Need Pro Help: Ready to throw in the Towel due to Algae Issue

[G Santana]

How old is your tank?

My GHA was worse and now it's gone, hang tough.
When I first added my scrubber it did nothing as well, it took time and yours is currently being out competed by the GHA.
I used Vibrant 7 weeks and I used hydrogen peroxide 4 weeks.
After a few weeks I syphoned EVERY DAY, once the Vibrant, peroxide and lowering phosphates and nitrates, the GHA got weak and just let go as it was syphoned.

I ask how old the tank is because IME tank maturity goes along ways into helping in the war against GHA.
Once my parameters became stable at 7 months the rest fell into place.

This is a multi front battle but you can win it.

IME nothing will eat long hair GHA, I have two tangs, an urchin and huge turbo snails, once it grows to a certain length they won't touch it

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

I know this is an extreme measure but I offered this advice in another thread too today. Sometimes starting over from the beginning will re ignite the enjoyment and resolve all of the issues you have. New rock/scape = new tank, it worked for me in the past when I was so frustrated I was about to give up. Not saying this is the “only way” to fix your problem, but may be easier and/or more enjoyable to wipe the slate clean

 

[LuizW13]

If it were me I'd pull the rocks out and give it a really thorough cleaning with a brush in a bucket with some old tank water during a water change. It doesn't look like it you have corals on the rocks, so you should be able to manage.

I'd do a 50% water change, and then play it by ear from there.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I know this is an extreme measure but I offered this advice in another thread too today. Sometimes starting over from the beginning will re ignite the enjoyment and resolve all of the issues you have. New rock/scape = new tank, it worked for me in the past when I was so frustrated I was about to give up. Not saying this is the “only way” to fix your problem, but may be easier and/or more enjoyable to wipe the slate clean

From abit of grass that a UV filter can sort out or help..... Hmmm

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

From abit of grass that a UV filter can sort out or help..... Hmmm

Like I said, not the only way to do it, but sometimes starting fresh is liberating.

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

Lot of extreme measures being talked about here for some simple hair algae. It’s one of the easiest things to get rid of. Turbo snails, urchins and sea hares are all very good at gha removal.

If cuc doesn’t work seriously look into AlgaeFix. It’s an algaecide and will NOT harm livestock.

 

[Coxey81]

The result was .25 using a salifert. I will retest tonight.

I've dialed back-feeding quite a bit; half of a frozen cube each day. I can dial that back even more to half every other day.

I'm a bit fearful of using NOPOX to reduce phosphates too rapidly as I do have some higher end corals that still need some form of po4 & no3..

I am looking into urchins though as an option.

I'm new to all this, but my guess are your nitrates and phosphates are alot higher than you think. You are reading low cause the algae is eating them all up, same way chaeto eats up nitrates and phosphates.

Maybe someone else can chime in, but I would remove as much of it as I could, cut the lights for a day or so, do a major water change (like 50%), then take some readings.

If your readings go up you'll know that the algae was previously consuming all the nitrates and phosphates that show up on your test.

If that's the case, cut feeding some more and get some chaeto if you have a sump or some pretty macroalgae for your tank like dragons breath.

 

[Christopher Poore]

Dollabella sea hare is the one that will eat this.
I have pin cushion which is a lawn mower.
Surprised on the snails.. . . . . also those snails will eat it one you pull by hand- not the state their in.
Liquid Vibrant also good.
IS TANK AT OR NEAR A WINDOW?

I want to avoid chemical additives if at all possible. Good call on the Dollabella, I need to look into them.

The tank is across from a window; but I tend to keep the blinds closed for the most part.

 

[T-J]

Mexican turbo snails will eat hair algae.

IME they won't eat it if it is as long as it is in these pictures. Try to pull what you can to shorten it. Then the turbos should graze on it.

 

[Dbichler]

I’m not one for chemical additions but vibrant would knock it out within a month. Figure out the reason for the algae in the first place and your reset.

 

[fluked]

I’m not one for chemical additions but vibrant would knock it out within a month. Figure out the reason for the algae in the first place and your reset.

Vibrant might help, i had a similar issue and vibrant did nothing for me.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Hey everyone,

I have been losing an uphill battle against this brown? green? hair algae for about 7 months now. No matter what I throw at the issue it comes back worse. I have tried blacking out the tank for up to 4 days; I've tried reducing feeding, manual removal by hand + brush.

The issue with brushing the algae is that it ends up floating around the tank, getting stuck on frag plugs and irritating zoas to the point of death. I've about 10 high-end zoas due to this method.

Equipment:
I am using my own 5 stage RODI unit and due to REALLY hard local water (550 TDS IN) I'm producing RODI @ 1-2 TDS.
I purchased and fitted a CW-50 Algae scrubber over 5 weeks ago and it has not generated ANY growth, even while blacking out the display. Take a look at the photo; it's basically useless.
I have an oversized skimmer running wet

CUC:
I have two emerald crabs, some red/blue hermits, a powder blue tang, lawnmower blenny, trochus snaills, turbo snails. Nothing wants anything to do with it.

Water Param:
8.2 Alk
440 Calc
.05ish Po4
.25ish No3


Would a Halloween or Tuxedo Urchin tackle this issue?
What can I do??? Manual removal is extremely difficult; I have a jerk clown that attacks my hand and if I brush the algae it ends up irritating all my corals. Not only that there are some difficult access points on the side where photographed.

