Why 'getting something to eat it' doesn't solve hair algae...

[Sk8r]

Pretty simple, really. Poo. Hair algae thrives on phosphate as it's being leached from the rocks/sand; or added in, say, non-ro/di water. Snails, hermits, sea hares, all poo what they eat right back into the tank to fuel more algae.

Removal of the phosphate problem is the answer, and no, tests won't show it while it's bound up in the algae OR your rockwork or sand. If you have waving fields of green, that's where it is, and it will keep coming until the problem is resolved.

The cure for a phosphate problem is removal of the phosphate---so how to do that? A GFO reactor is about the best way---well, outside of using a ro/di filter if you haven't been, to be sure it's not coming from your local water. GFO is best done IN a reactor, because water needs to flow THROUGH it to work well, 'kay? Just setting a bag in the water isn't nearly as good. These reactors aren't spendy. Once you've used them and the algae is gone, just toss the old medium and store the reactor.

OTOH if you have a bad problem, change the medium once monthly, because it can 'fill up' and just sit there. Likewise---if the problem persists, it's likely because your rock, or a few pieces of it, are an ongoing source. Be patient: it soaks out slowly, and it can take a while to be sure it's finally washed 'clean' all the way through, but it will get there.

[Uncle99]

What a great post above!
Some reality in this hobby is always refreshing!

[Bent]

The best animal to remove hair algae is typically a land dwelling, bipedal, vertebrate....

[Reefheart]

I want to bring up two points of discussion:

1. Why most of my rocks do not have hair algae but the back panel glass keeps growing them, surely the glass not leeching phosphate?

2. If phosphate is not detectable on kit but is still a problem, then why do we test? Is there a possible scenario where there is high phosphate but no algae?

[BrettDS]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Pretty simple, really. Poo.

The solution here is clear as well... fish diapers. If we diaper our fish and then remove the poo from the water we will remove the phosphates with it. I don’t know why no one thought of this before.

I will start working on a line of fish diapers with ocean themed patterns. This is the solution to hair algae that everyone has been waiting for.

[LeJeune981]

Originally Posted by Reefheart

I want to bring up two points of discussion:

1. Why most of my rocks do not have hair algae but the back panel glass keeps growing them, surely the glass not leeching phosphate?

2. If phosphate is not detectable on kit but is still a problem, then why do we test? Is there a possible scenario where there is high phosphate but no algae?

My phos. Stays steady around . 07 to .1

Tank is algae free... a little in my fuge...and a lbs of the stuff growing in my upflow ats..

I clean the screen off once a week sometimes 2....and scrape off a huge mount of gha...and other weird stuff...

Anyways...shouldnt I be reading 0.0 since theoretically it should all be bound in the algae?
I use a Hanna tester..

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[Cliving1]

Originally Posted by Bent

The best animal to remove hair algae is typically a land dwelling, bipedal, vertebrate....

Hilarious, but I agree.

Great post, which is why I dont recommend getting any animal to cure any problem in a tank. Like aipstasia for example.

[ramseynb]

Originally Posted by Cliving1

Hilarious, but I agree.

Great post, which is why I dont recommend getting any animal to cure any problem in a tank. Like aipstasia for example.

Yeah, I tried that with aiptasia for a long time then went down to the coast (I'm in Texas) and collected a bunch of peppermint shrimp. They took care of all the aiptasia but would also pester LPS if I fed them. It was still worth it to have the aiptasia gone.

Also, I keep a heard of snails in my tank to eat algae and detritus. Yeah, they also make poo but it gets swept up into my sump where other filtration can process it.