Hair Algea

The_Browns · 01/17/2008, 11:00 AM

Alright, I am picking up some live rock from someone tomorrow becuase they are taking down their tank. He told me it has hair algea on some of the rock. What should I do?

landlord · 01/17/2008, 11:05 AM

If you are moving the rock in say, 5 gallon buckets, I would simpy scrub it like heck. Then scrub some more. Then shake off as much detritus as possible. The tank it is coming from obviously has a nutrient problem. Some of those nutrients are going to be settled in the pores of the rock. Do your best to remove them. If you are not transporting it into a tank right away try keeping it in the dark to help "light starve" the algae. Maybe toss in some Mexican Turbo snails with it to graze on the HA.

Also make sure it is hair algae and not some other HA look alike bryopsis, etc..

FWIW --landlord

The_Browns · 01/17/2008, 11:08 AM

I am going to be putting the rock in a brute trashcan. After I pick it up tomorrow I will post some pictures of it.

landlord: Would I scrub while sitting in saltwater?

The_Browns · 01/17/2008, 11:11 AM

Also my tank is still cycling. The only param that is still not good is Trites @ 2.0. I never run the lights in the main tank while cycling

The_Browns · 01/17/2008, 11:17 AM

What will I need to keep in the trash can in order to keep the rock from dying while I am killing the hair algea? Air stone, powerhead, heater, etc?

Craig Lambert · 01/17/2008, 11:32 AM

If I were you, I would "cook" the rock before placing any of it my tank. Here's a thread on it:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=437342

The_Browns · 01/17/2008, 11:36 AM

Well that the problem, I want established (Cured) LR for my tank. If I cook it it will most likely start a new cycle.

Craig Lambert · 01/17/2008, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_Browns
Well that the problem, I want established (Cured) LR for my tank. If I cook it it will most likely start a new cycle.

Far better than introducing hair algae to a tank that is newly set up imo.

landlord · 01/17/2008, 11:39 AM

I cannot argue with cooking it. It will ensure that the nasties are cleaned off the rock. The downside is time. Read the thread it is a good read.

I do not think it is absolutely necessary to scrub it underwater but the more it is out of water the more "Die-off" you will get. You are bound to get some anyways but it is nice to mitigate it if possible.

Ideally you simply want to get as much of the unwanted crud off of the rock. You might want to get yourself some fresh saltwater made up so that after you scrub and rins, if that is what you choose to do, you can get it into some cleaner water.

How long do you plan on storing this rock? or is it going into your already cycling tank? If you are tossing it into the cycling tank, expect your cycle time to increase. If you think that you are going to be able to wait until the cycle is complete and then add the rock, it's a moot thing. The tank will go through another cycle.

--landlord

The_Browns · 01/17/2008, 12:06 PM

I have changed my mind, I am not going to buy the rock. WE are just going to buy 50 more lbs of live rock online and just put it in the tank and let the recycle begin. We are wanting to do our custom aquascape on our tank so we were going to expect a new cycle anyways. We are doing the aquascape with fiberglass rods, zipties and epoxy.

uscharalph · 01/17/2008, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_Browns
I have changed my mind, I am not going to buy the rock. WE are just going to buy 50 more lbs of live rock online and just put it in the tank and let the recycle begin. We are wanting to do our custom aquascape on our tank so we were going to expect a new cycle anyways. We are doing the aquascape with fiberglass rods, zipties and epoxy.

Probably the better way to go.

01/17/2008, 11:00 AM	#1
The_Browns Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Winter Garden, FL Posts: 1,046	Hair Algea Alright, I am picking up some live rock from someone tomorrow becuase they are taking down their tank. He told me it has hair algea on some of the rock. What should I do? __________________ Mike & Jenn Current Tank Info: 120g DT and 35g frag tank

