Hair Algae Problem
- Thread starter Baby Ray
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MURedhawk
Community Member
About 5+ years ago on fairly new 65g tank I had big outbreak of hair algae (possibly a bryopsis algae).
This was with thoroughly cleaned pukani rock.
I tried the Kent Tech M and raised levels to 1600-1800 gradually and kept them there for about 2 months.
I also was using chemi pure elite.
The algae started to turn white and then I used a toothbrush and just twisted it off in batches and it all disappeared within few weeks. Either nutrients disappeared in rocks over time or the Tech M worked. It appeared as though the algae lost its grip on rocks and I could just pull it off in handfuls. I have heard that they changed the formula recently, but who knows except the company. It did not harm inverts, corals, or fish when I did it.
Just a data point to add to conversation.
This was with thoroughly cleaned pukani rock.
I tried the Kent Tech M and raised levels to 1600-1800 gradually and kept them there for about 2 months.
I also was using chemi pure elite.
The algae started to turn white and then I used a toothbrush and just twisted it off in batches and it all disappeared within few weeks. Either nutrients disappeared in rocks over time or the Tech M worked. It appeared as though the algae lost its grip on rocks and I could just pull it off in handfuls. I have heard that they changed the formula recently, but who knows except the company. It did not harm inverts, corals, or fish when I did it.
Just a data point to add to conversation.
laverda
2500 Club Member
When you have a GHA out brake your phosphate and nitrates are going to read low as the algae is using it as a food source.
Another way to get rid of it in the display is to use a simple ATS. A $1 sheet of roughed up mesh placed almost any where in your sump with $25 blue and red LED grow light on for 12-16 hours opposite your tank light and once it starts growing on the ATS it will start thinning in the display. After about 3 weeks pull the mesh and give it a quick couple swipes with a scraper to remove most of the GHA. Do this every week or so. You will be amazed how much GHA you can easily remove this way. Watch you nutrient levels as you can easily drop them too low this way. Just adjust you light schedule as needed.
To help speed things up you can rinse or dip any rocks you can easily get out in hydrogen peroxide to kill the GHA on them. Pull excessive amounts off the rocks first. Many corals can tolerate the HP but best to avoid them if possible.
Another way to get rid of it in the display is to use a simple ATS. A $1 sheet of roughed up mesh placed almost any where in your sump with $25 blue and red LED grow light on for 12-16 hours opposite your tank light and once it starts growing on the ATS it will start thinning in the display. After about 3 weeks pull the mesh and give it a quick couple swipes with a scraper to remove most of the GHA. Do this every week or so. You will be amazed how much GHA you can easily remove this way. Watch you nutrient levels as you can easily drop them too low this way. Just adjust you light schedule as needed.
To help speed things up you can rinse or dip any rocks you can easily get out in hydrogen peroxide to kill the GHA on them. Pull excessive amounts off the rocks first. Many corals can tolerate the HP but best to avoid them if possible.
FishyDP
Active Member
I agree with Bayareareefer. There are ways to cure your algae issue in the short term, but you need to get to the root cause, or the algae problem will likely resurface. I just went through the same thing, a very healthy population of hair algae and the added gift of bubble algae. I did water changes, manually removed the algae, and turned down my lights. Still kept coming back, even worse it seemed. It was so bad I was ready to throw in the towel because my tank looked so nasty.
I then did two things:
1) Reduced feeding pellets. They are packed with concentrated protein and can really litter your water quickly. Frozen shrimp, squid, fish etc are less densely packed with nutrients. Feed a little less in general.
2) Not everybody is comfortable with this method, but dosing carbon (I used vodka) is a great way to reduce nutrients. After just 2-3 days of dosing vodka my water got about 50% clearer. After about 2 weeks 60% of my algae died off and was skimmed out of my tank. After about 3 weeks my algae issue was 80% resolved. I should also mention that my nitrates were about 40 ppm prior to dosing carbon, and dropped to less than 20, and are still dropping. Just be careful not to overdose your tank, or you may end up with nutrient levels that are too low..
My tank is now clear and looks great, compared to being covered with algae. Best 2 things I've done since starting a reef. 125g softy/lps.
I then did two things:
1) Reduced feeding pellets. They are packed with concentrated protein and can really litter your water quickly. Frozen shrimp, squid, fish etc are less densely packed with nutrients. Feed a little less in general.
2) Not everybody is comfortable with this method, but dosing carbon (I used vodka) is a great way to reduce nutrients. After just 2-3 days of dosing vodka my water got about 50% clearer. After about 2 weeks 60% of my algae died off and was skimmed out of my tank. After about 3 weeks my algae issue was 80% resolved. I should also mention that my nitrates were about 40 ppm prior to dosing carbon, and dropped to less than 20, and are still dropping. Just be careful not to overdose your tank, or you may end up with nutrient levels that are too low..
My tank is now clear and looks great, compared to being covered with algae. Best 2 things I've done since starting a reef. 125g softy/lps.
MichaelP121579
Well-Known Member
laverda
2500 Club Member
If you kill it in your sump using a black out it will probably pop up in your display. Because it is Growing in the sump is why you don’t have it in the display. My sump looks disgusting, but my display does not have any algae. But some roughed up needle point mesh over top of the rocks if you want to be able to harvest the algae easily.I got this going on it my sump. I'm doing a 3 day blackout. its hasn't made it DT tho
These parameters look an awful lot like the readings a cheap API kit will give you. if this is the case, please throw it out and get yourself two quality ways to test every vital parameter- Temp, salinity, Alkalinity, calcium and at least one quality kit to test magnesium, PH, nitrate, phosphate. I have found every API kit aside from the alkalinity test to be wildly inaccurate. and an alkalinity test with 1dkh intervals is rather useless if you are doing any type of reef. I honestly wouldn't waste my time or money on a nitrIte or ammonia test.
