How do I remove Hair Algae from a Turbo Snail?

FragMan07 · #1 12/20/2007, 12:25 PM

I recently got all my algae issues and water levels under control.

All remnants of Hair Algae in the tank are gone now except for my largest Turbo Snail who has a nice furry layer of Hair Algae covering his shell. I would really prefer not to remove hm from the tank as he is the largest one in the tank and I've had this one for over a year. Yeh I know, I'm sentimental towards the survivors.

He's healthy, on the move, and doesnt bother anyone.......but I cant help but think his furry shell cant be good for the tank.

Any suggestions??

hybridgenius · #2 12/20/2007, 12:33 PM

Lawnmower blenny

jamiep · #3 12/20/2007, 12:35 PM

Take him out and give his shell a tooth brushing!

FragMan07 · #4 12/20/2007, 12:37 PM

I like the Toothbrushing idea.......anyone have an idea on how long the snail can survive out of the water???

I'm not planning on giving him a bubble bath but I want to know that if I took him out for 5-10 minutes to brush off the algae thoroughly he will be ok.

Scooter12ga · #5 12/20/2007, 12:58 PM

Buy him a friend and give it a piggy back ride.

stingythingy45 · #6 12/20/2007, 01:18 PM

Just put it in a container with tank water and pull him out........scrub....scrub.Back in the water for a few......then repeat til it's gone.

Deb91 · #7 12/20/2007, 01:18 PM

That would be fine! But should give him a nice bubble bath so he would look really handsome for Christmas. Happy Holidays!!!!

pagojoe · #8 12/20/2007, 04:08 PM

No need to fool with a toothbrush. Go to your local hardware store and buy one of those stainless steel wire brushes that is shaped like a toothbrush. Take the snail out and wire brush his shell hard and fast, being careful not to hit the animal or chip the lip of the shell. Rinse it, rinse your brush, and do it again to hit the places you missed. The whole process will take a couple of minutes, and the snail will hardly know he was taken out of the water. He could probably survive 30 minutes out of the water in any case, depending on the species, as most can seal the shell tightly when they withdraw.

Cheers,

Don

Sk8r · #9 12/20/2007, 04:12 PM

NO BUBBLE BATH! sheesh! somebody totally new could believe you!
The snail will be fine with a little brushing.
If you've knocked the stuff elsewhere, it will slowly die off from his shell anyway: when your tank passes beyond the first hair algae bloom, it won't grow. If I dropped him into my tank he'd be clean as a whistle in 3 days.

mspad · #10 12/20/2007, 07:06 PM

I find a tooth brush to work just fine.

jamiep · #11 12/20/2007, 07:09 PM

Should have said the first time, don't use a used one! I don't think they like the minty freashness! Buy a new cheap 50c one. Good to have one for your tank!

slant77 · #12 12/20/2007, 07:10 PM

Yes just take him out scrub and put back in the tank. It should only take you a couple of minutes which he should handle just fine.

FragMan07 · #13 12/21/2007, 12:26 AM

Well, once again exactly like Sk8r said, the levels in my tank took care of the Hair Algae problem on the Turbo snail all by itself.

Within 12 hours of my last post, I'm pleased to say 1/2 of the hair algae has dissappeared off the shell without me doing a thing.

For the record the Hair algae has been on this guy for weeks in a fairly coated layer. The shell is looking great!

Thanks everyone!!!

Deb91 · #14 12/21/2007, 01:22 AM

Glad to here it worked! Man he's so darn smart!!

sundancer · #15 12/21/2007, 01:58 AM

I found my turbo snail on the floor one day. Can't figure out how he got out. He was all dried up on the outside but when I put him back in he went right back to work.

McTeague · #16 12/21/2007, 08:33 AM

I would use a tooth brush. I would not even consider using a wire brush!

capn_hylinur · #17 12/21/2007, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sk8r
NO BUBBLE BATH! sheesh! somebody totally new could believe you!
The snail will be fine with a little brushing.
If you've knocked the stuff elsewhere, it will slowly die off from his shell anyway: when your tank passes beyond the first hair algae bloom, it won't grow. If I dropped him into my tank he'd be clean as a whistle in 3 days.

I'm not new and I thought it was a good idea

I have a turbo that has been covered with hair algae for a little over a year---there is also hair algae in my overflow---none in the tank though
Algae needs food to survive on--and algae blooms etc are usually a result of increased phosphates and nitrates.
In an aglae bloom, usually the algae ends up eating the food and dies off.
This is why I don't panic with a little bit growing----its just an added help to the skimmer, fug and phosban reactor.

RobbyG · #18 01/02/2008, 12:06 AM

LOL I thought he was Joking, a wire brush sounds like it would be serious overkill, a toothbrush works fine for me.

Quote:

Originally posted by McTeague
I would use a tooth brush. I would not even consider using a wire brush!

Zestay · #19 01/02/2008, 02:02 AM

the snail will be fine out of water. keyscritters ships thier snails DRY!

Tonblogna · #20 01/02/2008, 03:12 AM

Personally, I would hire a professional sand blaster. Its gonna be a little messy so buy lots of extra sheets to cover your furniture and carpet. You will want to bring in some concrete blocks to hold those sheets down too, because those machines put out some serious pressure. If you don't feel like dragging the blocks in, I would just tear your tank apart and use the live rock.

alzika · #21 01/02/2008, 03:31 AM

Snails can survive for days outside water. It won't harm the snail at all.

newsalt · #22 01/02/2008, 06:46 AM

FragMan07:

How did you get your hair algea problem under control? I have had a problem for a few months and can't seem to get rid of it. I replace all my RO/DI equipment because the water being produced was high in TDS. My phosphates at last check were 0.03. I'm running a Phosban reactor. When I do water changes, I try to siphon out as much as I can, but it grows back. I put some cheato in my fuge with lighting on 24/7 but started to see cyano on the walls of the fuge so I turned the light off. The light in the fuge has been off for a few weeks. Cheato is still in there. I didn't see any benefits from the cheato, maybe it needs more time. I'm interested in your thoughts, or anyone elses.

Thanks

capn_hylinur · #23 01/02/2008, 09:01 AM

check your feeding rountine

feed less at a time so it is all consumed
rinse off all frozen food with r/o water before using--they get phosphates and nitrates from their breeding tanks.

what is the flow through the sump--it should be 5-10 times the gph of your total water column and or match the flow in gph of your skimmer. If the flow is greater then the skimmer then all the organics are not going to be removed from the water.

once a week take a turkey baster to the rock and sand bed--lightly baste it --that gets settled organics back into the water column where they can be filtered out.

the flow rate in your tank should be 20-40 times the total volume of the the tank.
direct power heads into corners etc that normally don't get as much flow.

capn_hylinur · #24 01/02/2008, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by newsalt
FragMan07:

I put some cheato in my fuge with lighting on 24/7 but started to see cyano on the walls of the fuge so I turned the light off. The light in the fuge has been off for a few weeks. Cheato is still in there. I didn't see any benefits from the cheato, maybe it needs more time. I'm interested in your thoughts, or anyone elses.

Thanks

Cyano on the walls in the fuge is ok--afterall it is feeding on the phosphates and nitrates in your water column.
If cyano gets out of hand and starts covering all the cheato then turning the lights off for two days should be sufficient.

After two weeks with no lights you are probably getting die off on the chaeto and it should be harvested---if you don't then it releases the phosphates and nitrates it has absorbed back into the water column again.