Wendy your algae is not that bad especially for a newer tank. All tanks seem to go through an algae outbreak in the beginning although not all are hair algae. The only time i had to deal with the hair algae issue was when i neglected the tank for awhile. Relatively easy fix or me was frequent water changes. After several weeks siphoning out the algae(everyday)it went away.
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hair algae
- Thread starter RonnieB1089
- Start date
sinkingbeach said:Can you take a picture of it now, sorry to say that would have driven me out of the hobby :-X
JerseyWendy said:Did somebody say "hair algae"? Does yours look THIS bad?
That's how my tank looked about 4 weeks or so after I started. :-[
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Wendy
Francis, this is the tank a couple of weeks ago:
When I went through the hair algae thing, I did weekly waterchanges of about 20%, cleaned my skimmer cup and sock every other day, and added a Kole Tang together with more snails. The Kole amazed me because he tirelessly plucked and ate the hair algae. He did, however, turn into a bit of a mean fishy. He's killed a few sandsifting fish, a Midas Blenny and others that I attempted to add after him.
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Wendy
my blenny was in way before kole tang and he still is bothering blenny.
good flow and no dead spots really makes the difference.of course w/o rodi wont matter how much flow you have.
good flow and no dead spots really makes the difference.of course w/o rodi wont matter how much flow you have.
Bob, you probably also don't run halides/HO Flo on the FOWLR. I think that's also a critical differnce.
Right now, our 65 looks like Wendy's tank did (and that's better than it was a couple of weeks ago)! Not having a cleanup crew in there for too long contributed to the problem as did not changing water frequently enough.
The thing with NO3 and PO4 testing is that the HA is able to consume it faster than you can test for it (at least that's the theory). You need to avoid adding it (or add it in smaller doses) for a while. Most foods are PACKED with it, and rinsing fz foods usually helps some.
Right now, our 65 looks like Wendy's tank did (and that's better than it was a couple of weeks ago)! Not having a cleanup crew in there for too long contributed to the problem as did not changing water frequently enough.
The thing with NO3 and PO4 testing is that the HA is able to consume it faster than you can test for it (at least that's the theory). You need to avoid adding it (or add it in smaller doses) for a while. Most foods are PACKED with it, and rinsing fz foods usually helps some.
Subliminal
NJRC Member
Until your tank looks like this, there's really no reason to give up:
I have a sea hare. He didn't do ANYTHING for my hair algae. He's a great inhabitant, though, and spends most of his day kissing the glass.
I have a urchin, who also spends most of his time on the glass. He's not been very useful for clearing up the hair either.
How did I get rid of my hair?
First, I switched to RO/DI. Already using RO/DI? Spend $15 on a TDS meter and make sure you're water is where you want it to be.
Second, and equally important, every few days I'd just yank out huge handfuls of the stuff. Nutrient export, I believe they call it...or manual removal. Get wet, yank it out!
Also important in the battle against hair algae:
Don't overfeed. I know it's already been covered, but if you're using good water then the only way new nutrients and chemicals get in the tank is if you add them. Foods contain phosphates which cause algae.
Bulbs have been addressed. I hear 6 months for PC, 9-12 for anything else.
Temperature. The higher the temp goes, the faster things metabolize and the quicker stuff like that grows. I'm no scientologist, so that might not be 100% accurate, but it's good enough for a guideline.
Calcium/Mg/Alk. Regulate it. Add it. Do what you have to do. If you have the right conditions for coraline algae to grow, it will...and that will use up a lot of the nutrients that your hair algae is thriving on.
Macro algae. You said you already had this, but it definitely helps export nutrients. I had a buttload of chaeto going when i had my hair outbreak, and in the short term I guess I had so much food for the stuff that they both grew great. But in the long run, once you start lowering all the things that feed the algae, the macro should really start out competing the hair.
I have no hair algae now, and I don't think that any inverts helped me get there. I never liked turbos because they roam around and knock everything over, so I haven't had any of those during any of this.
Anyway, hope that helps...don't give up. It sounds like the OP might have moved the tank, disturbed the sandbed and rocks and released all sorts of crap into the water which is feeding the hair. Of course, again, I'm no scientologist.
PS - Tank looks more like this now:
I have a sea hare. He didn't do ANYTHING for my hair algae. He's a great inhabitant, though, and spends most of his day kissing the glass.
I have a urchin, who also spends most of his time on the glass. He's not been very useful for clearing up the hair either.
How did I get rid of my hair?
First, I switched to RO/DI. Already using RO/DI? Spend $15 on a TDS meter and make sure you're water is where you want it to be.
Second, and equally important, every few days I'd just yank out huge handfuls of the stuff. Nutrient export, I believe they call it...or manual removal. Get wet, yank it out!
Also important in the battle against hair algae:
Don't overfeed. I know it's already been covered, but if you're using good water then the only way new nutrients and chemicals get in the tank is if you add them. Foods contain phosphates which cause algae.
