Can't get rid of Hair Algea

newsalt

Member
I posted this on Reef Central, but I thought I'd post it here as well to get some opinions here.

I have had a hair algea issue for several months. No matter what I do, it won't go away. I've check several forums on the topic and they all go over the same things:

Do you use RO/DI water?: Yes, my RO/DI TDS is 000.
How often do you feed?: Practically never. Like once a week.
Do you use PO4 remover: Yes
Do you have a clean-up crew?: Yes, hermits, emeralds, turbos, nerites, & astrea
Are you Skimming?: Yes. I have an MRC MR-2 skimmer cleaned approx. once a week.
Do you have a fuge?: Yes. I have calurpa and cheato in there on a reverse lighting schedule.
Have you tried turning the lights off for a few days?: Yes

Water Params:
pH: 8.26
PO4: 0.05 (Hanna)
Ca: 425
Alk: 10.6 dKH
Mg: 1440

Tank is 1.5 years old. For flow I have one Maxi-Jet 1200 mod, a Maxi-Jet 1200, a Maxi-Jet 900 and whatever my return pump produces. My water change schedule is 20g per month.

I siphon out softball size quanities of HA during water changes, but it doesn't go away.

What can I do?
 

deaclauderdale

Well-Known Member
Have tried using a seahare? They are veracious hair algae eaters. I also noticd you left out test results for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. May we have the readings on those as well?
 

JWarren

Active Member
Bring your mag up to 1250 and maintain it there.

Start dripping Kalkwasser after lights go out at a rate of no more than one drop per second.

Get yourself a brand new toothbrush with hard bristles and dedicate it to your tank. Go at the hair algea with it, using a circular motion. Once you break down the hair algae it will have a harder time coming back, especially if you have a fuge. Increase, the light on the fuge for a while to get maximum growth going in the fuge.

You may have elevated CO2 levels. An air stone will help to drive it off and increase your oxygen saturation. Try to open the windows in your house for an hour a day. a power head pointed up to agitate the surface a bit will help with gas exchange as well.

There’s a few things for you to try. :)
 

Witfull

Well-Known Member
i agree with the scrubbing. its the only way to get to the base of it. this will remove the locked in nutrients in the pores of the rock that are feeding the hair. it will taake a few weeks of diligent scrubbing to get rid of it. ive been there and beat it~
 

newsalt

Member
and your tank does not receive any natural sunlight? and fuge is not too small?
There is a patio door near the tank. It has vertical blinds and we keep them nearly shut for that reason. The sump is a 55g tank. The fuge section is 19"L x 12"W x 15"H.

Have tried using a seahare? They are veracious hair algae eaters. I also noticd you left out test results for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. May we have the readings on those as well?
I've tried 2 sea hares. They both died within a week. The Ammonia is 0, Nitrite is also 0, Nitrate is 0.3

Bring your mag up to 1250 and maintain it there.
Mg is 1440. I'm trying to bring it to 1500.


Start dripping Kalkwasser after lights go out at a rate of no more than one drop per second.
I posted another thread about using kalkwasser and a Calcium reactor at the same time. Actually you replied saying it wasn't a good idea.
 

Octoman

Well-Known Member
Lawnmower blenny works well for me. He doesn't get the big stuff, but he keeps the young algae pruned before it ever has a chance to grow.

It sounds like you probably have enough flow, but just make sure you blow any detritus off of the rocks too. A buildup in nooks and crannies can be a hair algae feast.
 

Octoman

Well-Known Member
Oh yeah, I have a diadema urchin too. It is amazing, you can always tell which rock he cleaned the night before. He really does a good job too, probably better than the Lawnmower...
 

Tru2nr

Well-Known Member
im recouping from a hair algae problem i still have a little remaining but when i had to remove a fish and reaquascape i had just scrubed and scrubed
 

Witfull

Well-Known Member
hard to believe,,,avoiding the fact that some hard work and deremination is bypassed....elbow-grease reefing....get in, get dirty, and make it work,,,,the American way~
 

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
Very good point Wit! Our society as a whole is all about "Instant Gratification". I want it NOW or sooner.

