Phosphat-e or.... VIBRANT

[Johniejumbo]

I feel your pain with that hair algae. I have gone many rounds with it. Best solution I have found is straight hand to hand combat. I have used vibrant and despite what all is said about it. It did help. Sorta. I manually removed and scrubbed the rocks I could (a few at a time) and did a peroxide dip on some of the worst. Used vibrant afterward. Worked great on the hair algae but it was immediately followed by a red slime outbreak…. Of epic proportions. I second the GFO recommendation instead if you suspect phophates. Most effective thing is consistent physical removal and cuc imo. I haven’t found anything that will fit in my 40b that will eat hair algae that’s longer than maybe 1/4”

 

[mjw011689]

What the right phosphate concentration should be is debatable. If you are shooting for 0.01-0.03 ppm, the LR model can't read that and will show zero, but the ULR can.

If the question is "why do I have all this algae if my checker shows zero?", I am saying it's the wrong checker.

It's like timing a 100 yard dash with your clock on the microwave that only shows minutes.

But the regular Hanna phosphate checker does detect that low. It goes from zero up to 2.5 in 0.01 increments. Anything less then .01 is too low anyways, which is why I say it’s not necessary to be able to detect the PPB that the phosphorus model can do… you’re only gaining a range of 1-3 PPB phosphorus.

Whether you have the phosphate or phosphorus url checker, you’re going to be reading zero (or at least less than 0.01) with that much algae. Until that algae is gone, you’re not gonna get a a high enough reading on either of them.

 

[nereefpat]

But the regular Hanna phosphate checker does detect that low.

In my experience, it does not. I've seen it too many times that the low range says zero when the ULR will read 0.05.

 

[mjw011689]

Maybe. Mine is just the regular Hanna phosphate checker (only says “phosphate” on the unit), but if you search the model number it does specify low range. I regularly get readings down at 0.01. But I suppose this is why it’s become more of a norm to maintain a little higher since it’s easier to read

 

[Miami Reef]

Phosphates aren’t even the problem.

Reducing phosphates to starve algae is like closing your tank lights to starve algae; you can’t do either long term without also starving your corals.

Reducing phosphates too much increases the risk of dinoflaggelates, which is uglier and much more toxic than simple green algae.

You need herbivores (to eat the algae), biodiversity (to outcompete the algae), and time.

 

[MnFish1]

Perfect! Then this is advice that I'm looking for then. And as you said earlier a better cuc should hopefully help my situation then. May I ask you opinion on phosphat-e?

I think you may have phrased your question slightly wrong, if you meant "What is the best way to get rid of hair algae?" If thats it I would harvest as much as I can - daily over a weeks time. Second, you can take individual rocks out and manually clean them. Third, you can try other natural methods (lowering light, growing Chaeto in a sump, etc - if you don't have a lot of corals). Fourth you can try chemical methods - like vibrant - which many people feel is an algicide. There are other products out there as well.

Would you be able to send a picture of your tank - seeing the gravity of the problem may help with a better answer!! Hope this helps.

 

[Wick]

Unfortunately, that's not the one you want.

The low range isn't low enough. The ULR phosphorus is the checker with the useful range. I've seen the LR unit read zero while the ULR read several ppb.

Now, that might not be your algae problem, but just an FYI if you want to measure phosphate.

Urchins are a good suggestion. So are the big turbo snails. Fish like lawnmower blennies don't eat hair very well.

I'm also curious if the tank is newish and started with dry rock.

Tank is about 2 years old now. I did have my snails die so wonder if that is a part of the problem.( took them out before decaying) I know have 3 snails ( forgot the name they can flip themselves over) another 3 that go under the sand, and a tuxedo urchin. Hopefully they do a good job and is enough to clean it up.

 

[Wick]

Phosphates aren’t even the problem.

Reducing phosphates to starve algae is like closing your tank lights to starve algae; you can’t do either long term without also starving your corals.

Reducing phosphates too much increases the risk of dinoflaggelates, which is uglier and much more toxic than simple green algae.

You need herbivores (to eat the algae), biodiversity (to outcompete the algae), and time.

Doing this right now.

 

[Wick]

I think you may have phrased your question slightly wrong, if you meant "What is the best way to get rid of hair algae?" If thats it I would harvest as much as I can - daily over a weeks time. Second, you can take individual rocks out and manually clean them. Third, you can try other natural methods (lowering light, growing Chaeto in a sump, etc - if you don't have a lot of corals). Fourth you can try chemical methods - like vibrant - which many people feel is an algicide. There are other products out there as well.

Would you be able to send a picture of your tank - seeing the gravity of the problem may help with a better answer!! Hope this helps.

I posted 2 pictures of how bad it is at the moment. I should do a complete test of the tank to see where everything is. I do have hope with the clean up team in there now. I had dynos right before the algae outbreak lol.

 

[Wick]

But the regular Hanna phosphate checker does detect that low. It goes from zero up to 2.5 in 0.01 increments. Anything less then .01 is too low anyways, which is why I say it’s not necessary to be able to detect the PPB that the phosphorus model can do… you’re only gaining a range of 1-3 PPB phosphorus.

Whether you have the phosphate or phosphorus url checker, you’re going to be reading zero (or at least less than 0.01) with that much algae. Until that algae is gone, you’re not gonna get a a high enough reading on either of them.

This is what my mind set was and is.

 

[Wick]

I feel your pain with that hair algae. I have gone many rounds with it. Best solution I have found is straight hand to hand combat. I have used vibrant and despite what all is said about it. It did help. Sorta. I manually removed and scrubbed the rocks I could (a few at a time) and did a peroxide dip on some of the worst. Used vibrant afterward. Worked great on the hair algae but it was immediately followed by a red slime outbreak…. Of epic proportions. I second the GFO recommendation instead if you suspect phophates. Most effective thing is consistent physical removal and cuc imo. I haven’t found anything that will fit in my 40b that will eat hair algae that’s longer than maybe 1/4”

I was going to try vibrant as a last resort and started to give up a little bit unfortunately but definitely happy about the clean up gang I have in there. I've had a tank crash before and it sucks. Another medication that helped treat briprosis(spelling? Looks like a firn) actually knocked out gha for me too