Hair Algae

[Eel Freak]

I HATE HAIR ALGAE.

I had a 55 FOWLR (which I did all wrong) when I upgraded. I converted it to a reef and it just got over-taken with hair algae. I tore the tank apart and saved everything but I think one coral. I have since re-established it with RO water, purchased LR with NO phosphate, and did everything I could to avoid phosphate and Nitrate. And yet, it has STILL returned!!!!!! I have NO idea what is causing this.... Params:
Amm- 0
Nitritie- 0
Nitrate- Testing....
Phosphate-0

The only thing I can think of is that in the morning it gets a few hours of sunlight, but I can't imagine that it would cause this again. There is a little growth on the rocks, but most of it is on the back panel and the equipment. Any ideas??? THANK YOU!

[Brandon M]

A little more about your tank and setup would be helpful in determining the cause of your hair algae. Do you have a fuge? How much do you feed? How is your bioload? Have you tried a phosphate reactor? Is the water your using for the tank 0 TDS?

Investing in a good RO/DI unit plus installing a fuge/reactor solved all my algae problems. But even with these additions it still took a good 2 to 3 months of scrubbing and constant water changes before the tank was completely clean and clear of any algae.

Also, chances are your phosphates are going to read 0 because your algae is absorbing them all.

[Brandon M]

This is a great site to read, as well:

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

[Eel Freak]

I don't have a fuge, but I MIGHT be able to set one up. I usually feed flake daily and roughly weekly to twice a week I feed frozen for inverts and corals. My bioload is very light. I have a pair of clownfish, sailfing tang (only 3"... he'd be in my 125, but with a 2 foot Fimbriated Eel I'm taking no chances) and a purpleback pseudochromis. I don't know the TDS of my water, so I will have to get one of those meters when I get the chance.

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out!

[Eel Freak]

That link was very informational.... couple of things on there I never thought of... Thanks!

[Brandon M]

You're welcome, good luck!

[mg426]

I have fought HA in the past and tried everything I could think of to get rid of it. I have come to one theory. Phosphate = HA. If you have HA you have Phosphate. So in a nutshell my theory is no Phosphate no HA.

[Eel Freak]

I had a feeling that Phosphate was one of the key factors of hair algae (as was the original outbrake) but I am under the impression I have none, currently... Although what Brandon said is probably the case... I will probably try and establish a fuge for nutrient export just in case...

[mg426]

HA can be the great curse of reef keeping. It is a miserable persistant menace that trys our patience. Its almost like it just waits for us to get a bit lazy. Fill our tanks with awesome exspensive corals and just when we are ready to break out the camera and start E-mailing pictures world wide, bang hello I am back !!!! IMO phosphate prevention is a must from the very start of a reef tank.

[Eel Freak]

What would you suggest for phosphate removal because I don't have any easy or fast way to set up a fuge... I only have HOB filters, but am looking to change that ASAP. Thanks!

[mg426]

You could look into one of these.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...6&pcatid=11586

[Eel Freak]

I might end up going with that reactor... although I have a new hunch that a good part of it may be the light it recieves.

I recently scrubbed ALL of the algae off the back panel on the same day. Now, a few days later, the end closest to the sunlight has WAY more algae than the other end... Phosphate and Nitrate may be the root cause, but I think that the sunlight is accelerating the growth exponentially... just a hunch... any thoughts? I think I am going to put a black piece of construction paper on that side and see if it has an affect...

Without the sunlight, the growth my slow way down or die altogether. I think that the Phosphate or Nitrate caused it initially, then it caused the algae to go nuts. I have a 125 FOWLR that recieves NO sunlight and has more Phosphate and Nitrate than the 55, but it has almost no hair algae. It also has multiple T5s so that can't be why it doesn't have much hair algae. Even in the refugium (which has a Coralife Aqualight retro kit), there is not a single strand of hair algae... This is SO confusing...

[Rae C.]

My tank gets a bit of sunlight and I also have hair algae. However, I feel the sunlight is so beneficial to the corals that I'm not going to block it. I have found that a 76-80 degree range is better than a 78-83 degree range for keeping HA at bay.

