Hair algae bad!!! How to get rid of ?

TotalPetsPlus

TotalPetsPlus

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I am battling a hair algae problem. Has been going on for a few weeks now in 2 different tanks. First one has been running for two years nothing has changed with pump water changes lighting etc. it has a custom-made 3w LED Cree like to set up that is about eight years old. I have added a few hundred snails in crabs +2 lawnmower blenny it has four tangs in the tank you other fish lots of corals that are not open since they are covered in algae Rbta not opening.
Second tank 8 gallon bio cube same Cree LEDs only a few fish added 50 plus snails and crabs and a small blenny.
Any ideas would help
 
HA is a pain to control and an even bigger pain to eliminate.

I have a bottle of API Algaefix Marine you can have. I had positive results using it with more frequent water changes (every week), adding phosphate reducing media (such as Phosban GFO), raising magnesium to 1450~1500ppm (keeping balanced and stable alk and cal levels is important when raising your mag), adding additional clean up crew (which you have done), and physical removal when possible.

It takes a few months. Good luck!
 
A twin bar rabbit fish will mow it down but they will get big. A Refugium with other macro algae will help starve it out in addition to the increased Mg. Just have to be patient.

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How Big is your tank?
How many crabs and snails do you have?
Whenever I pull a dead snail out it is pretty rank. If you have dead ones it can add to the problem.
the algae fix works great. It might be a great time to start an Algae Turf Scrubber in your sump. The ATS will out compete the GHA in your display.
 
turbo snails! and i wonder about your ro filters/membrane........


You could also be dealing with old tank syndrome.... how is your flow?
 
wrasse said:
How Big is your tank?
How many crabs and snails do you have?
Whenever I pull a dead snail out it is pretty rank. If you have dead ones it can add to the problem.
the algae fix works great. It might be a great time to start an Algae Turf Scrubber in your sump. The ATS will out compete the GHA in your display.
Click to expand...
150 tank 100 gallon sump 75 snails and crabs just added after problem started View attachment 14031View attachment 14032 the photos are before algae problem
 
Nice looking set up.
Do you have any thing in the sump that will compete with the green hair algae? Cheato, macro algae with a light source to grow the algae? I used algaefix to get rid of my green hair algae with nothing in my sump green to grow. Over on reef central they have a thread about using it, AlgaeFix Marine to control Hair Algae.Check it out.
My only regret is now that I have and algae turf Scrubber and want to grow GHA it is harder to grow green hair algae. I also stay away from pelets, vodka/sugar dosing, and GFO.
 
buy a one-spot foxface (Rabbit fish) it is a swimming lawn mower. it will be gone in no time. they are really cool fish too.
 
buy a one-spot foxface (Rabbit fish) it is a swimming lawn mower. it will be gone in no time. they are really cool fish too. I took a sample of the algae to the store with me and ask to feed it before I bought it to insure it ate it.
 
I too had it bad and was taking handfuls out at a time and getting no where.

Found a couple of interesting posts that told of using Kent Marine Mag to raise Mg levels to 1700 and leave there for few days as you continue to remove HA by hand. Tried it and the HA went away and had no issues with the tank. I had tried raising with other Mg but it didn't work. It has to be the additives that are in the Kent Mg...

You should be able to find other threads on the subject.

Here is the tank pic after to show that no ill effect was had.

View attachment 14038
 
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