Hair Algea

Whats the easiest way to get rid of hair algea. it grows fast and spreads fast. let me know thanks

 

well there is many ways to get rid of it, but first you need to get rid of whatever is causing it to grow. If you dont, it will just keep coming back.
From what ive heard, phosphates is the main cause of hair algae.. so what i would do is get a phosphate test kit and a phosphate reactor...test for phospates, if they are present use the reactor to take the phosphates out..

then i would just take the rocks and scrub the algae out.
( scrub in saltwater)

are you using RO water? or tap water? if you are using tap, that could be the source of your problems. so i would reccomend getting an RO unit.

also how big/ old/ is your tank?

 

Almost a year old. i only use RO water, btu maybe my problem is my tank is right nest to the window and although i shut my blinds im sure light still comes in. ill try to scrub. thanks

 

+ 1 on Elweshomayor - manual removal is effective followed by controlling the causes

if you dont have a sump? and thus not an ideal place for a Phosphate reactor but do have a HOB or Cannsiter filter , you can add GFO material in mesh bags to either of these , not as effective as when run in a reactor, but will still help to lower nutrient levels and this help control the GHA ( popular brands of GFO are Rowphos and Phosban)

in addition, make sure any external filters, pads, bioballs, sponges etc are cleaned on a weekly basis , dont allow waste to build up in this area

additional , periodically blasting the rock work with a spare power head prior to a water change can also remove accumulated crud that breaks down and adds to your nitrate levels , Nitrate being another nutrient that encourages algae plagues

elevated magnesium levels of 1500 ppm or over, can also make life difficult for some strains of GHA , but you need to bring that level up slowly, test where you are, and then use the calculator to work out how much you need (of your chosen product) and how much you should use and over what period it should be used .

with a good plan of attack most GHA problems can become a thing of the past
once you have beaten it, stay on top of it with routine testing, routine maintenance and parameter control

Steve

 

i wouldnt think the window, i have my tank right next to it, and i only had a very little bit, then i scrubbed off the rocks then it never came back. Something else is causing the algae. how old are your bulbs? what kind of filteration do you have? and maybe you might be overfeeding

 

i have noticed that a small salt spike kills it. this usally happens from a small amount of evaporation with my set up. allthough i never let it get harmfull ! just an observation not recemended !!

 

If you got a refuge, get some macro algae for sure. And also look into a sea hare and a goooood cuc

 

I cut my lighting times back for the last few months.. and Ive been using a fritz phospate remover,nitrate remover, and carbon in a media bag in my sump.. I replace those every 30days.. I have about 40% left of what I did have 3 months ago.. I can pull it manually off the rocks but its a pain, as it floats all over my corals and tank. I'm guessing another 3 months and problem should be well taken care of.. just those dam red bubble algae (diatoms) are my main problem now.. hard to pull them off rocks..

 

I took some chaeto out of my fuge and put it over the GHA for several days and it did a great job of getting rid of it... competes for nutrients and blocks light. I picked up that tip reading somewhere and it worked quite nicely.

Mark

 

also a toothbrush works wonders on algae. when you scrub at hair algae it will basically dissolve.