Hair Algae on Zoas please Help

[Bape47]

Hi guys my frag tank has problem with the hair algae on all frag of zoas and make it wont open is there anyway help to kill the algae ? Please help

My no3 5-10 po4 0.03-0.05

Frag tank use sump of my main 200gallon tank but the main tank doesnt have hair algae

Please Help TIA

 

[mfinn]

I would find as soft as a toothbrush as I could and gently brush off ( carefully avoiding hard contact on each polyp) each disk in a separate bowel of tank water.
I have also used hydrogen peroxide as a dip. Been a while but I think it was 30% hp to 70% tank water. Use normal strength hp. I would make the dips very short, maybe 20-25 seconds. Then rinse the frags off very well so all the hp is gone.
Manually remove as much algae and short mild dip.

 

[kevgib67]

Hi guys my frag tank has problem with the hair algae on all frag of zoas and make it wont open is there anyway help to kill the algae ? Please help

My no3 5-10 po4 0.03-0.05

Frag tank use sump of my main 200gallon tank but the main tank doesnt have hair algae

Please Help TIA

I use 3% hydrogen peroxide as s well. Use 2/1 tank water to hydrogen peroxide. Let it soak 6-7 minutes. Rinse with tank water and place it back in the tank.

 

[Bape47]

I use 3% hydrogen peroxide as s well. Use 2/1 tank water to hydrogen peroxide. Let it soak 6-7 minutes. Rinse with tank water and place it back in the tank.

Thank you ill try to dip in peroxide and see but after dip u remove the algae or they just take off later?

 

[kevgib67]

Thank you ill try to dip in peroxide and see but after dip u remove the algae or they just take off later?

It will still be on the plug when you place in your tank but over the next day or two it just melts away.

 

[mfinn]

Thank you ill try to dip in peroxide and see but after dip u remove the algae or they just take off later?

Use a soft brush and remove it carefully first.
Don't depend on a chemical to do all the work. Get proactive.

 

[Doctorgori]

I would find as soft as a toothbrush as I could and gently brush off ( carefully avoiding hard contact on each polyp) each disk in a separate bowel of tank water.
I have also used hydrogen peroxide as a dip. Been a while but I think it was 30% hp to 70% tank water. Use normal strength hp. I would make the dips very short, maybe 20-25 seconds. Then rinse the frags off very well so all the hp is gone.
Manually remove as much algae and short mild dip.

I use 3% hydrogen peroxide as s well. Use 2/1 tank water to hydrogen peroxide. Let it soak 6-7 minutes. Rinse with tank water and place it back in the tank.

Just endorsing this as it seems algae grows in between polyps outta CUC access …
l used full strength 3% directly also, no mortality

 

[Bape47]

Just endorsing this as it seems algae grows in between polyps outta CUC access …
l used full strength 3% directly also, no mortality

U mean no need to mix with tank water?

 

[Bape47]

Just endorsing this as it seems algae grows in between polyps outta CUC access …
l used full strength 3% directly also, no mortality

Also dip for how long

 

[Magic031707]

There is a thread on here that tells you the ratio for each coral. You will hear different opinions on this. I have used 100% hydrogen peroxide on some corals and 50/50 mix on others. I've had no ill effects with 100% dip on zoas. I dip no longer than 1-2 minutes or when it starts to bubble when during 100%.

 

[mfinn]

This was posted in another thread on this subject yesterday.

Peroxide dipping guidelines (for corals)

A while back Justin Credabel published this chart detailing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide appropriate for dipping various genera of corals. I've used these guidelines myself a few times to remove algae from coral frags and it's been quite effective. Justin Credabel's hydrogen...

humble.fish

 

[officialreefbros]

I use 3% hydrogen peroxide as s well. Use 2/1 tank water to hydrogen peroxide. Let it soak 6-7 minutes. Rinse with tank water and place it back in the tank.

2nd this. Cleaned up all mine like a charm

 

[Gman83]

I tried peroxide and manual removal. My frag plugs looked alright, but never got rid of the algae. I upped my cuc, including astrea snails, my zoas now look like they never had algae. I wish i would have bought more snails fist instead of stressing the zoas out.

That is my recommendation, get more cuc, and specificially astrea snails. Acclimate them, and then place them near the zoa plug, and they will clean them right up.

 

[kevgib67]

2nd this. Cleaned up all mine like a charm

Ya, of done it many times over the past 2 years, fast and easy and it is why I like to keep the zaos on the plugs.

 

[Doctorgori]

Also dip for how long

I treated mine in the tank; turned off flow and used a hypo and 100% strength 3% peroxide

I tried peroxide and manual removal. My frag plugs looked alright, but never got rid of the algae. I upped my cuc, including astrea snails, my zoas now look like they never had algae. I wish i would have bought more snails fist instead of stressing the zoas out.

That is my recommendation, get more cuc, and specificially astrea snails. Acclimate them, and then place them near the zoa plug, and they will clean them right up.

problem always is the algae growing between the polyps, .. I’ve seen a few emerald and hermits sorta pinch out stuff in the zoos but any crab activity near my corals creates anxiety

 

[mfinn]

problem always is the algae growing between the polyps, .. I’ve seen a few emerald and hermits sorta pinch out stuff in the zoos but any crab activity near my corals creates anxiety

I've had the misfortune to have emerald crabs completely scrape off frag plugs of all the polyps while going after algae between the polyps on more than one occasion.
I know the primary food is the algae, but not being able to find any free floating polyps in the tank kind of makes me think they were consumed with the algae. I have no direct evidence they ate the polyps, but it's in the back of my mind that they could have.
I have seen first hand tangs eating zoanthids.

 

[mig.]

H2O2 is an oxidizing agent. Complex multicellular organisms like us and corals have adapted to handle and process it, we go as far as eating antioxidant foods. Simple organisms like hair algae can’t process it and they don’t eat their berries and fruits. Silly hair algae.

Because they can’t handle that dipping them breaks down their cells and not other creatures if not done for too long, or too high a concentration. I used it in my planted tanks reasonably frequently. Careful at higher doses it will kill inverts, not sure why - maybe the bubbles get trapped under their shells

I would lean toward not bothering the coral as much as possible and just taking off what is easy, let the H2O2 do the rest.