Hair Algae - What I've Done....but still a lost battle!

[dileggi]

Hey everyone! I know these hair algae threads are numerous. I've read many of them, posted on many them, etc., etc.

My problem is that it seems to be a lost battle. I'm sure there's something I've missed. Here is a listing of what I've done. If I have done something I should undo, feel free to let me know. If there's something I have not done that I should try, also please let me know.

Here's my list of what I've done/tried..in no particular order:

1. I've cut my lighting period down from 12 hours a day to 7 hours per day. My original period was:
9am Actinic's on
9:30 50/50 on
10am whites on
10 pm whites off
10:30pm 50/50 off
11pm actinic's off.

Now, I have:
2pm Actinic's on
2:30 pm 50/50 on
3pm whites on
10 Pm whites off
10:30pm 50/50 off
11pm actinic's off

Should I change something here?

I've also added a skimmer. It was added back in November. I use purigen, rowaphos and filter floss.

I removed the bio balls and replaced with live rock and live rock rubble. Since I have a biocube, there's no light for that compartment, so I added some cheato, about softball size to my display. It's wedged in a corner...and quite an eyesore I must say.

My flow is 716, on a 29g. I keep my rock clean by blowing with a turkey baster. I'm doing between 10-20% water changes weekly wth di (deionized) water.

My cuc consists of 5 nassarius snails, 6 astaea snails, 6ish blue legs, 3 scarlets.

Fish load - 2 ocellaris clowns, 2 chromis, 1 indigo dottyback.

Corals - 1 gsp, 2 zoa colonies; 2 button polyp colonies, open brain, xenia, candy cane, torch, bubble coral (pearl).

I rinse my frozen food with di (deionized, not distilled) water before feeding. I feed frozen about twice a week, flakes all other times. I feed once per day.

I've pulled the algae out with my hands, with tweezers and even cut it with scissors.

It seems the more I remove, the faster it comes back...and thicker.

My levels are good, except for nitrates, which are at 20, and sometimes even as low as 10. I have never ever ever been able to get them below 10, but have not had it test over 20. My phosphates also test 0. I do know that these are obviously false readings...hence the algae...I know they're using these nutrients.

The tank is approximately 4 mos old and I know it's possible that it's a phase as the tank matures and stabilizes, but I'm not sure that's the case since I'm still showing at least 10-20 on nitrates in addition to the algae being present.

I'm not sure what else to do. The only things I have not tried so far are:
scrubbing with a toothbrush
sea hare or lettuce nudi - (afraid of thier toxins crashing tank)
miracle in a bottle - (aka hair algae stop)
shutting lights completely off.

If anyone has any suggestions, even if it's undoing somethig I've done, please share. Keep in mind, we're not talking about a small patch of hair algae. Some of it is close to baseball size

Thanks in advance to anyone that can chime in!

[Aquarist007]

quote:I removed the bio balls and replaced with live rock and live rock rubble.

how long ago did you do that---it is quite possible that the new live rock and rock rubble is still curing and producing phosphates and indirectly nitrates for the algae

[Aquarist007]

I think you could get away with one of these--on the side of the biocube--phosban and phosban reactor--this will help alot

[Aquarist007]

added some cheato, about softball size to my display. It's wedged in a corner...and quite an eyesore I must say.

yeah--its probably not a good idea in a biocube----there is not enough of it to be effective as a nitrate and phosphate reducer yet it acts like a rake and gathers organics etc to it like a magnet--and of course making them available for the algae
there is a post on how to make a hob a refugium --i find it and post back to you

[Fun $ Pit]

Setup a phos reactor immediately (if you don't have one) then:

Shut your lights off completely for three days solid. Turn only actinics on on the fourth day and back to normal lighting on the fifth.

Make sure you have plenty of turbo snails during this time (about 10) and target feed them. (Keep moving them around to the hairy rocks if they wander)

Skim wet.

Feed as minimal as possible during lights out.

Watch your paramaters and be patient.

How old are your bulbs?

[Aquarist007]

here is the link:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1311909

[taillonjohn]

My suggestion is also this:

1) fish dont need to eat every day. I only feed about 2-3 times per week. flake food puts a lot of phosphate (or something bad) in your tank.

2) do a search on "lights out for 3 days". it won thread of the month a while ago. some hobbyist has been cutting their lights out for 3 days a month, has been doing this for a year, and swears it works. try looking for it, or maybe someone has it saved

[daven]

I have a 1.5 year old biocube. I fought the HA battle and won. I have a DSB and live rock. Took out the balls and put in a skimmer (Saphire Aquatics). put more live rock rubble in the back right chamber after I knocked out the false bottom. Got rid of the filter.

Then I worked on my parameters. Ran carbon in a media bag in the back left chamber. When those were ready I got a sea hare. I had a similar CUC as you did. The Sea Hare stripped the algae in two or three days and it never came back.

I did the same thing in my 180 recently. Some things that aided me in the 180 except I also elevated my Mg to 1500 and ran carbon and PhosaR in reactors and have a fuge with caulerpa.

No algae in either tank at all. Just my experience.

[dileggi]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
quote:I removed the bio balls and replaced with live rock and live rock rubble.

how long ago did you do that---it is quite possible that the new live rock and rock rubble is still curing and producing phosphates and indirectly nitrates for the algae

This was done about 1 month ago. The LR was completely cured when I did this. I only needed 3 lbs and the LFS sold me 3lbs of rubble from their show tank.

