Green Hair Algae

mikelam

mikelam

Member
I've always had a little GHA in the used tank that I purchased but now it is more than just a little. I just replaced the lights and it seems to be worse. It is actually choking out some pretty red macro algae that is growing on a rock.
My water tests are great, just a little acidic and I do weekly changes.
The LFS suggests emerald crabs (maybe only one, as I have a BC29). Does anyone else have any ideas?
Thanks
 
mikelam

mikelam

Member
Thanks, that link was a big help. I'm not using Chemipure so will try to get some soon. The other thing that worries me is this is not a very new tank (about 7 months old after the transfer, 1 1/2 years before switching tanks), so I'm not sure what's going on.
 
GrendelPrime

GrendelPrime

Well-Known Member
u say that "My water tests are great" can u post some stats just so were all
on the same page and what size tank is it and what kind of water are u using?
and how old are ur test kits and are u testing for phosphates?
 
Bounce

Bounce

Member
I've always had great success using "Micro Blue-Leg Hermits" (I get them from Reeftopia) for hair algae on the rockwork. Somewhere in my vast abyss of digital pictures and files I have an image of a recently-introduced herd of MBLHs literally mowing the hair algae off a rock right by where they were dumped into the tank. The rock went from a solid fuzzy green/brown to looking like it had been sandblasted.
 
mikelam

mikelam

Member
Thanks for the help. I will check on the hermits.
My tank is a BioCube 29 and I use ro/di h2o, and the most recent tests were:NO3- less than 1, CA-550mg/lt. and KH-6. The tests were purchased in May. I thought I had gotten a Phos. test but apparently not. Sorry about the vague generalities in my first post. I've also shortened the time my lights are on to 8 hours a day and the actinic comes on the same time as the daylight light. Just did that yesterday, before the actinics were on 1 hour before and 1 hour after the daylight light and were on a total of 12 hours for the actinic and 10 daylight. (I have a RBT anemone so I hope thats enough light for it).
The nearest LFS is almost 100 miles away, but we will be there this weekend so I can pick up what I need.
 
mikelam

mikelam

Member
Haven't tested the water lately but I have limited the lights and added the Chemipure bag. The GHA is almost all gone. I got an Emerald Crab but it seems to like the red macro algae better than the GHA. The red macro has stopped growing too and that's ok as long as the green stays gone.
 
EmagdniM

EmagdniM

Member
Nerites do an amazing job cleaning hair algae...check em out. I put 15 in my 55g with about 70lbs of rock that was covered in it and they have gone to town. If yours is almost gone you could just get a few and let em get the leftovers.
 
mikelam

mikelam

Member
Thanks, I just checked them out online and it seems like they like to eat the things that bloom sometimes in my tank. I'll get some soon!
 
EmagdniM

EmagdniM

Member
Go to reefcleaners.org and fill out a sheet with the plans for your tank and your current stock list. They will give you a recommendation on what you should keep for a crew. Good luck!
 
Edison

Edison

Member
EmagdniM said:
Go to reefcleaners.org and fill out a sheet with the plans for your tank and your current stock list. They will give you a recommendation on what you should keep for a crew. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Very good advice. I did that a couple -3 - weeks ago, got a custom CUC and the hair algae is slowly but surely being munched into oblivion.

Chemipure and Purigen are highly recommended by many folks here, highly recommended.
 
nanoreefing4fun

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
hair algae is slowly but surely being munched into oblivion.
Click to expand...

1055.gif
 
mikelam

mikelam

Member
Thanks, I'm on my way to reefcleaners.org. I'm sure it is hair algae not bryopsis. I used the Chemipure and it seems to help.
I just found a nest of Aitipsia on a rock that was hiding in the algae. So I will deal with that too. There is always something to do when you have a tank, isn't there?
 
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