01/17/2008, 11:05 AM	#2
landlord Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Alexandria, KY Posts: 1,937	If you are moving the rock in say, 5 gallon buckets, I would simpy scrub it like heck. Then scrub some more. Then shake off as much detritus as possible. The tank it is coming from obviously has a nutrient problem. Some of those nutrients are going to be settled in the pores of the rock. Do your best to remove them. If you are not transporting it into a tank right away try keeping it in the dark to help "light starve" the algae. Maybe toss in some Mexican Turbo snails with it to graze on the HA. Also make sure it is hair algae and not some other HA look alike bryopsis, etc.. FWIW --landlord __________________ Forget the Turtle Man, you got the Coral Man Live Action Fragging! Current Tank Info: 90 Gallon SPS Reef (Sump, Fuge, Skimmer, CX reactor, Chemical filtration, Overflow) by Lifereef, 2x400W 20K Radiums on IceCaps, 2x39W T5 "For fun", RK2, 4x Tunze 6055, Aqua Logic 1/3 HP Chiller, DIY RO/DI ATO 2-Part via Litermeter. Lotsa Clownfish

01/17/2008, 11:08 AM	#3
The_Browns Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Winter Garden, FL Posts: 1,046	I am going to be putting the rock in a brute trashcan. After I pick it up tomorrow I will post some pictures of it. landlord: Would I scrub while sitting in saltwater? __________________ Mike & Jenn Current Tank Info: 120g DT and 35g frag tank

01/17/2008, 11:11 AM	#4
The_Browns Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Winter Garden, FL Posts: 1,046	Also my tank is still cycling. The only param that is still not good is Trites @ 2.0. I never run the lights in the main tank while cycling __________________ Mike & Jenn Current Tank Info: 120g DT and 35g frag tank

01/17/2008, 11:17 AM	#5
The_Browns Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Winter Garden, FL Posts: 1,046	What will I need to keep in the trash can in order to keep the rock from dying while I am killing the hair algea? Air stone, powerhead, heater, etc? __________________ Mike & Jenn Current Tank Info: 120g DT and 35g frag tank

01/17/2008, 11:32 AM	#6
Craig Lambert Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,897	If I were you, I would "cook" the rock before placing any of it my tank. Here's a thread on it: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=437342 __________________ "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will spend all day in a boat drinking beer." Current Tank Info: 75G Tank, 29G Sump, 100lbs LR, AquaC EV-180, Iwaki MD-20RT return Tunze nano streams 4X54 t-5/Icecap Ballast & SLR's 2x110 vho actinic

01/17/2008, 11:36 AM	#7
The_Browns Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Winter Garden, FL Posts: 1,046	Well that the problem, I want established (Cured) LR for my tank. If I cook it it will most likely start a new cycle. __________________ Mike & Jenn Current Tank Info: 120g DT and 35g frag tank

01/17/2008, 11:39 AM	#9
landlord Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Alexandria, KY Posts: 1,937	I cannot argue with cooking it. It will ensure that the nasties are cleaned off the rock. The downside is time. Read the thread it is a good read. I do not think it is absolutely necessary to scrub it underwater but the more it is out of water the more "Die-off" you will get. You are bound to get some anyways but it is nice to mitigate it if possible. Ideally you simply want to get as much of the unwanted crud off of the rock. You might want to get yourself some fresh saltwater made up so that after you scrub and rins, if that is what you choose to do, you can get it into some cleaner water. How long do you plan on storing this rock? or is it going into your already cycling tank? If you are tossing it into the cycling tank, expect your cycle time to increase. If you think that you are going to be able to wait until the cycle is complete and then add the rock, it's a moot thing. The tank will go through another cycle. --landlord __________________ Forget the Turtle Man, you got the Coral Man Live Action Fragging! Current Tank Info: 90 Gallon SPS Reef (Sump, Fuge, Skimmer, CX reactor, Chemical filtration, Overflow) by Lifereef, 2x400W 20K Radiums on IceCaps, 2x39W T5 "For fun", RK2, 4x Tunze 6055, Aqua Logic 1/3 HP Chiller, DIY RO/DI ATO 2-Part via Litermeter. Lotsa Clownfish

01/17/2008, 12:06 PM	#10
The_Browns Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Winter Garden, FL Posts: 1,046	I have changed my mind, I am not going to buy the rock. WE are just going to buy 50 more lbs of live rock online and just put it in the tank and let the recycle begin. We are wanting to do our custom aquascape on our tank so we were going to expect a new cycle anyways. We are doing the aquascape with fiberglass rods, zipties and epoxy. __________________ Mike & Jenn Current Tank Info: 120g DT and 35g frag tank