Creatures that will eat my hair algea

[wss5900]

Can anyone recommend a way to get rid of my hair algae in a natural way. I have low nitrates and phosphates but I run a lot of light on my 265 saltwater reef tank and feed heavily.

Tony

[crzy4reefs]

i would cut back the amount you are feeding do some water changes cut back the amount of time your lights are on,

i have a lawn mower blenny that ate my hair algae but i'm not sure if they all do

[Paul B]

I have that problem because I am experimenting with a moorish Idol and I feed it a lot. I have a tray above my tanj to the back and slightly under the lights. Water from the skimmer flows through it and exits 6' away at the far end of the tank. Hair algae grows on the plastic window screen thats in the tray and I remove it with the algae every two weeks or so. Most of the algae stays out of the main tank because the conditions on the screen are better for algae, fast flow and more light.
Paul

[wss5900]

Is that what I ask the aquarium shop for? Will they know what that is?

Tony

[bigboy forever2]

Try freshwater mollies, I've heard they love hair algae once transfered to saltwater.

[ozadars]

You can try a sea hare. They are very good at eating algae. However, I would first solve the problem instead of finding an animal that eats it.
There must be another reason than having lots of light on your tank that causes hair algae. Your bulbs may be old. You may also test the silica level in your water.

[wss5900]

Selim my VHO bulbs are new but my Halides are two years old. How likely is that to be the problem? I use r/o water that is deionized. So silicates? I do weekly 25 gallon water changes on this 265 gallon tank. I feed twice per day and have a light load of fish and shrimps, but 45 corals, mostly euphillias. I use Kent Tech Part A and B each day.

What do you think?


Tony

[ozadars]

I think the problem is old MH bulbs. They should be changed every 6-8 months.
I dont know if silicates are found in RO water but they dont only come with water. A silica sand will also release silicates to the water but it is related with the dissolving level of the sand because most silica sands we use do not dissolve fast enough to cause lots of algae. Glass is also made of silica but it dissolve really slow too.

[wss5900]

I agree that I need to find out waht the problem is before trying to get creatures to eat the hair algea. Shouldnt I be able to run all of my lights for 10 hours per day and not have an algea problem???? I think so. Any other advice Selim?

I will change out the bulbs. Check water quality and pray!


Tony

[ozadars]

How long do you run your lights in a day normally? 10 hours a day for MH bulbs is normal. I run actinics 12 hours.

[wss5900]

VHO's run about 8 hours and MH run only 6 hours

Enough?

T

[ozadars]

You can run VHO's for 12 hours and MH for 8 hours, it might be better for your corals. However, I dont think longening or shortening lighting period will have any effects on algae except not running them.

[wss5900]

Currently I have the lights totally off for (5 days) to knock back the algea problem. It works buts I fear for the welfare of my corals. The only light that they will get this week is natural light in the living room. I need to solve the problem. No idea of what to do except change the MH bulds but I dont think that is the solution.


Tony

[slowhand383]

More than likely several factors are causing your algae problem and one of them is definatley the bulbs. Two years for a MH bulb is too long, the bulb needs to be replaced. From what I understand there are certain spectrums of light that algae love. As the bulb matures the light spectrum given off by the bulb changes to what algae can flourish in. I would change the bulbs every 6-8mo's and perform weekly RODI water changes with the aid of some type of phosphate remover.

[Barry L]

New halide bulbs, a foxface, and macroalgae in the sump took care of my problem!

[Loralie]

One spot foxface....will decimate hair algea in a matter of days. I recieved a large candycane colony that was covered and the foxface cleaned it off in a matter of 12 hours.

[wss5900]

What do you mean by -----one spot Foxface?


Tony

[Paul B]

I don't know, is this a one spot foxface? If it is mine does not eat any hair algae. He has more refined taste.
Paul
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/13094Copy_of_DSC00917.jpg

[Maverick27]

I have a yellow tang, which many say decimate hair algae as well. When i first got him it was because of hair algae problem, but now he must've gotten a taste for only the best because he barely touches the stuff and i've cut feedings down to once a day every other day. Can't always rely on the animals. I had a horrible cyano problem, now its gone and had a nice clean tank for about 2 months and now i'm battling green hair algae. It's overgrowing my Green Star Polyps.

[fservillon]

I agree with the one spot foxface rabbit fish. I had a couple of gha spot on my live rock and after purchasing one, have none. When I get new corals attached to a rock some gha, he goes to work and the next day the rock is clean. I also added a sump/fuge comba with chaeto. Ever since , I have not had an algae bloom and only have to scrape very light coats of algae from the tank every week vice aevery day when I did not have the fuge. HTH.

[jeffberg]

Refuge with macro algae to compete with the hair algae for nutrients.

[Maverick27]

I have a refuge but it only has some caulepra in it and 2 shaving brush plants. I wanted chaeto but it was hard for me to come by at stores around here.

[jeffberg]

Look under for sale corals on RC most people will ship a big bag for 10 bucks.

[dugg]

Originally posted by jeffberg
Refuge with macro algae to compete with the hair algae for nutrients.

Don't turn your lights off to get rid of algae. It is a vicious cycle. You turn the lights off, the algae dies, the dying algae causes nitrate spike, the nitrate spike feeds the next round of algae. It just gets worse each time you do it.

Put lots of macro algae in the sump and light it 24/7, that hair algae will starve out so fast you won't believe it.

[Loralie]

Yes that is the foxface I have. Mine will eat ony algea growing in the tank, broccoli, romaine lettuce..and hair algea. They work wonders.

[Nanook]

[moved]

[greenbean36191]

Just because you don't have testable nitrates and phosphates doesn't mean they aren't there. After all, the algae does require them to grow. Its not uncommon for the algae to be so efficient at sucking up nutrients that there aren't enough in the water to test. Also, phosphate test kits only test for one of the two forms of phosphate.

Also, old bulbs don't cause algae problems, they only exacerbate problems that would occur anyway. New bulbs and a clean up crew may slow the growth, but in the end you still have a nutrient problem. To solve the problem you have to export more nutrients than you put in. Wet skimming, frequent large water changes, less feeding, phosphate media, siphoning detritus, and adding macro algae are all great ways to get nutrients down. It's not easy, but once the nutrients are gone the algae will fade away too.

[Maverick27]

Dugg my refuge now has lights on it for about 18 hours. If i were to up that up to 24/7 think it would make much of a difference? Also if i did that to rid the hair algae, would i be able to go back to 18 hours a day??

GreenBeen- really like the avatar haha :D , but in seriousness i have a skimmer that kinda skims the surface now. Am i better off changing that to where its maybe 6 inches into the water, because my overflow seems to pull alot of surface water in so i think the skimmers not gettin to skim any of the nutrients in the water. Also i was thinking of using phosban, but would that affect the plants in the fuge?

[dugg]

It makes a difference on mine. The more hours of light it has the more nutrients it can export, and the less nutrients that are there for the display. Use cheato, and if you see it diing back and your test are all zero, then pull a chunk out. Dead rotting plant material adds nutrients just like feeding. Most LFS will buy your extra for store credit.