Bulbs have been addressed. I hear 6 months for PC, 9-12 for anything else.
Temperature. The higher the temp goes, the faster things metabolize and the quicker stuff like that grows. I'm no scientologist, so that might not be 100% accurate, but it's good enough for a guideline.
Calcium/Mg/Alk. Regulate it. Add it. Do what you have to do. If you have the right conditions for coraline algae to grow, it will...and that will use up a lot of the nutrients that your hair algae is thriving on.
Macro algae. You said you already had this, but it definitely helps export nutrients. I had a buttload of chaeto going when i had my hair outbreak, and in the short term I guess I had so much food for the stuff that they both grew great. But in the long run, once you start lowering all the things that feed the algae, the macro should really start out competing the hair.
I have no hair algae now, and I don't think that any inverts helped me get there. I never liked turbos because they roam around and knock everything over, so I haven't had any of those during any of this.
Anyway, hope that helps...don't give up. It sounds like the OP might have moved the tank, disturbed the sandbed and rocks and released all sorts of crap into the water which is feeding the hair. Of course, again, I'm no scientologist.
PS - Tank looks more like this now:
Subliminal
NJRC Member
Exactly....and I still beat it.
There's no giving up due to hair algae, people.
It's just not an option.
There's no giving up due to hair algae, people.
It's just not an option.
Hey Subliminal,
that's how my tank looks right now, and I can't figure out what is feeding it. But Friday is reakoning day. Going to get out the old scrub brush and bucket and go to work. Also going to do a massive water change also. I might set up my 38 gal for a minute and break the 90 down. Put in some new substrate, some new critters and put the rock back. One way or another, I have get rid of the H/A forest.
rev
that's how my tank looks right now, and I can't figure out what is feeding it. But Friday is reakoning day. Going to get out the old scrub brush and bucket and go to work. Also going to do a massive water change also. I might set up my 38 gal for a minute and break the 90 down. Put in some new substrate, some new critters and put the rock back. One way or another, I have get rid of the H/A forest.
rev
RonnieB1089 said:
You have major phosphates in the tank if you can test for it and find it with a hobby based test kit. If you have any type of algae growing in the tank you don't even need to test the water for phosphates as it's guaranteed there are phosphates being introduced in the water from something. Most of the time the algae will absorb the phosphates as fast as it can use it and hence there isn't any phosphates left to test in the water column.
Actually the same goes for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates (form of nitrogen) as phosphates above.
The ideal way to win the algae was is to target phosphates and do everything you can to remove this fuel source from the tank. Things you can do are:
Move away from flake and pellet food to frozen food.
Defrost the frozen food and discard the water from the food (maybe use a small fine net).
Feed less - if you add less phosphates to the tank there is less in the tank.
Run a phosphate absorbing material like Phosguard (white type) to remove the phosphates quickly during the first month of use/battle with algae. Change out the media every 4 days. This will put a hurting on the algae as the food source is removed.
Once the algae starts to subside you might want to switch over to a GFO based phosphate removing product which lasts longer but isn't as aggressive toward phosphates.
Also I guess worth mentioning is that it's usually much better to run the media in some type of reactor so the water is forced through it. The alternate approach is to put the media in a bag and put this in a sump but generally speaking this is an inferior way to use the media and it doesn't work nearly as good.
Carlo
Subliminal
NJRC Member
Personally, I like to do things as 'natural' as possible. The only additives I ever use is to keep calcium up and some carbon every now and again.
So far, it's worked well...just takes longer. My hair algae battle was probably 5-6 months...but in the end my flow and my life are pretty much the only cleaners I use for the tank.
Of course, 29g is not really a very big tank.
So far, it's worked well...just takes longer. My hair algae battle was probably 5-6 months...but in the end my flow and my life are pretty much the only cleaners I use for the tank.
Of course, 29g is not really a very big tank.
being that Phosguard is aluminum oxide, is it a good idea to use in a tank that already has livestock? I've read that these types of products can increase aluminum levels in the tank and irritate corals. Thought it would be safer to use GFO in tanks with coral inhabitants.
GFO medias have their own set of issues too. I'd go with the Phosguard in the beginning bbecause it a faster absorber and will get the P04 down faster. If you are more comfortable with GFOs then feel free to try this but it might not work fast enough to put a major dent on the P04s.
Carlo
Carlo
Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
I think I'll go with the phosguard, don't have any corals in the tank right now. I'll run it through a powerfilter I have, has separate compartment for media. I'll put that in the tank and one in the w/d. Would that be ok? I have a canister filter somewhere, just can't find it.
rev
I think I'll go with the phosguard, don't have any corals in the tank right now. I'll run it through a powerfilter I have, has separate compartment for media. I'll put that in the tank and one in the w/d. Would that be ok? I have a canister filter somewhere, just can't find it.
rev