Hey everyone I am new to this forum and have had my "reef" tank running for about 6 months. I am having a serious problem with getting rid of the hair algae. I have put a sea hair and snails in the tank but they didn't do much. Any advice?
Hair algae
- Thread starter nrenouf
- Start date
- Tagged users None
While adding more cleanup will cause the algae to be eaten faster it does nothing to remove the nutrients that caused the algae in the first place. Essentially the snails and such eat the algae, then poop it out it decomposes and grows back into algae. To solve the problem for good you need to also remove the excess nutrients from the tank. Some times you will test for nitrates and phosphates but still get a 0 result, this is considered a false zero and just means that all the eccess nutrients(nitrates and phosphates) being created are being used by the algae to grow resulting in a 0 test result.
First I would look at phosphates, if they are high(more than 0.10) I would start with that. We have had great success with a product called Rowa-Phos which is a media that can be used either in a media reactor or in a media bag placed in a high flow area. We have found this product to be fast and efficient at removing phosphates in our systems here at Vivid.
The other thing I would look at is how you do your water changes. I like to use a turkey baster to start with, the idea is to stir up all the settled debris, and then remove the water from your tank. I usually start with blowing jets of water into the sand using the turkey baster, then I go over the rocks trying to blow out any crevices or holes. The idea is to try and make the tank as big of a mess as possible before you start taking water out. Once the water is cloudy and full of particles I would start removing the water, about 10-20% should be good on a weekly basis until your algae starts to subside. Then the next day I would change out your filter media(if needed), and rinse out any sponges or media bags since they have now collected everything you stirred up the day before.
You should also notice over time that the water will start to clear up faster and faster each time. I also like to recommend a product like Microbacter7 while going through this process as it will improve your biological filtration.
James
First I would look at phosphates, if they are high(more than 0.10) I would start with that. We have had great success with a product called Rowa-Phos which is a media that can be used either in a media reactor or in a media bag placed in a high flow area. We have found this product to be fast and efficient at removing phosphates in our systems here at Vivid.
The other thing I would look at is how you do your water changes. I like to use a turkey baster to start with, the idea is to stir up all the settled debris, and then remove the water from your tank. I usually start with blowing jets of water into the sand using the turkey baster, then I go over the rocks trying to blow out any crevices or holes. The idea is to try and make the tank as big of a mess as possible before you start taking water out. Once the water is cloudy and full of particles I would start removing the water, about 10-20% should be good on a weekly basis until your algae starts to subside. Then the next day I would change out your filter media(if needed), and rinse out any sponges or media bags since they have now collected everything you stirred up the day before.
You should also notice over time that the water will start to clear up faster and faster each time. I also like to recommend a product like Microbacter7 while going through this process as it will improve your biological filtration.
James
steve&mari
Blessed Reefer
Great advice it's all about balance of nutrients going into the system and having the proper filtration to remove the excess. I use seachem phosguard, purigin, matrix carbon and matrix biological media in reactors. With good skimming and heavy feedings we have no nuisance algae in display.
Chadthresher
Community Member
Check your make up water, if your not using ro/di water its a losing battle. Get a TDS meter and monitor your top off and make up water. Might help to know what set up you have.
Chadthresher
Community Member
I wouldnt think its the lighting. what tank, what substrate, what filters, pumps, what light? Do you have your own ro filter?
Ger rid of Phosphates and you get rid of your problem.
Run GFO in a reactor, of which with high Phosphates you are going to be changing it quite frequently.
If you run liquid Lanthanum product you can rid the tank quite quickly, then run GFO after you've gotten it to a respectable range.
The snails and Sea Hare can only do what they can do, if you don't solve the problem it will continue in the tank
Run GFO in a reactor, of which with high Phosphates you are going to be changing it quite frequently.
If you run liquid Lanthanum product you can rid the tank quite quickly, then run GFO after you've gotten it to a respectable range.
The snails and Sea Hare can only do what they can do, if you don't solve the problem it will continue in the tank
