Solutions to getting rid of green hair alg infastation!!!!

[rogers259]

HELP!!!

I have been battaling this Green hair alg for two+ months now and cant get rid of it, kill it, make it go away...NOTHING!!! ITs driving me up the wall.

im runnin a 30gal w/ 10 gal sump 1+ year old system, red sea skimmer, mag 9.5 return, and add c-balance, and Reef-Vite, RO/DI water only!!
lighting:
300watts total PC (96w 10k, 96w actinic, 110w 50/50) bulbs new as of 0ct 20 2003, replaced every 8 months.

Paramaters, ALL ZERO OR UNDETECTABLE including phosphate!!! Salinity 1.026. water changes done every three weeks, and the tank is vacumed of any junk every 5 days w/ a magnum hangon canasiter filter(works very well I might add)

Bought 4 months ago I bought a piece of LR w/ a very small amount of Hair alg. on it and some srhooms, plucked the alg. and placed it in the tank...two weeks later I got it ALL over the tank!! its to the point where its chokin off corals now. Trust me it grows very well under 300watts of PC.

I've tried AZNO3 it doesnt work! I've also searched the forums and havent come up w/ a solution, short of pitching the setup out the window and starting over. Thats totally unaccetable to me.

I have 2 black occelaris clowns, a spotted hawk, tons of snails and hermits that cant combat it. 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 peppermint shrimp.

Is there a fish, invert, or chemical(REEF SAFE!! and safe for this tank size) that I can add that is gona eat/kill this Sh** !!

I need help!!!

[ToledoTang]

I had the same problem about one year ago, then I had to move the tank. After the move, in which I kept 70% of the water, my hair algae disapeared. I've heard high nitrates can cause it, also IMO 1.026 seems kind of high?? I would look at new test kits to make sure everything is 0. Also I've messed with my lighting before (less time on) and that worked some. Where at in OH are you?

[MiddletonMark]

What kind of substrate you got?

[rogers259]

MiddletonMark:

Hmmm...guess I failed to mention that...50 pounds of LR and 25 pounds of LS


ToledoTang:
I have the Salifert Pro pack thats 7 months old ...I doubt that is the cause. I run my lights actinic on at 1030am till 1130pm and the mains run from 11am to 11pm.

PH 8.3
am 0
nitrate 0
nitrite 0
phosphate 0
silicate 0
Salinity 1.026 (checked w/ refractometer)
cal 425
alk out of need to reorder...usually good though

IM in Westerville OH, its bout 20 min north of Columbus.

[Fishtale7]

Lawnmower Blenny loves hair algae, hence the name. I have also heard of people using Algonehttp://www.algone.com/ .I have a small hair algae prob too I was thinking of using it. If anyone else knows of this product to help us please chime in.... Now I must go mow the lawn...

[flutterby]

We got a Black Sailfin Blenny from Live Aquaria that took our hair algae problem away.... Coral Beauty Angel fish also eat hair algae...

[Melody]

Is Algone reef safe?

[yunkeraj]

Check this out http://www.marinedepotlive.com/1223734.html
I have 2 of them, have to really be careful with the power heads and also make sure that you have something that will stop it from going down the drain to sump. Just a thought.

[Fishtale7]

Originally posted by Pisces69
Is Algone reef safe?

According to the website in my last post it is. It is suposed control nutrients, I don't think it is an algaecide, but I don't know thats why I wanted some one to join in who has used before. Maybe we should start a thread on Algone.

[Jovreefer]

A algea blenny works great.
Mexican turbo snails work wonders
Lettuce sea slugs, but they are a little small so it takes them a week or so to get things under control

[TealCobra]

Originally posted by Jovreefer
A algea blenny works great.
Mexican turbo snails work wonders
Lettuce sea slugs, but they are a little small so it takes them a week or so to get things under control

I second the Mexican Turbo's. Not sure if you have any or not though. I added 1 large and 2 medium sized Turbo's last Sunday and they have decimated my hair algae problem. Only downside, LOTS of snail poop but what do can you expect?

[seirk]

I'm battling hair algae right now also, currently using AZ-NO3. I'm aonly about 5 days into the dosing, but my hair algae is already losing its pigment and turning from green to brown with some gray...

As for Algon, I used it in the past with no luck... If you do use it make sure to change it out weekly, otherwise it becomes a nitrate sponge...

I think my biggest issue was my RO-DI water since I hadn't changed out the filters in about 2 years, whoops!!!!

On the snail issue, I like the Turbos also. Although my favs are these little 1/2" snails that the LFS called "blackfoots". They look like small turbos but the love hair algae...too bad I got the last 5 they had!!

seirk

[eums]

i have a sally lightfoot that attacks the stuff where ever it tryes to go, the crab has never tryed to attack a fish and i have had him for over a month and a half. same goes for a emerald crab .
to me the crab can get places the snails cant and are faster. if they turn evil they will be tanken out and given away, there not hard to catch at all.

[Catch&release]

try these Im telling you they do not stop eating the stuff. I tried to post pics but the file size was to big you can go to this fourm and see the pics I posted of before and after.. look down the page a bit for the hair alage pics

http://www.etropicals.com/product/pr...43&pCatId=1260
http://www.marineaquariums.com/showt...p?threadid=304

[rogers259]

OK thanks for all the advice...heres what Im gona try or already did...

Added 2gal auto topoff unit to stabilize the SG to 1.025. Adding in 2 gal refugium, added 2 dozen more blue and red leg hermits, and a dozen turbos. Bought a new test kit and found nitrates were at 20 and phosphates where a bit elevated. Did two back to back 25% water changes(2days apart), Replaced my Reef Carbon w/ fresh, added in Kent Nitrate/phosphate/silicate removers.

After serious hand pruning and cleaning I seem to have gained a foothold on this problem. Its at least not getting worse. Before I was having to prune out bi-daily, now seems to be turning brown and looks to be dieing off...hopefully!! All the corals seem to be happier and starting to look like they used to. Hopefully this is a good sign.

I also added in a Flameback pigmy angel which was recomended by my LFS, Amazingly she has fit well into the system and is grazing like crazy on the hair algae.

BTW I've tried AZNo3 in the past and had no success w/ it at all. Algon im not totally convinced is totally reef safe. I'd rather try and solve it w/ the least amount of chemicals. course at this point I'll take anything that will solve this.

[king1522]

Sounds like you are on the right track. Keep us posted as to the results. I am currently undergoing what are the final stages of an infestation of hair algae.
Don