for the comments I’m gonna go with peroxide

Go with the spot treatments that I linked if you want maximum effect with minimum side-effects.

 

[ReefJake123]

Can't let it get established....that's the first step before it gets out of control.

What was your CUC like before and during the outbreak?

What were your NO3 and PO4 tests like before and during the outbreak?



Algae can make it rough for corals sometimes, but if your system was really being stripped of PO4 with GFO pads and was low in nitrates too, then corals may very well have been suffering as much or more from that. Some corals have very low tolerance for zero PO4.....especially under certain conditions.



Go with the spot treatments that I linked if you want maximum effect with minimum side-effects.

Ok so for the spot treatments how do I do it they didn’t explain that part very well

 

[ReefJake123]

And like I said all of those have been 0 in my tank except for the very beginning when I first started they became high and I lowered them down to zero in about a week

 

[JoshKReef]

I use a mixture of caustic soda on my algae.

1 gram of caustic soda, 10 ml of water. Then I take a syringe and spread it over the algae. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then blast it with a turkey baster. The next day the algae will be gone. This works for all types, and even to kill aiptasia.

I never use more then a 10 ml for every 25 gallons my tank is.

I got this info from @glennf and his dsr method.

 

[ReefJake123]

What is caustic soda? And do I turn the filters off for this?

 

[JoshKReef]

This is what I use. I probably should've bought food grade.

https://www.amazon.com/FDC-99-Pure-...8&qid=1522076817&sr=8-3&keywords=caustic+soda

I turn off my return and powerheads for the 10 minutes, then turn them back on before blasting with a turkey baster. Some people siphon out the solution after 10 minutes. Hair algae is gone the next day, bubble algae takes a bit longer.

 

[ReefJake123]

I can’t open the link I currently have restrictions on my phone could you send me a picture of the product please and thank you

 

[ReefSlice]

I had the same problem with my first tank. Where is your "perfectly filtered" DI water coming from? Do you actually have your own RO/DI with a 2 stage TDS meter or are you buying this water from an LFS? Because I thought my LFS had nice water too, however it was 100% the cause.
Your phosphates and nitrates could read 0 because the algae is using them up faster than they can register, it is pretty hard to get 0 po4 and 0 no3 in a tank that small. Your outbreak isn't terrible and I'm sure it isn't a very hard fix, just have to start eliminating factors.

 

[Tanglover11]

Hair algae by its nature,traps detritus and food particles which they then break down and into Phosphates and Nitrates. The surrounding water might be reading low with water tests but the algae will thrive once it gets a foothold in your Aquarium.

 

[ReefJake123]

That’s where my water comes from I literally have perfect water that has a 7.6 ph and actually has magnesium naturally in it and it comes from our well water and I keep hearing things I already know about like the algae is taking up the phosphate and nitrates I know this guys my dad has been owning his own saltwater store for 15 years he doesn’t do it any more but he did I’ve tried everything

 

[ReefJake123]

I’ve looked through every possibility that is supposed to be non expensive and is immediately done but it just doesn’t work I’m trying peroxide currently and if that doesn’t work I restarting my tank completely obviously I’ll keep my corals and fish bc I do have a 55 gallon tank as well which I can put my other corals in