hair algae help...

Alright i've been having a severe problem with hair algae for a while. Ive tried removing it by hand but theres too much, Ive removed the rock, scrubbed it washed in saltwater placed back in the tank and it grew back in 2 days.I have snails and blue leg hermits and they do nothing. My nitrates are 0 which to me means that the hair algae is only consuming the nitrates, I do have a 20 gallon fuge w/ cheato that is growing well.. My phosphates are low, though not really sure because I dont have a test kit, but I use ro water, have a great skimmer, and run a phosphate pad. The problem I think may be my lights they are orbit pc lights and the bulbs are a year old, I know replacements should be every six months but at around $100 for replacements...Is this most likely the source of the hair algae and how would you go about safely removing the algae so it does not spread from the rocks??? thanks

 

I have read here on 3reef several times that old bulbs can and will spur algae growth.

I would definitely change the bulbs.

 

if its that bad I reccommend:

Adding a huge consumer of algae such as Sea hare/sea urchin
Phosphate reactor
change your bulbs
improve fuge lighting
use polyfilter/purigen - not really needed but they are good.

 

Well if its out of control your gonna want to remove most by hand/tool . A sea hare helps with hair algae and if you do get new lights I have read its best to introduce them slowly . Starting with 4 hours fist day and increase an hour more everyday until you reach the length that you want the lights on . I am no pro but have done some reading here on 3reef and this is the info I have found . I did have some hair algae as my tank is a new birth , but my sea hare and myself have seem to clean it up and it hasn't come back . Lots of flow helps also . Good luck and I hope this info helps a little .;D

 

I also have a hair algae problem and have had for a few months now. I tried everything, nothing seemed to help the least bit until I got an RO/DI for my house. RO water from the store has phosphates and will continue to feed it. I just got the RO/DI (from here) two weeks ago and have done two water changes, is is no longer spreading and seems to be going away.

Here's my post about it http://www.3reef.com/forums/algae/could-another-hair-algae-post-yes-54919.html

 

about introducing new lights slowly...


Looking at your signature, I'm assuming you have no coral and only a couple of hardy fish and you already have an algae explosion... in this case, I wouldn't worry about slowly adding new light. Otherwise, that is good advise.

 

thanks for the replies, I do have corals mainly hardy soft corals that require medium light staked on the rock...I did have a clown tang a couple weeks ago..had to get rid of my two other tangs....I had the clown tang for a while but it was extremely hard to keep and just died suddenly for no reason. It did a great job of keeping my hair algae under control (which is why I bought it) but now that its gone that stuff is taken over... So Im trying to eliminate the source because its inhibiting my coralline algae from growing. I have my own ro unit and the filters are fine....I think I'm gonna just start doing routinely larger water changes and clean the rock again and see what happens...

 

Hello, o.k. first I will say up front that unless you have a tank where you can easily keep track of and see the "sea hare" I would not get one. If and when it dies (and it will) and you can't find it or have easy access to it it will poison the tank. Secondly, the Phosphate reactor suggestion is the best suggestion so far. Get one asap. I am not sure what you mean about bulbs being $100.00. Google the bulbs you need and I am sure you will find them for I would say under $30.00. They do need to changed and if you don't you are wasting time trying to get the algae under control.
So, reactor and lights. One thing that blew me away was you said; "My phosphates are low, though not really sure because I dint have a test kit". Let me state, many are under the mis-conception that if they use RO/DI water their Phosphate worries are over. Au Contraire, Phosphates enter the tank from foods and other unsuspecting sources. The reactor keeps things in check and I would not be without it.

 

the bulbs are $24 each and I need four of them...I dont test for phosphates because as with the nitrates I am testing for are 0ppm and yet I still have algae as with the phosphates they might just be consumed and the test will still read 0..so i think their kinda a waste of money...I was hoping my fuge would be affective in consuming the phosphates, but I guess thats not enough...I feed the minimal amount of food and have avoided buying more fish to cut down on the bioload....But i will definitely look into a reactor...
thanks

 

Well you have something going on that is feeding the algae. I would still get a test kit for phosphate just so you can keep an eye on it, especially once, and if, it clears up.

You say you feed a minimal amount of food... How many and what kind of fish do you have? How much, how often and what do you feed them?