Overflow Hair ALgae

akopley · 10/22/2006, 01:06 PM

I have a ton of Green Hair algae growing inside my overflow. I have no hair algae in the tank so is this normal?

ahill3780 · 10/22/2006, 01:27 PM

I've noticed this in my tank as well. The one problem that I have with this is that my snails will tend to get into the overflow to graze on the algae and will end up in the U-tube effectively blocking the passage of water causing the return to outpace the drain and overflowing the tank.

Luckily I have caught it in time both times this occurred and I have not had a disasterous spill yet, but I am still thinking of ways to avoid this scenario. I was thinking of using a mesh netting across the top of the OF box to keep the snails out.

HTH,
Aaron

Fountainhead · 10/22/2006, 01:36 PM

Ha ha! I posted this picture yesterday in another forum. I hadn't looked inside my overflow in more than a year, but I did yesterday. Did you say algae?

akopley · 10/22/2006, 01:40 PM

So its no big deal?

Fountainhead · 10/22/2006, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by akopley
So its no big deal?

Well, I didn't say that. I cleaned mine out, or rather I cleaned it out as much as I could before the whole process started to creep me out. Maybe it's like a poor man's fuge, helping with nutrient export!

But I think it'd be prudent to clean it out now and again.

bllfish · 10/22/2006, 03:03 PM

I have the same thing in mine. I clean it out every couple of months. I am thinking about trying to block the light out of the overflow. I could put something on top of the egg crate to cover that area.

msn711 · 10/22/2006, 04:03 PM

I had that same problem for a while, but then it suddenly disappeared. I have no idea why/how though. Sorry. I thought it might have been just a sign of the tank maturing, but my tank is only 3 months old.

bllfish · 10/22/2006, 04:20 PM

I think it is just because it is very close to the lights and there is nothing in there to eat the algae.

Debbie64 · 10/22/2006, 06:00 PM

My overflow used to look just like Fountainhead's pic. Right down to the Tenecor silencer.

I cleaned it, then cut a piece of blue acrylic to fit the trapezoid shape. Clean as a whistle in there now.

Fountainhead · 10/22/2006, 06:14 PM

After I cleaned it I cut up an old black DVD case and made a cover for mine too. We'll see how it works.

10/22/2006, 01:06 PM	#1
akopley Premium Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 701	Overflow Hair ALgae I have a ton of Green Hair algae growing inside my overflow. I have no hair algae in the tank so is this normal?

10/22/2006, 01:27 PM	#2
ahill3780 Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Loganville, Georgia Posts: 141	I've noticed this in my tank as well. The one problem that I have with this is that my snails will tend to get into the overflow to graze on the algae and will end up in the U-tube effectively blocking the passage of water causing the return to outpace the drain and overflowing the tank. Luckily I have caught it in time both times this occurred and I have not had a disasterous spill yet, but I am still thinking of ways to avoid this scenario. I was thinking of using a mesh netting across the top of the OF box to keep the snails out. HTH, Aaron __________________ Powered by Microsoft Reef Current Tank Info: 10g nano reef, 30 lbs aragalive sand 2" bed, 40 lbs LR, AC70 mini-fuge, 60W Tetra Heater, 25W 50/50 Coralife PC. 1 Ocellaris, 1 Cleaner Shrimp, 4 Turbo Snails, 2 Xenia (currently splitting), GSP, Hawaiian Feather Duster, 2 unidentified Zoanthids

10/22/2006, 03:03 PM	#6
bllfish Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Stuart, Florida Posts: 1,818	I have the same thing in mine. I clean it out every couple of months. I am thinking about trying to block the light out of the overflow. I could put something on top of the egg crate to cover that area. __________________ "I fish by myself because lots of people don't like me, and the ones that do like me, well, I don't want them to know my spots." ><)))))*>--- Current Tank Info: 72 bow, 36" stand, 4 54W T5, vantec stealth fans, eheim 1260, mj 1200 & 2 Koralia #1 to WaveMaster Pro, CPR 24" Aquafuge HOB & 7100K PC, JBJ Arctica chiller, LiterMeter III

10/22/2006, 04:03 PM	#7
msn711 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Reynoldsburg, OH Posts: 974	I had that same problem for a while, but then it suddenly disappeared. I have no idea why/how though. Sorry. I thought it might have been just a sign of the tank maturing, but my tank is only 3 months old. __________________ Shay Current Tank Info: 120 Deep Blue Pro

10/22/2006, 04:20 PM	#8
bllfish Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Stuart, Florida Posts: 1,818	I think it is just because it is very close to the lights and there is nothing in there to eat the algae. __________________ "I fish by myself because lots of people don't like me, and the ones that do like me, well, I don't want them to know my spots." ><)))))*>--- Current Tank Info: 72 bow, 36" stand, 4 54W T5, vantec stealth fans, eheim 1260, mj 1200 & 2 Koralia #1 to WaveMaster Pro, CPR 24" Aquafuge HOB & 7100K PC, JBJ Arctica chiller, LiterMeter III

10/22/2006, 01:36 PM	#3
Fountainhead Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 566	Ha ha! I posted this picture yesterday in another forum. I hadn't looked inside my overflow in more than a year, but I did yesterday. Did you say algae?

10/22/2006, 01:40 PM	#4
akopley Premium Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 701	So its no big deal?

10/22/2006, 06:00 PM	#9
Debbie64 Save a fish; eat a burger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Monterey Bay, CA Posts: 253	My overflow used to look just like Fountainhead's pic. Right down to the Tenecor silencer. I cleaned it, then cut a piece of blue acrylic to fit the trapezoid shape. Clean as a whistle in there now.

10/22/2006, 06:14 PM	#10
Fountainhead Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 566	After I cleaned it I cut up an old black DVD case and made a cover for mine too. We'll see how it works.