Nice thread for one of the most common problems in this hobby.

I've been reading a lot from the beginning and still have loads of reading left. However, wanted to share that I've been fighting GHA for a few months now. I've tried everything as per good practices of maintenance. It's a 50g tank with LPS and softies. I run a ULNS System with NP Biopellets and GFO in reactors along with some Cheato and Red Grape macros in the sump. My system was already ULNS before I ran into GHA problem. I think I introduced it in my tank with some new Live Rock I purchased for more Aquascape work. I made sure it was visibly clean and ran them in quarantine for a week. But it probably had spores or traces. Hey, can't be 100% thorough with these things.

And since the GHA is in Display Tank, they get first hand access to nutrients in water column before reaching the sump. They grew wild for a while. However, with regular water changes, siphoning of gravel and manual removal, their growth seems to have slowed down in the past couple of weeks. Nevertheless, they are still there. So, I've thought of giving AlgaeFix Marine a shot.

I've done my first dose yesterday. I've learned from initial posts that AF can kill GHA but not its spores. I'm not sure if it was asked, but is it ok to UV Sterilizer while dosing AF? UV can probably take care of the spores and free flowing GHA from water column simultaneously. I don't know if UV can alter the chemicals of AF.

Here is a pic of the pest in my tank. Let's see the progress. Can anyone positively ID it?

http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/...psc2bf9a89.jpg

After scrubbing rocks, constant testing, a seahare, and a 60 snail crew barely made a dent in my hair algae, I used algaefix marine and after two weeks my tank is free of any sign of hair algae. My cheato is fine but not growing so fast. Loved that stuff.

i just finished the second dose of 25ml .my tank is closer to 300g total volume but im being cautious. ive noticed no new growth, some die off, and cleaner sand. no losses of livestock that i know of. i go in daily and remove as h/a as i can. i might vacuum the sand tonight with a water change.

Think I spoke too soon. After 5th dose, my ha started to break free from the rock, and turned into dark green with rusty tint. Weird :hmm4:

Start cleaning out as much as u can manually.

AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae
 

Does anyone have a hint if running UV Sterilizer is ok while treating the tank with Algaefix marine?

It's been three days since my first dose and I see some very small changes. There are tiny areas on the rocks which I think got rid of HA. Probably needs more time and dosage. The livestock seems ok. However, my pH has gone up from 8.3 to 8.4 in the last few days. It could be a coincidence. Did anyone notice any pH change?

Just did my second dose.

I don't know how much UV would affect the chemical in AlgaeFix. That'd depend on the strength of the unit and the flow rate, but I can't given any numbers.

Ok thanks. I'll run my UV occasionally. It's a 28W or 32... Can't remember.

Anyways, did my 3rd dose yesterday. So far, I've noticed that GHA have come off some parts of the rocks. And in most of the locations seem to be unhealthy and greying off. However, there are still other parts of the tank where I've noticed some new growth (very minor though).

A rock that I had manually cleaned last week still looks clean and free from GHA. Hence, today I've taken out a lot of GHA manually from the rocks and siphoned all that were on the gravel. I'll see how it goes.

thanks guys

been battling what I believe is Lyngbya. Fish, hermits and snails wont eat the stuff. Been pulling out clumps, washing egg crate, dipping plugs in peroxide and not gaining on it at all. Read this thread and started dosing on Sunday. Two doses and the slime is receding already.

Algaefix Marine was cheaper by a few dollars than the FW algaefix at the local PMart, but still got my eyes gouged out

thanks again

Two days ago, I took half of my rocks out and removed all HA with a brush under tap water. I let the water drain out from the rocks for a couple of hours and placed them back in the tank. The tangs are grazing the cleaned rocks more eagerly now. They are left with very small green spots, which could be GHA in its smallest length.

Of course, I took out the easy ones. Any manual removal of GHA (especially out of the tank) may help AF fight more efficiently. For the complicated rocks that I couldn't dare to take out, I used AlgaeMower to trim out the GHA. This tool makes manual removal within the tank a lot more easier and collects them nicely in a mesh bag.

Yesterday, did my 4th dose. The GHA seem to be thinning out in most of the places. But, still have some thick GHA in low-flow, hard-to-reach areas of rocks. Do you think that flow of water against algae helps AF work better? Should we install temporary pumps to cover flows in dead-spots between the rocks?

Two days ago, I took half of my rocks out and removed all HA with a brush under tap water. I let the water drain out from the rocks for a couple of hours and placed them back in the tank. The tangs are grazing the cleaned rocks more eagerly now. They are left with very small green spots, which could be GHA in its smallest length.

Of course, I took out the easy ones. Any manual removal of GHA (especially out of the tank) may help AF fight more efficiently. For the complicated rocks that I couldn't dare to take out, I used AlgaeMower to trim out the GHA. This tool makes manual removal within the tank a lot more easier and collects them nicely in a mesh bag.

Yesterday, did my 4th dose. The GHA seem to be thinning out in most of the places. But, still have some thick GHA in low-flow, hard-to-reach areas of rocks. Do you think that flow of water against algae helps AF work better? Should we install temporary pumps to cover flows in dead-spots between the rocks?

