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Unread 06/11/2008, 10:41 PM   #1
alexk3954
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Unhappy Hair algae crisis

I have been fighting hair algae for a month or two in my 125 gallon reef with no luck. I measured the nitrates yesterday and they were as low as the kit could measure, I am running a phosphate reactor and I usually feed 2 cubes of frozen food per day. In terms of livestock I have a goldspotted rabbit fish, 1 clownfish, 1 engineer goby, 2 green chromis, 1 royal gramma, 1 six-line wrasse, and a mandarin draggonette so the tank is not overstocked (at least in my opinion). I also have a bunch of coral, inverts and an anemone that are doing great so the water quality is pretty good. I am just not sure why this stuff is growing and pulling it out is not enough so I want to add another herbivore to my tank to help me out because my rabbitfish only likes nori and meaty foods . what do you guys think would be the best addition for my reef. I am trying to decide between, a yellow or blue tang, or some sort of blenny. I would prefer to get the yellow tang, but a huge appetite for hairy algae is my main concern. So what can I do to get rid of this disgusting stuff?


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Unread 06/11/2008, 10:49 PM   #2
alexk3954
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And heres some more information that may help. I am using a refugium with chaeto that grows extremely quickly. Theres a good skimmer and a UV sterilizer as well. Any reccomendations would be greatly appreciated


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Unread 06/11/2008, 11:24 PM   #3
Dyraxe
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I don't think any fish you get will eat or remove all if not any hair algae. To stop hair algae you got to find the source of the problem. Old sand beds produce phosphates as well as any detritus or other waste collecting under your rock work. I heard old lights can produce unwanted algae as well. Phosphates can be found in live rock and cause growth of algae on them even though a test kit will measure no trace of it. I have not tried but if I ever get Hair Algae again I will use vodka with some prodibio. There was a thread here that I can't find now of people dosing vodka with this bacteria to kill off this nasty hair algae.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 12:16 AM   #4
alexk3954
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I think i remember reading something about vodka a while back, thanks for the reminder. Ill go research that now, but keep the suggestions rolling in!


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Unread 06/12/2008, 12:40 AM   #5
fishnut321
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everyone says to raise your magnesium 1600, everyone says it kills it off


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Unread 06/12/2008, 01:39 AM   #6
jeweldamsel
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Dwarf blue leg hermits can clean up the hair algae good. What is the PO4 level in your tank? I bet it is high.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 07:03 AM   #7
jtma508
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Yellow Tang. We had hair algae. The hermits made a dent but within 24hrs of introducing a yellow tang there wasn't a strand to be found anywhere.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 07:50 AM   #8
nickts40
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The fact that your chaeto is grwong quickly suggests that you have excess nutrients in the tank in the form of nitrates, phospahates, and silicates. No fish/snail in the world will solve a hair algae problem. Reduce the photoperiod in the main display and keep the regugium lit 24 hours. Make sure your skimmer is dialed in properly as well and is cleaned every few days.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 08:00 AM   #9
bonerfortuna
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Reduce feeding , thats way too much. Reduce lighting period and add magnesium . It works.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 08:46 AM   #10
jimwat
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I've got a couple HA spots showing up in the last couple of weeks. My Foxface keeps it mowed down, but I'm thinking that my lights are due to be changed.

I would also double check before you try overdosing magnesium. I have raised Mg levels above normal in my tank to kill off bryopsis, but haven't heard that it does anything to HA (maybe this is something new??). Plus/And my HA that just started with my current Mg level at 1500+. IME keeping your tank chemistry in the proper ranges is best to help rid HA (particularly alkalinity).

Anyway, the "best" way to get rid of the HA is to remove it's nutrient source. Remove the detritus before it breaks down (Clean, Vacuum, Water changes, and an efficient running skimmer, etc.). And making sure that you have enough flow in your tank (no dead flow areas) will increase your skimmers efficiency.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 09:46 AM   #11
alexk3954
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Thanks for all of the advice. Sounds like I will look into getting a yellow tang, possibly raise magnesium, and all of the while looking for the source of excess nutrients. THe vodka method might also be a possibility if nothing else works. DO you guys think that 2 cubes of frozen food per day would be too much food for the amount of fish I have right now? Everyone seems to get just enough food.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 09:50 AM   #12
Slakker
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WAAAAY too much food.


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Oceanic 58RR display/20H sump/fuge thread...follow the red house.

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Unread 06/12/2008, 10:07 AM   #13
specialkb
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you really think thats to much food? I feed 2 cubes a mysis per day and have a pair of saddle backs, swiss guard, royal grama,copperband,madarin, and it's all gone in the matter of like minute 1/2.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 11:12 AM   #14
dthelen
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I have a yellow tang and mine doesn't touch the stuff I've had him for 3 yr's. That's just me I'm sure there are others out there that had one that loved the stuff.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 11:15 AM   #15
Slakker
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Yes, I really think that's too much. Just because they eat it all, doesn't mean they need to eat it all, and it doesn't mean it's not polluting your system.


