hair /slime algie

bigsteelfan · 10/11/2010, 05:04 PM

i have been fighting a hair or slime algie for three months any help on how to get rid of it

philosophile · 10/11/2010, 05:36 PM

Algae grows because of predominately two factors: Food and light.
Control both of those, and you shouldn't have an algae problem.
So first, check your nitrates. It should be close to zero. If they are, then you're half way home. Keep your lights on an automatic timer, 8-10 hours a days on.
Use RO/DI water to keep all any silicates out.

Then scrub the algae away, syphon it out, and you should have a clean tank for a long time.

The algae is also a natural part of the cycling process.... So if you just set up your tank (less than a month old) you might just want to turn off the lights, and wait it out.

Finally, pick up a good clean up crew, a few snails, maybe some hermit crabs or other algae eating things. Get a variety, since many things are picky about what they eat. And hopefully they can mow down the rest of the algae that you don't scrub off. Don't over do adding your CUC though, since you don't want them to stave later.

muttley000 · 10/11/2010, 06:07 PM

Welcome to reef central! Light not so much to do with it in my opinion, too many nutrients cause it. Lots of things to help control it naturally. Search out reverse lighting refugiums, turf scrubbers, and control the nutrients going in to your system.

Palting · 10/11/2010, 06:20 PM

Welcome to RC!

Like anything else, we need to find the cause. So how about some more info so we can give you directed meaningful answers?

1. What is your filtration system?
2. What are your lights, how old are they, and their timing?
3. What are your nitrate and phosphate levels?
4. What's your water source?
5. How much live rock and how big a tank?
6. What have you done in your "fighting hair algae" so far?
7. How much and how frequently are you doing water changes?
8. And finally, how much hair or slime algae are we talking about?

phhbrown · 10/11/2010, 09:10 PM

It always helps to provide as much info as possible when you ask questions about problems you might have. See Palting's post.

When I first got started my tank developed a serious cyanobacteria problem. I was told to raise my alkalinity levels and this appeared to have a positive effect. I dosed using Randy Holmes-Farley's DIY two part dosing method. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

Also, here is a good piece about green hair algae from Melevsreef.com. http://www.melevsreef.com/gha.html

10/11/2010, 05:04 PM	#1
bigsteelfan Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 16	hair /slime algie i have been fighting a hair or slime algie for three months any help on how to get rid of it

10/11/2010, 05:36 PM	#2
philosophile Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,149	Algae grows because of predominately two factors: Food and light. Control both of those, and you shouldn't have an algae problem. So first, check your nitrates. It should be close to zero. If they are, then you're half way home. Keep your lights on an automatic timer, 8-10 hours a days on. Use RO/DI water to keep all any silicates out. Then scrub the algae away, syphon it out, and you should have a clean tank for a long time. The algae is also a natural part of the cycling process.... So if you just set up your tank (less than a month old) you might just want to turn off the lights, and wait it out. Finally, pick up a good clean up crew, a few snails, maybe some hermit crabs or other algae eating things. Get a variety, since many things are picky about what they eat. And hopefully they can mow down the rest of the algae that you don't scrub off. Don't over do adding your CUC though, since you don't want them to stave later. __________________ 90 gallon mixed reef XPS1000SSS skimmer, 2 radions gen 1, tunze osmolator w/ kalk dispenser, 70 lbs pukani, mp40w x2; 1 tomini, 1 clown 2 mandarins. Vinegar dosing, and micro bubble scrubbing.

10/11/2010, 06:07 PM	#3
muttley000 MTS Sufferer! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 1,926	Welcome to reef central! Light not so much to do with it in my opinion, too many nutrients cause it. Lots of things to help control it naturally. Search out reverse lighting refugiums, turf scrubbers, and control the nutrients going in to your system. __________________ Next step on the system is adding A 90 gallon! Current Tank Info: 475 multitank system is now running! Several hundred gallons of additions planned!

10/11/2010, 06:20 PM	#4
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	Welcome to RC! Like anything else, we need to find the cause. So how about some more info so we can give you directed meaningful answers? 1. What is your filtration system? 2. What are your lights, how old are they, and their timing? 3. What are your nitrate and phosphate levels? 4. What's your water source? 5. How much live rock and how big a tank? 6. What have you done in your "fighting hair algae" so far? 7. How much and how frequently are you doing water changes? 8. And finally, how much hair or slime algae are we talking about? __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

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10/11/2010, 09:10 PM	#5
phhbrown Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 59	It always helps to provide as much info as possible when you ask questions about problems you might have. See Palting's post. When I first got started my tank developed a serious cyanobacteria problem. I was told to raise my alkalinity levels and this appeared to have a positive effect. I dosed using Randy Holmes-Farley's DIY two part dosing method. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php Also, here is a good piece about green hair algae from Melevsreef.com. http://www.melevsreef.com/gha.html