I did the fifth dose two nights ago and turned off the lights. This afternoon, the lights had been off for two and half days. I thought that making the GHA further weak with darkness, might help AF work better.

Anyways, turned on the lights at noon (GHA definitely looked weak) and did a 50% water change. Vacuumed the gravel, siphoned floors of some sections in the sump and replaced old media with fresh GFO and GAC in reactor.

Tonight will be my 6th dose. I have some loosely held GHA in hard to reach areas of the rocks. I hope to see them gone soon.

Honestly the best way to removed GHA is manual removal. If you can take rocks out and scrub off the algae with a brush in RO or water removed for a WC this will do wonders. If that is not possible get a plastic fine tooth comb and pick it off as best you can. You said it's already looking weak so this is your opportunity to male some real progress! Good luck!

Thanks. I'll give it a shot.

After reading this ENTIRE thread, I decided that the only thing I had to lose was GHA! I did a 20% water change immediately followed by the first dose. Three days later did the second dose. Yesterday I did another 20% water change and the 3rd dose.

I should say that I have been doing manual removal also and noticed a big difference in the ease of pulling this demon spawned stuff out of my tank. I do believe that I am definitely on the right track.

Here's an extract from Dr.Foster&Smith regarding UV Sterilizer usage.
"...Also, many medications can be "denatured" by the UV light, so the sterilizer should be turned off when using medications, especially chelated copper treatments. The UV light will "break" the bond of the chelating agent, and the aquarium will have a sudden, lethal concentration of ionic copper..."

Does anyone know if there's a similar issue if we run UV Sterilizer while dosing AF? I ask because AF works on Algae itself but not on the spores. Hence, UV Sterilizer can be used to erradicate the spores.

I'm not sure if UV can breakdown AF & ruin its effect. AF only lasts about 24 hrs in your tank though. So, cutting off the UV for caution for 24 hrs and then turning it back on to help control free floating algae & spores may be the best route.

I have watched this thread off and on for some time and bought some Algaefix but never used it. I recently changed to a different calcium reactor media and man did the algae take off, this stuff had to be loaded with phosphates. My main problem was with a what I will call a turf type algae and not a long hair type. Changing the media and using some lanthanum chloride with my gfo helped but progress was slow. I gave algaefix a try and wow after three doses the algae was pretty much gone! I did a fourth dose and am now doing once a week maintenance doses. This stuff is great!!
I have an SPS dominate tank with zoas, blastos, favia, lobos and acans. As far as it harming delicate SPS, I'm not sure if these are considered delicate but here are a few I have. Red planet, pearlberry, ice fire, hawkins, the real red dragon, millies, and other acros. All survived just fine and continue to grow! I was left with cyano but that is easily fixed so no problem.
Sorry no before and after pics...

John

John,

Good to hear you achieved control of your pest. :thumbsup:

Thanks for sharing.

AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae
 

Thanks Cliff. I've been doing something like that after the fifth dose. I run UV Sterilizer of 32W bulb with a flow of 132gph through it for about 24hrs prior to AF dose. I then shut it off for 2days after AF dosage and so on.

I have a Ritteri Anemone that's held itself on two rocks which holds a section of aquascape in place. Can't risk disturbing the anemone to take those rocks out. But I still have some fuzzy dried GHA on some hard to reach areas of those rocks. I hope these dried GHAs wont cause any new sprouts. I'm thinking of temporarily placing a small powerhead to keep blowing at them in the tank. Any other bright ideas on how to get them off the rocks?

Sounds like you're doing the best that can be done given the circumstances. ;)

AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae
 

I had been fighting GHA with good husbandry for about 6 months before trying AlgaeFix, with not much success. It probably slowed down the growth but did not eradicate it. And I was already on ULNS tank while fighting GHA and was really frustrated. And then, a fellow RC member recommended AlgaeFix based on his experience. And I'm glad to have found this thread.

Here's the tank before I started dosing:
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1d76045c.jpg

And here's after 7 doses:
http://i1289.photobucket.com/albums/...ps68f6fbcf.jpg

I still have some more progress to make. But slow and steady getting there. Thanks to all the ppl sharing their inputs and experience here.

Currently, I notice my rocks clearing up. But my gravel seems to be getting some small patches of new GHA here and there.

How do I decide when to switch to weekly dose? Is it after total eradication? That might take several more doses. Anyone here who may have done the 3-days-interval dose for 2 months or more? Plz share your experience.

My PO4 remains undetectable with Salifert kit at Higher Sensitivity test. However, my Nitrates have climbed from 0 to 10ppm.

I believe that's due to the GHA die offs. However, I hope AF does not kill the good bacteria or disrupt the Nitrogen Cycle of the tank. Any idea?

I doubt it will disrupt the cycle unless you overdosed. However I would do a few good sized waterchanges to get the nitrates back down some. Stick with dosing every 3 days for now

I'm on my 8 th dose. 99% of the h/a is gone if not all. I'm doing 1 more dose then a maintenance dose.

I have noticed some cyano in the sump.

I have some other algae issue In the tank. It was there before and has improved. It is either Dino's or cyano of some kind. I purchased a decent quality microscope to identify it.