Hair algea question and ID question

hndakd · 07/31/2007, 07:04 PM

hey all, i have been battling my hair algea for more than a couple of months. this is what i have done:
less feedings
3 day blackout (twice)
phosphate reactor
addition of refugium with cheato
water changes 2 with tap water and 1 with ro
all top off water is and has been distilled

is there anything else i can do to get rid of this stuff its better but after all this time Im starting to feel really down about it. It always seems to get better and then come back with a vengeance.

and... just to make this go on a lil longer i found a bunch of these while scrubbing the rocks and siphoning clumps of the hair algea out what is it? Some kinda sponge? it has a tube that comes out of the center region and some of these are the size of a 50 cent piece.

Randall_James · 07/31/2007, 07:11 PM

They are sponges...

Water changes:
IMO should be a weekly routine (mine are 20%) and using tap water "could" be doing as much harm as good depending on the quality of the water. A $100 investment in an RO/DI unit is a good move in this hobby.

Feeding: Not always how much you feed as to "how" you feed. I turn off pumps so fish can cleanup the food without it going all over the place. Remove any uneaten after 4 minutes or so. Feeding once a day is fine and you might be surprised how "little" the fish really need.

The hair algae you have can be pretty tough to get rid of but it will go away with what you have now. Export macro algae from your sump when it starts to slow down growing, control how much nutrient you have going in and stay on the water changes.

hndakd · 07/31/2007, 07:14 PM

cool at least what im doing seems to be the solution. Unfortunately for me an ro unit is not in the budget, just a new addition to the family and she is top of the list right now. argh i wish this stuff would just disappear

Randall_James · 07/31/2007, 07:28 PM

well unless you know the tap water in your area is free of nitrates and phosphates (not likely) I would at least use RO water and do at least 10% weekly changes.

How is the stuff in your sump growing? It is probably your best weapon to out compete the crap in the tank.. If it is not growing well, sometimes a light change helps.

hndakd · 07/31/2007, 07:55 PM

the stuff in the sump is growing fairly well. the problem is that it becomes choked with the Hair algea after awhile and im hesitant to shake it clean because there is a bunch of pods and worms in there

Randall_James · 07/31/2007, 08:46 PM

just keep ripping the stuff out and dumping it... give it a good shake to remove most of the inverts and go..

07/31/2007, 07:04 PM	#1
hndakd Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 313	Hair algea question and ID question hey all, i have been battling my hair algea for more than a couple of months. this is what i have done: less feedings 3 day blackout (twice) phosphate reactor addition of refugium with cheato water changes 2 with tap water and 1 with ro all top off water is and has been distilled is there anything else i can do to get rid of this stuff its better but after all this time Im starting to feel really down about it. It always seems to get better and then come back with a vengeance. and... just to make this go on a lil longer i found a bunch of these while scrubbing the rocks and siphoning clumps of the hair algea out what is it? Some kinda sponge? it has a tube that comes out of the center region and some of these are the size of a 50 cent piece.

07/31/2007, 07:11 PM	#2
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	They are sponges... Water changes: IMO should be a weekly routine (mine are 20%) and using tap water "could" be doing as much harm as good depending on the quality of the water. A $100 investment in an RO/DI unit is a good move in this hobby. Feeding: Not always how much you feed as to "how" you feed. I turn off pumps so fish can cleanup the food without it going all over the place. Remove any uneaten after 4 minutes or so. Feeding once a day is fine and you might be surprised how "little" the fish really need. The hair algae you have can be pretty tough to get rid of but it will go away with what you have now. Export macro algae from your sump when it starts to slow down growing, control how much nutrient you have going in and stay on the water changes. __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

07/31/2007, 07:28 PM	#4
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	well unless you know the tap water in your area is free of nitrates and phosphates (not likely) I would at least use RO water and do at least 10% weekly changes. How is the stuff in your sump growing? It is probably your best weapon to out compete the crap in the tank.. If it is not growing well, sometimes a light change helps. __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

07/31/2007, 08:46 PM	#6
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	just keep ripping the stuff out and dumping it... give it a good shake to remove most of the inverts and go.. __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

07/31/2007, 07:14 PM	#3
hndakd Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 313	cool at least what im doing seems to be the solution. Unfortunately for me an ro unit is not in the budget, just a new addition to the family and she is top of the list right now. argh i wish this stuff would just disappear

07/31/2007, 07:55 PM	#5
hndakd Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 313	the stuff in the sump is growing fairly well. the problem is that it becomes choked with the Hair algea after awhile and im hesitant to shake it clean because there is a bunch of pods and worms in there