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New Member
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Last Login: 8/21/2009 4:42:01 PM
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| I need suggestions on what to do to get rid of this terrible green hair algea that is growing all over my live rock. It has covered all of my live rock but has stopped growing on the tanks glass. I have told my lfs about this algea problem but all they have suggested is that i close all blinds in the room so there is no direct sun light, and they told me to buy some snails, witch i did yesterday. I bought 5 little turbo snails and one big mexican snail. So far they have not done anything but crawl around on the sand and the glass. I have had the blinds in the room closed for about 3 weeks and it has seemed to stop the algea from growing on the glass , but it still remains on the live rock. I have tried to pick it off and i have removed a great deal of it, but i just can't get it all. My local fish store also tested my water and said it was one of the best samples they had seen and that every thing was fine. I really dont know what else to do, besides maybe lowering the amount of time my light is on. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know i would really like to get rid of this algea.
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New Member
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Last Login: 1/22/2009 9:27:50 PM
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Light is never an inhibiting factor to algae growth. Nutrient control is what's important in prevention nuisance algae growth! Perform large, weekly water changes of at least 25% (preferably with RO water, because your tapwater probably has nitrates and phosphates in it!), and use carbon and a chemical phosphate removal media.
Turbo snails probably won't eat the hair algae, but 'Sea hares' (a type of sea slug) will.
Good luck!
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New Member
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Last Login: 12/2/2008 1:14:10 PM
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I had a simular problem in my 36 and the only thing that worked for me was a big bad booty protien skimmer and a lot of phospahte removing items in my filter. killing the phosphate is the key. But heavy skimming works well too. Oh yea the other thing is scrubbing the rock with salt water bath. The hair algee soakes up the phosphates and you scrub off hair algee and phosphates are gone. But what ever you do stay as natural as possible. chems can kill your tanks good algees. Good luck and let the war begin
love thy wife then thy pets
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Senior Member
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Last Login: 6/7/2012 3:28:55 AM
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What type of protein skimmer do you have?
I also use Phos Guard by Sea Chem to help remove the phosphate.
I haven't had any bad algae problems since adding a decent skimmer and using the Phos Guard.
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29 gallon f/w glowlight tetra's, 4 cories, Neon tetra, zebra danio.29g f/w convict cichlid. 10g s/w Percula Clown
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 3/30/2009 9:55:21 AM
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Hair algae is a sure fire sign of elevated nutrients, pobabaly nitrates and most likely phosphates too. Their only avenues into your tank are thru feeding and source water. Overfeeding is usually the problem. Not necessarilly overfeeding the fish, but overfeeding the ability of the systems filtration to eliminate the waste. A good skimmer is very important to a heavilly stocked system (should be cleaned every 3-4 days). But an overstocked/overfed system is going to have algae problems eventually. If that's not the issue in your tank the source water has to be. I'd test it too just for GP.
So many species, so little money!
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New Member
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Last Login: 8/21/2009 4:42:01 PM
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| Thanks for the advice. I have an Instant Ocean Sea Clone protien skimmer on the tank and it seems to do a good job at removing sludge or what ever you want to call it. The collection cup seems to fill up every week and I do clean it on a regular basis. I might try the salt water bath and see if that gets rid of it.
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New Member
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Last Login: 12/2/2008 1:14:10 PM
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be wary of the sea clone. I was told to avoid it like the plague. But if it is working for you great. I am also cheep and was going to buy it but insted had gotten the coral life and it seems to work great for me. Good luck.
love thy wife then thy pets
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New Member
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Last Login: 1/5/2009 8:32:03 AM
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| what size tank do you have? I had the same problem so I bought 12 turbo snails and in about a month they had ate most of the algae. I have a 65g tank and the algae was everywhere in the rocks and back wall. very little left now. I also had red algae and redirected my waterflow from two koralia #2 pumps and within a couple of days it was gone. I have also cut down on feeding and lighting and that seems to have stopped the regrowth of algae. I also have a seaclone100 skimmer and works good for me too.
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New Member
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Last Login: 10/19/2010 6:34:00 PM
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Tate (12/18/2008)
what size tank do you have? I had the same problem so I bought 12 turbo snails and in about a month they had ate most of the algae. I have a 65g tank and the algae was everywhere in the rocks and back wall. very little left now. I also had red algae and redirected my waterflow from two koralia #2 pumps and within a couple of days it was gone. I have also cut down on feeding and lighting and that seems to have stopped the regrowth of algae. I also have a seaclone100 skimmer and works good for me too. hey i was just woundering if the turbo snails eat red algae too as i im having some problems to with this all of sudden but the tank is about a mounth old.
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New Member
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Last Login: 10/28/2010 3:22:50 PM
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| I have a 90gal reef tank which was covered with hair algae. I got rid of mine buy buying 20 dwarf zebra hermit crabs. They really did a great job. No more hair.
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