Red hair algae slowly taking over!

[Williamthegr88]

Ok so I feel like I'm finally achieving some sort of stability, better polyp extension and growth. Then it came red hair algae! Its very slowly growing and spreading. Now I know the usual questions yes I have been keeping up with maintenance! I have been on my A game with weekly water changes, 8 to 10 gallons a week, changing filter socks twice a week and sifting sand and blowing rocks off. I have a Red Sea reefer 170 I have been feeding 1 to 2 times a day not super heavy. I recently bought some astrea snails but don't seem to interested. And I have a turbo snail in there which also seems to be uninterested. Any advice would be appreciated thankyou

 

[Reefing Madness]

You may be doing water changes with an out of date RO system. Whats your TDS? And Phosphate numbers??

 

[Williamthegr88]

You may be doing water changes with an out of date RO system. Whats your TDS? And Phosphate numbers??

Well the ro/di system is only 5 months old and tds is at 1 some times it will bounce to 0 and phosphate I have not tested in awhile but it was always undetected

 

[Patricia Carder]

I'm having the same problem. The red hair algae is taking over

 

[Williamthegr88]

I'm having the same problem. The red hair algae is taking over

It's brutal driving me nuts growing over coral very slowly but it's spreading

 

[XNavyDiver]

It's brutal driving me nuts growing over coral very slowly but it's spreading

Are you sure it's hair algae? Brown hair algae will look deep red/rust colored under blue lights. If it really is hair algae, turbos should mow it down. I had the same issue (and the hair algae looked red) so I put a bunch in and put them exactly where there was algae. It took about 2 to 3 weeks, but they destroyed it. Now I'm bringing them back to the lfs. I looked at it like hiring a landscaping outfit. A turbo would now starve in my tank.
I also dosed the tank with po4 rx. After all the hair algae was gone, the po4 went up a bit because the algae wasn't around soaking it up. Now I run a GFO reactor and it keeps it at .03.

 

[Williamthegr88]

Are you sure it's hair algae? Brown hair algae will look deep red/rust colored under blue lights. If it really is hair algae, turbos should mow it down. I had the same issue (and the hair algae looked red) so I put a bunch in and put them exactly where there was algae. It took about 2 to 3 weeks, but they destroyed it. Now I'm bringing them back to the lfs. I looked at it like hiring a landscaping outfit. A turbo would now starve in my tank.
I also dosed the tank with po4 rx. After all the hair algae was gone, the po4 went up a bit because the algae wasn't around soaking it up. Now I run a GFO reactor and it keeps it at .03.

I'm fairly certain it's red it's a bright red and about quarter inch long

 

[XNavyDiver]

I'm fairly certain it's red it's a bright red and about quarter inch long

I would snap a few good pics of it and post them in the algae section of the forums. You stand a good chance of a positive ID and het some good eradication advise.

 

[Williamthegr88]

I would snap a few good pics of it and post them in the algae section of the forums. You stand a good chance of a positive ID and het some good eradication advise.

Yea I think I'll do that I'll take a pic tomorrow with out the blues on I'll post here and maybe do another one in algae section thanks for the info

 

[Williamthegr88]

Here is a pic pretty sure it red hair but if not would love some advice

 

[reeferfoxx]

Does the red blow off with a baster?

 

[Williamthegr88]

No it does not I can get some off with a tooth brush

 

[drtrash]

I have same issue like the look but it reminds me of cyano. Wonder in flucozole will kill it.

 

[reeferfoxx]

No it does not I can get some off with a tooth brush

What do you have for a clean up crew?

 

[Williamthegr88]

What do you have for a clean up crew?

I have 1 turbo 4 astrea snail 1 blue leg hermit and 4 red hermit and 1 emerald and 2 nasarius snail

 

[reeferfoxx]

Honestly, I'm not too familiar with red hair algae. Some searches suggest its related to silicates but not sure. #reefsquad

 

[Williamthegr88]

Yea idk it just started one day on a small spot I used a tooth brush to get it off rock cause nothing seemed to be eating it then it started to slowly spread

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Cotton candy algae. Not truly red hair algae. No tests to the best of my knowledge have been done with fluconazole.
http://www.melevsreef.com/node/458
Turbos and turban snails and tuxedo urchins.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/nftt/index.php

I actually have this in one of my tanks now. It's pretty odd stuff. It's phasing out of spots that it was growing and not growing back. For no appearant reason.

 

[Williamthegr88]

Ok so it's kinda looking like I'm going to have to find a Mexican turbo snail at one of my lfs thankyou for the info

Cotton candy algae. Not truly red hair algae. No tests to the best of my knowledge have been done with fluconazole.
http://www.melevsreef.com/node/458
Turbos and turban snails and tuxedo urchins.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/nftt/index.php

I actually have this in one of my tanks now. It's pretty odd stuff. It's phasing out of spots that it was growing and not growing back. For no appearant reason.

 

[drtrash]

Have them and nothing is eating eat that i can tell