Hair Algae

[reefrookie379]

Hello everyone,

I started my tank with my tank light running for 12 hours and it created a hair algae problem atop this one rock and a couple other small spots I’m not really worried about. (I have turned it down to 6 hours). I am afraid the hair algae on this one rock is going to outcompete my macros in the refugium I recently set up. How can I go about removing the hair algae without siphoning a water tank as my tank has not yet reached the recommended 40 nitrates for my first water change.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Start with verifying that the Phos and nitrate are Not elevated. Pull as much as you can by hand. Green hair algae can be pulled out easily, and tooth brushed or scrubbed off the rock work. This is easier to do if the rock is outside of the tank.
Afterwards, add some asssorted blue and red legged Hermits, Cerith snails, Chitons, and Turbograzer snails.

 

[reefrookie379]

Start with verifying that the Phos and nitrate are Not elevated. Pull as much as you can by hand. Green hair algae can be pulled out easily, and tooth brushed or scrubbed off the rock work. This is easier to do if the rock is outside of the tank.
Afterwards, add some asssorted blue and red legged Hermits, Cerith snails, Chitons, and Turbograzer snails.

I tried to pull some by hand the other day and it made a mess of the tank. How would I go about doing it outside the tank. Need to set up something with water the same parameters as mine with salt and temp ? I currently have 1 blue legged hermit. 1 Blue knuckle hermit. 1 Scarlett leg hermit. 1 pencil urchin. 2 emerald crabs. You think that will do ?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I tried to pull some by hand the other day and it made a mess of the tank. How would I go about doing it outside the tank. Need to set up something with water the same parameters as mine with salt and temp ? I currently have 1 blue legged hermit. 1 Blue knuckle hermit. 1 Scarlett leg hermit. 1 pencil urchin. 2 emerald crabs. You think that will do ?

Place rock on newspaper and dip firm toothbrush in peroxide and scrub away. Do it with 5-7 minutes. Rinse in a bucket of tank water and return rock to tank.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Put a little water into a bucket, move the rock into the bucket and toothbrush it, then put the rock back in the tank. It might take 2 or 3 toothbrushings but it will come off

 

[Double monti 61]

Try using a 1/4 or 3/8 inch tube to remove them from the rock when you do a water change you may have to push the tube on the rock and try to scrape it off but the suction will help to pull it out and if you do it right it will end up in your waste water container this may give your macro algae to begin taking up nutrients