NEED HELP. hair algae getting worse - Page 2

Fun $ Pit · 01/17/2008, 05:50 PM

Just thought I'd give an update with my progress in getting rid of my hair algae.

My three days lights out in combination of running a phos reactor and scribbing rocks with a brush has all but eliminated my hair algae. Even wilted and nearly gone in areas I could not scrub. Now this is great news eh?

I did not add any more snails and certainly did not add a fish. Now all I need to do is scrub a few select rocks one more time to removed dead/dying algae and do a water change.

This obviously worked for me and I think it can work for you too.

Lucky-rc · 01/17/2008, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by enemec1
I feed every other day frozen and flake.

From what you posted I would bet money on the above statment... If your not ... you MUST thaw frozen food and rince it with fresh water. The juice it is packed in is "rocket fuel" for un-wanted algae.

Lucky

enemec1 · 01/17/2008, 07:05 PM

yes I need to rinse the frozen food never did anything but defrost and poor thriugh a net to strain.

the fuge has been on line since the begining, I may have recently over trimed back the cheato about a week ago. the light are on a reverse schudel as the main lights. 9pm to 8am.

Lucky-rc · 01/17/2008, 07:58 PM

yeah, you'll be ok man... you have all the right comibations to starve it out. now really all you have to do is watch it feed off the phos. leaching out of your LR (which allready being cured should be next to none) And watch it die out.

Lucky

Bree42 · 01/17/2008, 08:48 PM

Ok had a hair algea problem. It can be annoying, gets into everything and on everything. I tried multiple things to get rid of it. A tux sea urchin which seriously turned into a pain because it picks up everything in the tank on it bristle's, then drags it around. Although it does do a fair job on the algea, not great and probably not worth what I spent on it plus the annoyance it causes. Green crabs were worthless didn't even bother with the algea. Tiger cowries to stir the gravel bed helped, 2 in my 75, queen Conch, helped, not much. Tang helped, he's always picking at the algea, but not enough to keep up.
I can tell you that I fought it over and over and one day I woke up and it was gone. I don't blame the cleaner crew, although they did help to manage it to some degree. I blame the tank aging to the stage that it just died off. I would relaxe, maybe add some clean up crew to help keep it down and have patience. In my 30+ yrs of tanks and dealing with algea's I can say that it's a cycle, hard green algea to start, red algea to follow and one day bang, nothing. And the more you fight it, the worse you make it, maintain and let it cycle through. Clean up crew to help keep it in check, along with cleaning it off manualy. Regular water changes and patience.

Lucky-rc · 01/18/2008, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bree42
30+ yrs of tanks and dealing with algea's I can say that it's a cycle, hard green algea to start, red algea to follow and one day bang, nothing. And the more you fight it, the worse you make it, maintain and let it cycle through. and patience.

Thats it... It will use up it own food supply and starve its self out. As long as phos and other nutrients are maintained.
Lucky

01/17/2008, 05:50 PM	#26
Fun $ Pit Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Collierville, Tennessee Posts: 302	Just thought I'd give an update with my progress in getting rid of my hair algae. My three days lights out in combination of running a phos reactor and scribbing rocks with a brush has all but eliminated my hair algae. Even wilted and nearly gone in areas I could not scrub. Now this is great news eh? I did not add any more snails and certainly did not add a fish. Now all I need to do is scrub a few select rocks one more time to removed dead/dying algae and do a water change. This obviously worked for me and I think it can work for you too. __________________ Thank you. Drive Thru! Current Tank Info: 180G - See my Gallery

01/17/2008, 07:05 PM	#28
enemec1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Rydal PA Posts: 907	yes I need to rinse the frozen food never did anything but defrost and poor thriugh a net to strain. the fuge has been on line since the begining, I may have recently over trimed back the cheato about a week ago. the light are on a reverse schudel as the main lights. 9pm to 8am. __________________ Help my wife is going to kill me, I'm spending my sons college funds. Current Tank Info: two 30 gallon cubes

01/17/2008, 07:58 PM	#29
Lucky-rc Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: central Ohio Posts: 450	yeah, you'll be ok man... you have all the right comibations to starve it out. now really all you have to do is watch it feed off the phos. leaching out of your LR (which allready being cured should be next to none) And watch it die out. Lucky __________________ Fast women... Expensive hobbies... Whats left? Current Tank Info: 310 gal. mix-reef

01/17/2008, 08:48 PM	#30
Bree42 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Colo Posts: 64	Ok had a hair algea problem. It can be annoying, gets into everything and on everything. I tried multiple things to get rid of it. A tux sea urchin which seriously turned into a pain because it picks up everything in the tank on it bristle's, then drags it around. Although it does do a fair job on the algea, not great and probably not worth what I spent on it plus the annoyance it causes. Green crabs were worthless didn't even bother with the algea. Tiger cowries to stir the gravel bed helped, 2 in my 75, queen Conch, helped, not much. Tang helped, he's always picking at the algea, but not enough to keep up. I can tell you that I fought it over and over and one day I woke up and it was gone. I don't blame the cleaner crew, although they did help to manage it to some degree. I blame the tank aging to the stage that it just died off. I would relaxe, maybe add some clean up crew to help keep it down and have patience. In my 30+ yrs of tanks and dealing with algea's I can say that it's a cycle, hard green algea to start, red algea to follow and one day bang, nothing. And the more you fight it, the worse you make it, maintain and let it cycle through. Clean up crew to help keep it in check, along with cleaning it off manualy. Regular water changes and patience. __________________ The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing. By Edmund Burke Current Tank Info: 14 tanks