Problems with hair algae

[ZachsZoo]

A couple of weeks ago, I had a hair algae outbreak in my 10 gallon reef. I did some 30℅ water changes over the course of 3 weeks and it seemed have stopped. Last week I went through and took out all the hair algae I could find and it seemed that my tank was back to normal, but in the past 3 days it has come back and is growing all over my rocks and frag plugs. What should I do?
Tank parameters as of yesterday:
Ammonia-0ppm
Nitrite-0ppm
Nitrate-5ppm
Tank inhabitants:
Small pair of clowns
Wheeler's goby/pistol shrimp pair
Fire shrimp
Small brittle star
6 trochus snails

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

You need to test for phosphate as well, that will be a good indicator of how much nutrients the algae has to feed on.

You can also try feeding less or less often to try and reduce the opportunity for algae growth. You also want to make sure it is not bryopsis. Bryopsis will have feathery looking leaves and there is the option of dosing fluconozole to eradicate it.

 

[ZachsZoo]

You need to test for phosphate as well, that will be a good indicator of how much nutrients the algae has to feed on.

You can also try feeding less or less often to try and reduce the opportunity for algae growth. You also want to make sure it is not bryopsis. Bryopsis will have feathery looking leaves and there is the option of dosing fluconozole to eradicate it.

I don't have a phosphate test kit but I will get it tested next week at my LFS. Also, I don't think it is byropsis, I have seen it before and it doesn't look like the algae I have. I'm pretty sure it's just basic hair algae.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I don't have a phosphate test kit but I will get it tested next week at my LFS. Also, I don't think it is byropsis, I have seen it before and it doesn't look like the algae I have. I'm pretty sure it's just basic hair algae.

Okay, I believe the only proven way to tame GHA is to do nutrient control and export. If you can find some, small turbo snails will sometimes eat GHA or at least the one's I have would. They would touch the bryopsis I had though so I had to resort to fluconazole.

 

[oscargrumete61]

I got the same problem but now the algae is dead but i have a lot of debris , so i am doing 60%eater change every week for the last 3 weeks

 

[Bosko777]

The trochus love hair algae.

 

[Denisk]

I went through this about a year ago. My recommendation is to take the rock out and scrub it with a soft bristle brush. Then get a good clean up crew, I found hermits and astrea snails did incredible for me. Do a large water change around 50% and make sure it temp acclimated. Also bring down the feeding to once every two days.

That’s what I did to get rid of the problem. However I had to do the scrubing twice and big water change twice. I turned my lighting down to 6 hours as well.

 

[oscargrumete61]

I got the same problem with hair algae now is death but still some with stuff remains of it i scrubbed with a metal brush , i have did 3 water change of 60% everyweek