Scrubbing hair algae off LR

shinny · 02/10/2006, 07:03 PM

I was going to remove some of my LR and scrub off the hair algae with a stiff scrub brush. I was going to do this in a laundry tub and just run some freshwater over it as I scubbed. Should I instead to it in a bucket of mixed saltwater? Would I kill a lot of things if I ran the LR in the sink or would it not matter that much? Thanks.

rm · 02/10/2006, 07:08 PM

Do a search on this if you can. I can't remember who it was but someone on RC recently posted a great idea. He/She connected a small brush to a siphon (python I guess), and scrubbed the rock in place.

todd2000 · 02/10/2006, 07:08 PM

Funny you should mention that I just finished doing this to my tank, I did it while doing a water change, so I just used a 5 gal bucket filled with tank water, just keep scrubbing the rock and swusing it around in the bucket, I figured was a good idea to use tank water, why waste a perfectly good bucket of fresh saltwater to scrub crap off of rocks, besides it would seem less streesful to any life forms on/in the rock. Hope that helped

rm · 02/10/2006, 07:13 PM

Syon posted this idea on 2/8

"a toothbrush works well on hair algae. I took a new toothbrush with medium bristes, taped it to the end of a small siphon hose (kinda like a flo-bee) and scrubbed my rock while under water. When you scrub, the siphon sucks out the hair algae"

shinny · 02/10/2006, 07:30 PM

I have a lot of hair algae though. I think I would have to remove the rocks to get all of it. I may do like todd and do it while I do a water change.

cc3 · 02/10/2006, 08:24 PM

no matter how you decide to do this, you will eventually need to find out what's causing the hair algae and fix it. high phosphates are a common culprit: overfeeding, not using ro to top off, poor lighting are a few possibilities.
when i had a case of the same problem, it used phosphate sponge (media) to get the levels to nearly nothing and then put in a phosphate magnet to keep the phosphates under control. good luck

sean48183 · 02/10/2006, 08:37 PM

Do the water change thing and split the water between 2 buckets. Scrub in first bucket and dip and rinse in the second bucket. It will however grow back. What type of set up do you have? If it is mainly a fish tank with a few softies you may want to reduce your lighting schedule. Fish Poop+Intense Light=Hair Algae.

todd2000 · 02/10/2006, 08:45 PM

Personally I have a new tank so I expected it, just figured if I scrub from time to time mabye I can keep it from getting out of control, on the bright side my diatom bloom lasted just a week

Hair algae, while annoying is still nicer looking than brown diatoms covering everything.

shinny · 02/10/2006, 09:04 PM

Yea, I know that it was probably caused from over feeding, my phosphates where through the roof, too many fish, no sump. I have put in a phosphate sponge, lowered feeding levels, got my sump up and running getting macro this week. I haven't got rid of any fish yet though. I do have MH lights. My coral collection is growing with one new sps and about 12 others LPS and softies. Thanks for the responses.

shinny · 02/11/2006, 11:53 AM

just scrubbed the LR and it wasn't as bad as I thought. I did a water change and used the waste water to clean most of the LR. There are still a few pieces of LR with it on it but I will see how these do after cleaning.

02/10/2006, 07:03 PM	#1
shinny Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 161	Scrubbing hair algae off LR I was going to remove some of my LR and scrub off the hair algae with a stiff scrub brush. I was going to do this in a laundry tub and just run some freshwater over it as I scubbed. Should I instead to it in a bucket of mixed saltwater? Would I kill a lot of things if I ran the LR in the sink or would it not matter that much? Thanks.

02/10/2006, 07:08 PM	#2
rm Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 99	Do a search on this if you can. I can't remember who it was but someone on RC recently posted a great idea. He/She connected a small brush to a siphon (python I guess), and scrubbed the rock in place. __________________ "People are not persuaded by what we say, but rather by what they understand."

02/10/2006, 07:13 PM	#4
rm Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 99	Syon posted this idea on 2/8 "a toothbrush works well on hair algae. I took a new toothbrush with medium bristes, taped it to the end of a small siphon hose (kinda like a flo-bee) and scrubbed my rock while under water. When you scrub, the siphon sucks out the hair algae" __________________ "People are not persuaded by what we say, but rather by what they understand."

02/10/2006, 07:08 PM	#3
todd2000 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: VA Posts: 706	Funny you should mention that I just finished doing this to my tank, I did it while doing a water change, so I just used a 5 gal bucket filled with tank water, just keep scrubbing the rock and swusing it around in the bucket, I figured was a good idea to use tank water, why waste a perfectly good bucket of fresh saltwater to scrub crap off of rocks, besides it would seem less streesful to any life forms on/in the rock. Hope that helped

02/10/2006, 07:30 PM	#5
shinny Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 161	I have a lot of hair algae though. I think I would have to remove the rocks to get all of it. I may do like todd and do it while I do a water change.

02/10/2006, 08:24 PM	#6
cc3 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: wpb, fl Posts: 36	no matter how you decide to do this, you will eventually need to find out what's causing the hair algae and fix it. high phosphates are a common culprit: overfeeding, not using ro to top off, poor lighting are a few possibilities. when i had a case of the same problem, it used phosphate sponge (media) to get the levels to nearly nothing and then put in a phosphate magnet to keep the phosphates under control. good luck

02/10/2006, 08:37 PM	#7
sean48183 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: michigan Posts: 1,577	Do the water change thing and split the water between 2 buckets. Scrub in first bucket and dip and rinse in the second bucket. It will however grow back. What type of set up do you have? If it is mainly a fish tank with a few softies you may want to reduce your lighting schedule. Fish Poop+Intense Light=Hair Algae.

02/10/2006, 08:45 PM	#8
todd2000 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: VA Posts: 706	Personally I have a new tank so I expected it, just figured if I scrub from time to time mabye I can keep it from getting out of control, on the bright side my diatom bloom lasted just a week Hair algae, while annoying is still nicer looking than brown diatoms covering everything.

02/10/2006, 09:04 PM	#9
shinny Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 161	Yea, I know that it was probably caused from over feeding, my phosphates where through the roof, too many fish, no sump. I have put in a phosphate sponge, lowered feeding levels, got my sump up and running getting macro this week. I haven't got rid of any fish yet though. I do have MH lights. My coral collection is growing with one new sps and about 12 others LPS and softies. Thanks for the responses.

02/11/2006, 11:53 AM	#10
shinny Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 161	just scrubbed the LR and it wasn't as bad as I thought. I did a water change and used the waste water to clean most of the LR. There are still a few pieces of LR with it on it but I will see how these do after cleaning.