It's still more of a phosphate problem than a sunlight problem, IMO.

[Eel Freak]

Ok... That is what I was thinking... My (revised) theory is that there is a little phosphate, but the amount of HA should be less. It isn't due to the sunlight... So, I guess this means I will probably go and figure out a cheap way to get a phos reactor in-line... Thanks!

[deejeff442]

my tank gets a few hours of sumlight and had some algea growing .i addied the two little fishes reactor and the stuff was gone in a week.it still gets the sunlight .the sun will be ok in small amounts as long as you have good water movement .

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Algae need all three of nitrogen, phosphorus and light. The question is not what is causing it, but what is the easiest way to deprive it of one of those, and it is generally found that phosphate is the easiest to remove without harming other organisms in the tank.

[Jason Donohoe]

I am fighting a similar battle with the HA. I just added GFO to the sump to try to bind phosphate. You can also run it in a regular cannister filter.

[Eel Freak]

Randy Holmes-Farley, I never thought of that... That actually makes perfect sense!

Would GFO (What is that?) work in an HOB? I was thinking of putting some Phos-Ban in place of a floss pad in one of my HOBs. It would be in a media bag... Any thoughts about this? Thank you!!!

[Rae C.]

So I've got a question about phosban and refugium algae...If you are removing the phosphates to rid the tank of algae, isn't that going to affect the algae in the fuge?

[mg426]

Does it really matter if it slows down the growth of Macro algae in your Refugium?? The intent here is to rid the Dislpay of annoying HA. HTH

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Does it really matter if it slows down the growth of Macro algae in your Refugium?? The intent here is to rid the Dislpay of annoying HA.

Slowing it? That is a possible concern if you not otherwise taking up the nutrients it was exporting. If you use GFO and slow the macroalgae, nitrate could build up even if you continue GFO forever.

Also, if you kill the macroalgae, you'll be hooked on GFO forever.

Carefully using GFO (that is, not too much) along with macroalgae can work fine.


GFO is a phosphate binder, granular ferric oxide. There are many brands. I discuss it here:

Iron Oxide Hydroxide (GFO) Phosphate Binders
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.htm

[mg426]

Carefull/proper use of GFO is what my intent was meant to be. I have however found that the use of GFO does seems to slow my Chaeto growth. It still grows just not as fast. I test for Nitrate and Phosphate and never find any. My tank is also free of HA. I also run a remote DSB that I would imagine is helping as well. One question for Randy though. If it takes Nitrate/Phosphate and Light to enable HA to grow, Would removing any one of them stop the HA? I believe that removing Light in the (Rock cooking Process) Is meant to cause the HA to die and them the Excess nutrients are consumed by the Bacteria on the rock.

[afboundguy]

You could have low phosphates because the HA is actually sucking them up so the readings in the tank are reading low.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If it takes Nitrate/Phosphate and Light to enable HA to grow, Would removing any one of them stop the HA?

Not necessarily nitrate, as macroalgae can and will take up ammonia. It may even prefer it, and in refugia, that might be a lot of what it uses. You see nitrate drop or stay low, but that doesn't necessarily mean that is what the macroalgae primarily uses to get nitrogen.

But certainly light, yes.

[ginger7286]

I battled HA until recently. I started using a llittle Rowa-Phos in my sock so the water flows through it. I change it every two and replace with a little more. I keep my tank between 76-77 degrees. My HA was taking over my tank!! Although the Rowa-Phos helps I think my vodka dosing is what really worked. I began dosing my tank back in August of 08. I continue weekly water changes and I have only two small areas of HA left. My tank is now beginning to look like the tank I used to have before the HA outbreak. I also change my RO/DI filters more frequently. My fish look great and all my livestock is thriving. Above all though I now get to spend less time cleaning my tank and more time enjoying it. Good Luck and remember it is usually several things causing the outbreak llike Randy says. It will not be cured overnight so have patience...you'll be rewarded.