:)
 

Witfull

Well-Known Member
i grew up under "shadetree mechanic...it aint gonna be pretty, but it will clean the track"~
 

newsalt

Member
Oh yeah, I have a diadema urchin too. It is amazing, you can always tell which rock he cleaned the night before. He really does a good job too, probably better than the Lawnmower...

Since I was unsuccessful at keeping sea hares, I thought about adding an urchin. How are they, are they distructive as far as knocking things over?

How old are your bulbs? I may have missed that one.

My MHs are 9 months old. I run then 7hrs a day. My VHOs are 5 months old. I run them 9hrs a day.
 

JWarren

Active Member
Re: Can't get rid of Hair Algae

I must have been dyslexic yesterday! :LOL:

Your mag level is fine.

I kinda figured your pollutant levels were good.

Funny thing about hair algae is, it will hang in there when there is nothing really driving it. Very resilient stuff and you have to break it down. It won't just go away. As long as there is light and seemingly even when there is not, it still maintains itself. It has been suggested before that on a molecular level the cells will maintain through self recycling, kinda the way corals use Algae within their bodies.

I really don't know a lot about the physical metabolism of hair algae and mostly go by experience dealing with removing it and what I have read in some technical papers. There is a point where hair algae will and will not grow and merely exists. When it is actively growing, something is driving it. Phosphates, Nitrates, Light and CO2 are what the Algae needs to grow. If the hair algae is green and looking healthy, it is actively growing. If it is more brown in color it is not. If the algae is brown then there is little or no nutrients for the algae to grow on. it's at this point that it just simply needs to be removed.

A lot of people have a problem with hair algae, but forgot their basic science about how plants grow. It doesn't occur to take into consideration the color of the plant. I think you get what I am saying here and will not babble on any further.
 

Octoman

Well-Known Member
My diadema is much more careful than my snails about knocking things over. I don't know how he squeezes into some of the place he does sometimes. You just have to watch out for those spines!
 

Paul B

Well-Known Member
I guess you finally realize that you can't get rid of hair algae with animals.
It works in the sea because there are large schools of tangs, urchins, slugs etc eating it but the difference between the sea and your tank is that there is unlimited water in the sea and most of it is much too deep for any plant life to grow. Any animal you put in your tank will also poop in there making more hair algae. If you were to put your tank in the sea 100 tangs would eat your hair algae in minutes.
You also found out that dispite rumors, it will grow with zero nitrates.
There is only one way to eliminate hair algae and that is to stop changing water (wait I'm not finished) and physically remove the algae mechanically.
The algae is full of the nutrients that it removed from the water and when you remove the algae the nutrients will be gone too. The water you are removing has no nutrients in it because it is all in all that hair algae. When you add new water, you are also adding nutrients even though you use RO and DI. I know we assume these filters remove 100% of everything algae needs to grow but as you have found out, they don't. Hair algae is the best "filter" and it will remove the specific compounds that it needs to grow.
After you stop changing water and removed all the hair algae it may grow a second time but less. It will then stop growing. Now we have the problem again of changing the water. You will have to change it eventually of course.
If the algae returns after a water change, your RO/DI has problems.
I am certain that my RO/DI lets all sorts of chemicals through. I recently lost all of my corals when my town used Zinc Orthophosphate in the water supply to prevent corrosion.
I have an algae trough where I let it grow for a while then I remove it.
Water changing is not the "cure" for every ailment of a reef tank.
Good Luck
Paul
PS Yes I know I am the crazy person on here
 

sasquatch

Brunt of all Jokes~
PREMIUM
Paul
PS Yes I know I am the crazy person on here

its ok to admit it Paul and I think your spot on, please feel free to spread your deviant thoughts lol. Steve
 
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