Hair Algae

hotrodcal · #1 12/21/2007, 01:39 AM

Does anyone know what eats hair algae. I got hit bad.

BurntOutReefer · #2 12/21/2007, 01:42 AM

Did you try Head and Shoulders?
or (at least in my case a SeaHare)

bromion · #3 12/21/2007, 01:56 AM

Best way is to do small water changes daily until it goes away. Try to siphon it out when you do the w/c.

scram2 · #4 12/21/2007, 02:01 AM

emerald crab worked for me, and turbo snails. Took about 2 weeks but still worked. Good luck
-Scram

ktrandc · #5 12/21/2007, 02:50 AM

My sea hare ate all of mine in a week, then started to eat everything else. Get one, they work good.

OC CJ · #6 12/21/2007, 11:16 AM

hey, you're Jerry's brother right?

i would siphon out as much as you can on each water change and just give your reactor (that you just hooked up) a chance to do it's job. it will take a little time but i'm sure you'll get it under control.

xtm · #7 12/21/2007, 12:16 PM

I would just "borrow" a sea hare. Give him a nice buffet and when everything is clean, just return him back. They can easily starve and die in a clean tank.

Crusty Old Shellback · #8 12/21/2007, 12:21 PM

Urchins work well too at removing hair alage.

Frankysreef · #9 12/21/2007, 02:29 PM

I just bought 4 from blue zoo aquatic... they are on sale for dec. ( sea hares )

ktrandc · #10 12/21/2007, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by xtm
I would just "borrow" a sea hare. Give him a nice buffet and when everything is clean, just return him back. They can easily starve and die in a clean tank.

Agreed. Ali has one, just buy it from him and when it's done, just give it back to him for store credit.

Mac Inger · #11 12/21/2007, 02:55 PM

Foxfaces will chow down HA. I always wanted a magnificent foxface and i had a HA problem.
Killed two stones with one bird....

xtm · #12 12/21/2007, 05:12 PM

While these solutions are great, you still need to figure out what actually is causing this hair algae outbreak. Did you test for Silica? Phosphate? Nitrate? Do you overfeed? Bulbs way too old? Too much bioload? Still using tap water? Not running GFO? Are you growing Macro? Tried running UV? Carbon media starting lo leach Phosphate? Maybe try other salt brands?

I suggest you start with your parameters and do a process of elimination as to what is causing this nasty stuff to proliferate.. JMO

hotrodcal · #13 12/24/2007, 06:04 PM

Thank you all for your help. I purchased a reactor and did more water changes. I can see the the algae reducing. I went to Ali's to get the sea hare but he was sold out, he's going to pick one up for me. I want a fox face too but I already have 4 fish and I don't want to increase the Bio Load.