[dileggi]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
I think you could get away with one of these--on the side of the biocube--phosban and phosban reactor--this will help alot

I actually purchased this and had to return it. The lid on biocube won't allow a hang on. The only way to do this was completely remove the lid, then I lose my lights. As a side note....I tried removing the lid on another tank...with a 3 year old, not a good idea. You know how many Power Rangers can't swim??? LOL!

I am running rowaphos in a media bag though. Is that a waste of time? I know the reactor is better, but...

[cmejaf30]

i've noticed that ever since i started using my skimmer my hair algae problem disappeared gradually with time. I'm using a Red Sea skimmer and it works GREAT. I also used some chaeto in the sump. Another trick I did was grab some of the hair algae from up top and put it on some rock in my display. I have 50/50 lights down there (white and actinic) that run 24/7...by doing this i've established competition with the algae down below and up top...needless to say down below has won! I've got a nice small colony on some rock in my sump (along with the thriving chaeto and copepod population) that is doing the job of keeping my display HA free. Just my personal experience...don't know if you have the option to do this at all or not. Good luck!

[dileggi]

Originally posted by Fun $ Pit
Setup a phos reactor immediately (if you don't have one) then:

Shut your lights off completely for three days solid. Turn only actinics on on the fourth day and back to normal lighting on the fifth.

Make sure you have plenty of turbo snails during this time (about 10) and target feed them. (Keep moving them around to the hairy rocks if they wander)

Skim wet.

Feed as minimal as possible during lights out.

Watch your paramaters and be patient.

How old are your bulbs?

I was afraid to try the lights out because of the corals. They'll be OK if I do this?

If so, I'll add some turbo's the astraea that I hvae and give it a shot.

I'm already skimming very wet.

Bulbs are actually brand new. I just upgraded them...so as of now, their age is 4 days out of the package.

[dileggi]

Make sure you have plenty of turbo snails during this time (about 10) and target feed them. (Keep moving them around to the hairy rocks if they wander)


Above is fine, but why would I target feed the turbo's? If I did that, wouldn't they stop eating the algae?

[dileggi]

Originally posted by daven
I have a 1.5 year old biocube. I fought the HA battle and won. I have a DSB and live rock. Took out the balls and put in a skimmer (Saphire Aquatics). put more live rock rubble in the back right chamber after I knocked out the false bottom. Got rid of the filter.

Then I worked on my parameters. Ran carbon in a media bag in the back left chamber. When those were ready I got a sea hare. I had a similar CUC as you did. The Sea Hare stripped the algae in two or three days and it never came back.

I did the same thing in my 180 recently. Some things that aided me in the 180 except I also elevated my Mg to 1500 and ran carbon and PhosaR in reactors and have a fuge with caulerpa.

No algae in either tank at all. Just my experience.

I really liked the sea hare idea. But, as I had mentioned, exactly how "toxic" are they? Obviously, I want to clear up my tank, but I'm afraid about crashing the tank due their toxins.

[dileggi]

Thanks to everyone who has posted. I really appreciate all the extra input and ideas. It definitely gives me a few more to try out!

Also, thanks capn hylinur - I appreicate the links and all your replies! Always a great help!

Thank you again!

[zotzer]

Patience, Grasshopper. You haven't been at it that long!

This is an aquapod, but it may give you an idea of how to do a reverse-lit refugium. This is assuming that the biocube has the peel-off vinyl on the back....someone else should be able to answer that. You simply score it to size and peel off a section to expose it to the light.







Tracy

[dileggi]

Originally posted by zotzer
Patience, Grasshopper. You haven't been at it that long!

This is an aquapod, but it may give you an idea of how to do a reverse-lit refugium. This is assuming that the biocube has the peel-off vinyl on the back....someone else should be able to answer that. You simply score it to size and peel off a section to expose it to the light.







Tracy

Ah, thank you zotzerson

To my knowledge, the back of the BC is not vinyl, but painted glass, which needs to be scraped off. Quite doable I believe. I guess when I upgraded my lighting, I should've purchased the BC fuge light (retro) for the rear.

Does the lighting matter with the assumption that I take this route?

[Ebisan]

I'm in the same boat. Tried almost everything you did and then some to get rid ofmy HA. HA must die. I seem to be winning small battles but the war isn't over just yet. Here are things I tried:

1. Reduced feedings.
2. Reduced light period.
3. Mod skimmer to make it skim better.
4. Turned off lights for 3 days.
5. Replaced DI resin and RO filter in RODI system.
6. Increased light period for chaeto in the sump.
7. Bought recirculating skimmer to replace under performing modded skimmer.
8. Increased my CUC.
9. Pulled, ripped out, and scrubbed lots of HA.
10. Installed a phosban reactor.
11. Removed sponges (used under sump pump to keep it vibrating).
12. Using a filter sock.
13. Feed frozen food after rinsing with RODI.

It seems like the HA is almost under control after # 7, 8, 12 and 13.

[magic028]

What Fun $ Pit was saying when he mentioned target feeding was to move the turbos to the lr with the most HA and if they move away to put them back targeting that rock.

[mg426]

It can take a couple of months to win against this plague, It is a very tough thing to beat but if you are patient you should win out in the end. A PO4 reactor is a bigtime help. Also flake food is generally loaded with Po4.

[dileggi]

Thanks again to everyone that chimed in. I've been able to add a few more weapons to my arsenal from some of these threads. I'm beginning to think my CUC was way too low from what I've been reading too!

I must say, I do like my BC, but I'm learning one of the drawbacks is the "all enclosed" design as it makes it near impossible to use fuge - even HOB and reactors. Therefore, I'm running my GFO in a media bag and tried adding the cheato to the display. But, now the cheato is collecting the debirs!

Thanks again everyone.