Hair Algae

[Surfzone]

I'm having a bad time with hair algae. I have a Lawnmower blenny who doesn't touch the stuff, in fact he his getting thin. I've added 20 new snails and two emerald crabs, they seem to be doing some work, but the algae is growing faster than they can keep up with. There are also two pincushion urchins in the tank who seem to just avoid the algae all together.

The tank is a 30 gallon NO3 is 8 and PO4 is 0.01. I'm not sure how true this is since the algae is growing rather fast. Lighting is 10 hours with an xr15 gen 4 for 10 hours a day. The tank was set up back in December.

 

[T-J]

I've used Vibrant with great success. Took about 6-8 weeks, but I don't have a spot of algae anymore. I still occasionally throw a dose in the tank. I didn't have any side effects from using it. What I really like is that it's not a chemical, it's a bacteria.

 

[ReeferWarrant]

You have to remember your tests are showing whats in the water column at the time, if you have algae they are eating something. I just think of the parameters we are trying to reach as the "left overs", so if you have no algae and .01 PO4 youre good.

@T-J's method is a good means for adding competition for the algae

I used Flux RX and it had an immediate impact, it will be a bandaid though if you dont figure out what's feeding the algae.

 

[T-J]

You have to remember your tests are showing whats in the water column at the time, if you have algae they are eating something. I just think of the parameters we are trying to reach as the "left overs", so if you have no algae and .01 PO4 youre good.

@T-J's method is a good means for adding competition for the algae

I used Flux RX and it had an immediate impact, it will be a bandaid though if you dont figure out what's feeding the algae.

You're 100% correct: tests are showing what's left in the water column. That was my issue. My rocks (originally dry rock) had absorbed a lot of PO4, before releasing it back, which fed the algae. Once the tank matured enough, no more issues (along with the Vibrant).
On my new tank I'm setting up, I'll be using a mix of live and dry rock, which should help avoid some of the same issues from being repeated.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Is tank at or near a window?

Reduce or turn off white lighting. Add chemiPure Elite which will keep Phos and Nitrate in check.
What snails do you have. Pull as much GHA as you can by hand and Trochus, astrea, nerite and fighting conch will help take this down.
Chemically, Fluconasal (FLUX) will destroy the roots and eventually algae. Ive had luck with Vibrant also. Dose either at 80% of recommended dosage

 

[Surfzone]

I have an sps tank and I've read some horror stories about using vibrant. So what I'm understanding is that it would be a good idea to dose some Phosphate E and tune my de-nitrator to bring my already low values to zero, or try Flux RX.

 

[ReeferWarrant]

I may be wrong, but I think Vibrant is just a bacteria to add diversity and out compete the algae. I dont think it should have a huge affect on SPS.

 

[T-J]

I have an sps tank and I've read some horror stories about using vibrant. So what I'm understanding is that it would be a good idea to dose some Phosphate E and tune my de-nitrator to bring my already low values to zero, or try Flux RX.

I have SPS all over in my tank, with no effect on them from the Vibrant. It's a bacteria, not a chemical, so it shouldn't having any issues with the corals. I'd trust that before some chemical alternative.

 

[Roachbeef19]

How does vibrant work if you have chaeto in a refugium?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have an sps tank and I've read some horror stories about using vibrant. So what I'm understanding is that it would be a good idea to dose some Phosphate E and tune my de-nitrator to bring my already low values to zero, or try Flux RX.

I have had pure success with Vibrant. Dose at 80% of recommended dosage. My tank is a mixed reef

 

[Surfzone]

I'm still not sold on vibrent. I've read too many stories with ill effects. I'm going to try to bring N and P down even further. That should clear up this issue. If, like you say, the readings that I'm getting from test kits are "left overs" I have room to bring it down. I'm not to worried about dinos because of the UV I run on the tank. If this doesn't work there is always FLUX