Hair algae help!!

[Godfrey]

I would def cut your light s back as much as only on for six hours for a week or two then go up slowly but I only have mine on for eight hours a day just keep an eye on your corals. That and a good cuc( may be a sea hare I hear they are verocious hair algae eaters) should take care of the problem

 

[Reefer4eva]

I had a really bad problem with my 90 gallon years ago....the way I went about it was rip off as much as possible,get a dozen turbo snails,water changes,get new bulbs and leave the lights off for a day or two....most of my turbo snails where nocturnal so with the lights off they eat all day and night..having the lights off for a few days won't do any harm on anything but the algae.

 

[Sgc1107]

I had a really bad problem with my 90 gallon years ago....the way I went about it was rip off as much as possible,get a dozen turbo snails,water changes,get new bulbs and leave the lights off for a day or two....most of my turbo snails where nocturnal so with the lights off they eat all day and night..having the lights off for a few days won't do any harm on anything but the algae.

What about corals?

 

[Reefer4eva]

A couple of days with no light won't do any harm to the corals,i had mostly SPS corals when this happened to me .in all honesty the algae will cause more harm to your corals them you realize.not only is the algae starving your corals of much needed nutrients that there absorbing but (depending on the coral you have)can also clog up the polyps and basically strangle the coral to death

 

[Supa Belle]

I'd get a lawn mower blenny ( Sailfin Blenny) and when the hair algae is gone u just need to supplement with Nori strips on a veg clip where he can reach it. They are awesome fish.

 

[Animal-Chin]

Many lawnmowers don't eat hair algae and they just become another fish in your tank. They are cool fish so I wouldn't say don't get one but my guy never ate any.

 

[Jaketit]

Algae blenny!! Algae blenny!! Algae blenny!!

 

[Dimdim]

Many lawnmowers don't eat hair algae and they just become another fish in your tank. They are cool fish so I wouldn't say don't get one but my guy never ate any.

+1 lawnmower blennys eat micro algae and very very fine patches of barely a day old green hair algae. Its a scarce grazer. Especially if you feed him other food

 

[Sgc1107]

Will the Lawnmower eat pods? If so then that's not an option! I have a mandarin and the last thing I want to do is deplete food for him because he's doing so well!

 

[Sgc1107]

There's also a lot of talk of sea hare but I think once he eats all the algae he'd starve! What's your opinions? I could buy him a few days in my sump! That could use a good cleaning in places I can't reach! Lol

I also still have to figure the source. If I'm feeding every 3 days what else could make the phosphates go crazy?

 

[Supa Belle]

Will the Lawnmower eat pods? If so then that's not an option! I have a mandarin and the last thing I want to do is deplete food for him because he's doing so well!

Lawn mower blennies are herbivores

 

[Supa Belle]

There's also a lot of talk of sea hare but I think once he eats all the algae he'd starve! What's your opinions? I could buy him a few days in my sump! That could use a good cleaning in places I can't reach! Lol

I also still have to figure the source. If I'm feeding every 3 days what else could make the phosphates go crazy?

A sea hare could nuke your tank if it dies and you don't get it in time but you can supplement with nori also when algae is gone just watch your power heads you wouldn't want one to get shredded

 

[Sgc1107]

A sea hare could nuke your tank if it dies and you don't get it in time but you can supplement with nori also when algae is gone just watch your power heads you wouldn't want one to get shredded

I was told the same thing with my sand sifting star, 7mo later he's doing fine. I did read about the ink so that makes me nervous! Do you know if the are touchable? And would touching him make him ink? Either way I will end up supplementing in the long run I think.

 

[Supa Belle]

I was told the same thing with my sand sifting star, 7mo later he's doing fine. I did read about the ink so that makes me nervous! Do you know if the are touchable? And would touching him make him ink? Either way I will end up supplementing in the long run I think.

If he fills threatened he will ink but if u catch it in time and have a good skimmer and partial water change right away all should be good

 

[Sgc1107]

Hmmm maybe I'll try the lawnmower first, sounds like less of a risk! I hope everyone is right about they eat hair algae! Considering turning off the lights for a few days too. Can't get to the LFS (because of work schedule) till Saturday anyways.

 

[Sgc1107]

Alright unplugged the lights before I went to bed last night. I'll keep an eye on stuff with a flash light for the next few days!

 

[Sgc1107]

Today is day two with no lights.... No changes. Not even slightly! Guess I have to decide lawnmower or sea hare

 

[MarinaClown]

Before buying algae eating fish I recommend Trochus Snails. They are the best in my tank and are always working hard. They can also reproduce inside an aquarium.

If you buy algae eating fish you don't like you will have to deal with catching and trying to get it out. Hence my advice to get Trochus Snails.

 

[Sgc1107]

Before buying algae eating fish I recommend Trochus Snails. They are the best in my tank and are always working hard. They can also reproduce inside an aquarium.

If you buy algae eating fish you don't like you will have to deal with catching and trying to get it out. Hence my advice to get Trochus Snails.

Thanks will look at them for sure! Are you sure they eat hair algae?

 

[MarinaClown]

They do. They prefer diatoms and took care of diatom bloom in 2-3 days when I had my 27 gallon cube. Them moves on to live rock and sand to eat whatever small hair algae there was.
They were $5 each and I am happy I got them.



Here's one at work.