Powerwashing LR?

shinny · 02/06/2006, 06:53 PM

I have an idea to remove the hair algea from my LR. I am going to use a powerwasher to blast it of the LR. I will probably blast most of everything else off the rocks but this hair algea is driving me crazy. I have tried all most every creature that is listed on this site with no succes. I added a fuge just recently and I am going to get some macro this week. Does anybody see why this would not work? I don't want to cook them, that takes too long. Thanks for the help.

vthondaboi · 02/06/2006, 07:24 PM

I'm not sure if it's sstrong enough.

I heard "cooking" LR will kill it off. But the question is will it come back?

Tell us about your setup, parameters, # of fish, feeding schedule adn etc.

Astreas and sea hares generally do a good job but you gotta help teh astreas along by pulling off the large chunks.

scrmbld33 · 02/06/2006, 08:13 PM

water changes, a fuge with cheato, pulling the bigger peices of HA off, and watching water params, this will beat HA in time as long as overfeeding isnt the cause, if it is lower your feeding amounts,

NCreefwannabe · 02/07/2006, 12:47 AM

I had thought about doing that to mine lol. But once i started cooking it, I noticed I could break off small peices in some spots.... Powerwashing would have destroyed the rock.

JmLee · 02/07/2006, 02:55 AM

that depends.... are you gona power wash with fresh water? or salt? because i think power washing with SW would be kinda hard. and wouldnt power washing with FW kill alot of bacteria?

reefkeeperrut · 02/07/2006, 05:31 AM

I wouldn't do it. The only way to rid your tank of nuisance algae is with cooking (highly recommended) or to wait it out. If you can reverse the process of adding more nutrients than removing them eventually your algae will recede. The fuge will help.

BTW - cooking does NOT kill off everything. Quite the opposite. Please read up before spatting heresay!

boxfishpooalot · 02/07/2006, 05:56 AM

why not try it on one rock first, wait a week, do another. Esentially your exporting nitrates and phosphates that are built into the hair algae. This way is safer as you could regret doing it all at one time.

shinny · 02/07/2006, 04:29 PM

Thanks for the responses. The hair algea started because I was feeding too much and I was not washing the mysis shrimp with RO water like I am doing now. I think I set up the fuge and see if that helps. I have turbos, astreas, ones that start with the letter "n", torch snail, certh, and some hermit crabs, pencil urchin, yellow tang, I think thats it. These do not even touch the hair algea. I was thinking of getting a sea hare but I have heard of mixed reviews. My phosphates were high so I added some phosphate spong and I am running carbon. I have these in a canister filter that I clean often (once a month). Anyway, I hope these will eventually help. Sounds like a lot of people have this same problem though so I have company.

shinny · 02/07/2006, 04:31 PM

I have cut back feeding BTW. I do have a few fish, propably too many.

02/06/2006, 06:53 PM	#1
shinny Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 161	Powerwashing LR? I have an idea to remove the hair algea from my LR. I am going to use a powerwasher to blast it of the LR. I will probably blast most of everything else off the rocks but this hair algea is driving me crazy. I have tried all most every creature that is listed on this site with no succes. I added a fuge just recently and I am going to get some macro this week. Does anybody see why this would not work? I don't want to cook them, that takes too long. Thanks for the help.

02/06/2006, 07:24 PM	#2
vthondaboi Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 916	I'm not sure if it's sstrong enough. I heard "cooking" LR will kill it off. But the question is will it come back? Tell us about your setup, parameters, # of fish, feeding schedule adn etc. Astreas and sea hares generally do a good job but you gotta help teh astreas along by pulling off the large chunks. __________________ 250G - 75G Sump, ATB 10.5 deluxe, ACIII, 72 Cree LEDs, 2xMP40ES and 2x6055, Eheim 1262 return, and PM Calcium Reactor Current Tank Info: 90G, Aquactinics Solar Flare, Tunze 6045, 2x6055 single controller and Nano Wavebox, Alpha Cone 170 - 75G Aquactinic TX5, Tunze 6025 & Remora

02/06/2006, 08:13 PM	#3
scrmbld33 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: south jersey 08050 Posts: 2,394	water changes, a fuge with cheato, pulling the bigger peices of HA off, and watching water params, this will beat HA in time as long as overfeeding isnt the cause, if it is lower your feeding amounts, __________________ a left over shrimp shedding is not "a sicilian message meaning luca brasi sleeps with the fishes" fish are friends, not food Current Tank Info: 90gal salt, 2 250mh 14k hamiltons 2 110 actinic, 127lbs LR,50lbs tonga 70lbs indonesia 7lbs tonga branch asm g3

02/07/2006, 05:56 AM	#7
boxfishpooalot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: canada, Grande Praire, Ab Posts: 5,824	why not try it on one rock first, wait a week, do another. Esentially your exporting nitrates and phosphates that are built into the hair algae. This way is safer as you could regret doing it all at one time. __________________ Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! Algae is Mother Natures phosphate remover Current Tank Info: 220 galon mixed reef.

02/07/2006, 12:47 AM	#4
NCreefwannabe Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 953	I had thought about doing that to mine lol. But once i started cooking it, I noticed I could break off small peices in some spots.... Powerwashing would have destroyed the rock.

02/07/2006, 02:55 AM	#5
JmLee Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hohensfels, Germany Posts: 1,545	that depends.... are you gona power wash with fresh water? or salt? because i think power washing with SW would be kinda hard. and wouldnt power washing with FW kill alot of bacteria?

02/07/2006, 05:31 AM	#6
reefkeeperrut Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Arlington Heights, IL Posts: 413	I wouldn't do it. The only way to rid your tank of nuisance algae is with cooking (highly recommended) or to wait it out. If you can reverse the process of adding more nutrients than removing them eventually your algae will recede. The fuge will help. BTW - cooking does NOT kill off everything. Quite the opposite. Please read up before spatting heresay!

02/07/2006, 04:29 PM	#8
shinny Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 161	Thanks for the responses. The hair algea started because I was feeding too much and I was not washing the mysis shrimp with RO water like I am doing now. I think I set up the fuge and see if that helps. I have turbos, astreas, ones that start with the letter "n", torch snail, certh, and some hermit crabs, pencil urchin, yellow tang, I think thats it. These do not even touch the hair algea. I was thinking of getting a sea hare but I have heard of mixed reviews. My phosphates were high so I added some phosphate spong and I am running carbon. I have these in a canister filter that I clean often (once a month). Anyway, I hope these will eventually help. Sounds like a lot of people have this same problem though so I have company.

02/07/2006, 04:31 PM	#9
shinny Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 161	I have cut back feeding BTW. I do have a few fish, propably too many.