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Oceanic 58RR display/20H sump/fuge thread...follow the red house.

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Unread 06/12/2008, 12:10 PM   #16
gummi
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HA needs a few things to grow: nitrates, phosphates, and light.

Are you using tap water? Might be time to switch to RO/DI...
Limit your lighting period as much as possible.
Run some Rowaphos if you have phosphates.

Rinse your frozen food before you put it in. Put it in a fish net, dissolve it in tap water then release it into your tank. the frozen water in the cubes is known to have phosphates.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 12:51 PM   #17
Brandon M
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Good article on battling nuisance algae:

http://www.brettsreef.com/index.php/...rine-aquarium/


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Unread 06/12/2008, 01:31 PM   #18
tankjunky
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My tank used to be over run with the stuff and I got a sea hare and cleaned it all out, well except the small stuff, in about 2 weeks. if you want to stop by and take him pm me. And also when you pick it off stuff starts to float around and plants more everywher else so syphon that stuff out.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 02:21 PM   #19
alexk3954
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I always get a lot of conflicting info on how much to feed my fish, I used to do 1 cube per day but then my neighbor came over and tells me my gold spotted rabbitfish looks skinny to him so I upped the food a little bit. None ever really goes to waste, but I guess it might make the fish poop more. I am using RO/DI, so water is also not the problem. I guess I will do some water changes and cut back a little bit on the food. Ill do some research on the sea hare as well as that sounds like it could be a good idea. My t-5's are also coming up on about the 10 month mark, so I dont think they need to be replaced yet, but I have heard of old light scontirbuting to algae. Thanks for all of the responses and ideas guys, I really appreciate it!


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Unread 06/12/2008, 02:30 PM   #20
aquaman67
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A longspine urchin will mow it down in no time....


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Unread 06/12/2008, 02:35 PM   #21
alexk3954
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I would love a longspine urchin, but unfortunately coralling algae hates me and takes forever to grow so I am trying to let it get a foothold before I add an urchin


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Unread 06/12/2008, 03:01 PM   #22
Paul B
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I would feed one cube a day. I have three times more fish than you and I feed one cube about 5 times a week.
You will have no luck looking for a fish or any other animal to eliminate hair algae unless you could teach them to poop outside the tank. It works in the sea but not in your tank. You will always hear of a crab or fish clearing out an entire tank of hair algae but the algae would most likely have died in a few days anyway. It disappears on it's own as soon as it uses up the nutrients. I would feed much less, your mandarin is not eating any of it and the 6 lined wrasse, (if it eats it) needs very little.
I also would not change the water right now. I know that sounds wierd but when you change water you are adding some nutrients even if you use RO/DI. I would let the algae grow and absorb the nutrients then manually remove the algae. It is not easy but when the algae almost exhausts the nutrients and starts to die you could blow it off the rocks with a canister filter with a restriction on the outflow hose. I use a diatom filter. I put a tiny funnel on it and it becomes a power washer. The filter will remove the dead algae which is important. While you are waiting for the algae to die I would feed a half a cube a day for a week or so. Fish can go almost a month with no feed so you won't kill them.
After you get rid of the algae (and it will die, I have been doing this since Nixon was president) feed one cube or less a day and only feed 6 times a week.


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Unread 06/12/2008, 03:26 PM   #23
specialkb
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alright, I will start trying some of this as well. thank you all for the input.


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Unread 06/13/2008, 10:15 AM   #24
Dyraxe
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If you need to feed more I would feed a smaller amount over 2-3 times per day so the fish and whatever else can eat it all. Fish can only eat so much at one time. I like to feed this way rather then drop a massive amount of food at once into my tanks.


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Unread 06/13/2008, 11:34 AM   #25
jimwat
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dyraxe
If you need to feed more I would feed a smaller amount over 2-3 times per day so the fish and whatever else can eat it all. Fish can only eat so much at one time. I like to feed this way rather then drop a massive amount of food at once into my tanks.
I guess that this would depend on if uneaten food fouls your tank more than fish poo (I really do not know).

alexk3954 - I understand your dilemma. It is difficult to not overfeed when you think that one of your fish may be starving.


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Current Tank Info: 65 gal with 192w PC 10k, 192w VHO actinic, Blue-Moon LED, Tunze 6060 on WavySea, AquaController 3. 20gal sump, Natureef CDECX-1, Phosban Reactor, Remora, Kalk Drip, Ozone.
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