Hair algae Id and control Ideas please.

[1979fishgeek]

I am battling what I think is hair algae, it’s dark greenish brown very fine And fluffy and grows to about 2 inches max. I’ve have Yellow, Desjardinni, Regal Tangs, Lawnmover Blenny, 4 Urchins, 30 hermits, various snails numbering in the hundreds and they won’t touch it. I’ve driven my Nitrates and phosphates to undetectable for over 5 months in a attempt to starve it off using NoPox, but it’s still thriving and now my sps are getting on the pale side and dino is cropping up. I’m not sure what else to try it only grows on my black glass but is unsightly and every spec of dirt and debris gets caught in it. The mess it makes when I scrape it off is horrendous!

Photos...

 

[Ranjib]

remove as much algae possible as mechanically, then start with reef flux or some other fluconazole based treatment, that will give a initial relief, but you want to look at your nutrient balance and introduce natural controls (like cleanup crew, fish etc) to deal with this in the long run.
This is a common, if not one of the most frequent issue, and can be fixed easily if you are thorough with the strategy.

 

[1979fishgeek]

remove as much algae possible as mechanically, then start with reef flux or some other fluconazole based treatment, that will give a initial relief, but you want to look at your nutrient balance and introduce natural controls (like cleanup crew, fish etc) to deal with this in the long run.
This is a common, if not one of the most frequent issue, and can be fixed easily if you are thorough with the strategy.

Thanks for the reply, I will look into the reef flux and fluconazole I’ve never used them before and I’m in the uk and some of these products are difficult to come by.

Can you recommend a fish or invert? The tanks 1,200 litres I already have Yellow Tang, Desjardinni Tang, Regal Tang, Lawnmower Blenny, 4 x large decorator urchins, probably 30 hermit crabs, 20 turbo snails, 1000s of dove and stomatella snails for algae control and additionally Blue Throat Trigger, sixline wrasse and Spotted Mandarin.

What do you recommend the nutrients to be balanced at? I normally aim for Nitrates around 3-5ppm and phosphate around 0.25. As it is a sps Acropora and Montipora dominated mixed reef. But I no3 and po4 to undetectable hoping to starve it out....not that it’s worked!

 

[1979fishgeek]

It’s only really on the far right side of the tank in the very high flow area.

Left side is completely free.

 

[DougBouma]

I am battling what I think is hair algae, it’s dark greenish brown very fine And fluffy and grows to about 2 inches max. I’ve have Yellow, Desjardinni, Regal Tangs, Lawnmover Blenny, 4 Urchins, 30 hermits, various snails numbering in the hundreds and they won’t touch it. I’ve driven my Nitrates and phosphates to undetectable for over 5 months in a attempt to starve it off using NoPox, but it’s still thriving and now my sps are getting on the pale side and dino is cropping up. I’m not sure what else to try it only grows on my black glass but is unsightly and every spec of dirt and debris gets caught in it. The mess it makes when I scrape it off is horrendous!

Photos...

Look into Magnesium management on the long term.

 

[1979fishgeek]

Look into Magnesium management on the long term.

I thought that only worked using Kent Tech M as there was a supposed a impurity ( lithium ) in it that killed the Algae? But I thought I remember reading the receipt changed?