I need some serious help or I'm bound to throw in the towel. SOS

Y

I want to avoid chemical additives if at all possible. Good call on the Dollabella, I need to look into them.

The tank is across from a window; but I tend to keep the blinds closed for the most part.

Confused, so original post was green hair algae issues, look like trolls on tour so need to deal with, aquriam owner afraid to put hands in so... I would avoid chemicals, put gloves on and get hands on

 

[Christopher Poore]

Lot of extreme measures being talked about here for some simple hair algae. It’s one of the easiest things to get rid of. Turbo snails, urchins and sea hares are all very good at gha removal.

If cuc doesn’t work seriously look into AlgaeFix. It’s an algaecide and will NOT harm livestock.

Thanks for this info. I'm going to try and go the route of Urchins and Sea Hares if I can find them locally.

 

[mottomegl]

When i had a hair algae problem i put a sea urchin in the tank that i collected when i was in florida but i am shore you can buy one any were the urchin mowed the hair algae down like no other animal except for sea hare and the problem with them are they die when there nothing left or you give back to lfs but the urchin was unbelievable how much it eat a day this was 3 years ago still have the urchin keeps the the tank clean also these will buy you time to find the cause starting over solves the problem temporarily it can come back if ro water is the cause better off finding the cause but use a natural animal for control

 

[vetteguy53081]

I want to avoid chemical additives if at all possible. Good call on the Dollabella, I need to look into them.

The tank is across from a window; but I tend to keep the blinds closed for the most part.

Reason I asked about window is UV is very strong and is as suspected contributing to this. They will penetrate blinds, curtains and shades.
Some have done a test with use of black construction paper from walmart and applied to area facing window to find a week to 10 days later- algae was subsided.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Get you hands in to pull away bigger hair algae, you may get nipped by residents in your aquarium... They won't bite off the hands that feed them

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Reason I asked about window is UV is very strong and is as suspected contributing to this. They will penetrate blinds, curtains and shades.
Some have done a test with use of black construction paper from walmart and applied to area facing window to find a week to 10 days later- algae was subsided.

My aquriam is now in full sun, be it it's 11c outside I close my blinds and draw curtains, battling an algae issue demands this, this member has full on white lights, algae up high ready to braid, this is not something that happened last week, this has been ongoing for months, cuc can not cure this in the same amount of time as it grows, imo

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Hey everyone,

I have been losing an uphill battle against this brown? green? hair algae for about 7 months now. No matter what I throw at the issue it comes back worse. I have tried blacking out the tank for up to 4 days; I've tried reducing feeding, manual removal by hand + brush.

The issue with brushing the algae is that it ends up floating around the tank, getting stuck on frag plugs and irritating zoas to the point of death. I've about 10 high-end zoas due to this method.

Equipment:
I am using my own 5 stage RODI unit and due to REALLY hard local water (550 TDS IN) I'm producing RODI @ 1-2 TDS.
I purchased and fitted a CW-50 Algae scrubber over 5 weeks ago and it has not generated ANY growth, even while blacking out the display. Take a look at the photo; it's basically useless.
I have an oversized skimmer running wet

CUC:
I have two emerald crabs, some red/blue hermits, a powder blue tang, lawnmower blenny, trochus snaills, turbo snails. Nothing wants anything to do with it.

Water Param:
8.2 Alk
440 Calc
.05ish Po4
.25ish No3


Would a Halloween or Tuxedo Urchin tackle this issue?
What can I do??? Manual removal is extremely difficult; I have a jerk clown that attacks my hand and if I brush the algae it ends up irritating all my corals. Not only that there are some difficult access points on the side where photographed.

I need some serious help or I'm bound to throw in the towel. SOS

The battle is tough but only you can deal with it, so many different ideas topics and questions, if your marine life is loving it I would avoid cleaning, if it's bad for your own appearance then you need hands in? It appears your photos and questions are so open that causes controversity

 

[vetteguy53081]

My aquriam is now in full sun, be it it's 11c outside I close my blinds and draw curtains, battling an algae issue demands this, this member has full on white lights, algae up high ready to braid, this is not something that happened last week, this has been ongoing for months, cuc can not cure this in the same amount of time as it grows, imo

CUC recommendation ids after you have pulled alse by hand. There , yes is no way they can take this down.
I did recommend reduction also of white lighting. Algae needs light to grow and survive and as long as it is furnished- This problem will not go away. Nutrient imbalance, and CO2 deficiencies in your tank as well as Nitrogen deficiencies and Long light exposure hours in which light that’s too intense will be main cause of hair algae.

 

[Christopher Poore]

CUC recommendation ids after you have pulled alse by hand. There , yes is no way they can take this down.
I did recommend reduction also of white lighting. Algae needs light to grow and survive and as long as it is furnished- This problem will not go away. Nutrient imbalance, and CO2 deficiencies in your tank as well as Nitrogen deficiencies and Long light exposure hours in which light that’s too intense will be main cause of hair algae.

Thanks everyone for the replies and input. I bought a glove and removed as much as I could by hand and scrubbed the rest. My plan is to buy a Sea Hare and see how that does. If it is not the solution I'll give chemicals a shot.

I've also turned my white % on my radions to 0% for now.

Going to test my RODI to see if there is any phosphate. What is my best course of action if the results come back with traces of Po4?