Will hair algea just leave?

[redneckgearhead]

Hey everyone, I have had a hair algea problem recently and have taken all the steps to rid me of this problem. Shortened time lights where on, from 12 to 10 hours a day, replaced the bulbs, quit feeding the mysis shrimp and only feeding pellets every other day and feeding a small piece of sea weed daily for my Yellow Tang, and I have switched to RO water. I suck as much of it off the rocks when i do my PWC. I have bought more hermits about 15 total, about 6 trochas and 1 turbo snail, I also have a emerald crab that doesnt touch the HA. My readings are steady as a rock at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrates, 0 nitrites, 0 phosphates and I have Macro in my overflow. So my question is this. Will the HA just burn itself out and go away? Im going to try to take out the LR that I can and scrub it off during my next PWC.

 

[melosu58]

It will leave but you`ll have to get rid of the fuel factor. You have to remember it did not start overnite and it`s not going to go away over nite. Start with some manual removal and follow this checklist and over time it should start to disapear.

FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "10 Step Plan for Nuisance Algae Control"

 

[Mitchell0605]

You need to cut your lights more than that. Take it down to around 7-6 hours. Definately scrub those rocks! Great idea. There's probably still nitrates and phosphates but the algae is using them so they don't show up.

 

[Keith A.]

I had the same problem. I finally just set up a refugium with some cheato in it. It eventually starved the GHA of all the nutrients but it did take some time. The GHA is absorbing the phosphates and nitrates fast enough that it won't read on the test kits until you get rid of some of it.

 

[redneckgearhead]

You need to cut your lights more than that. Take it down to around 7-6 hours.

Will this hurt the few corals I have?

 

[Mitchell0605]

No. My corals are doing fine. I'm fighting some HA and other ATM and my lights are down to 7 hours/day.

 

[thincat]

your corals will be fine as long as you don't let the HA grow on it and block the lights to the corals.

 

[cmor1701d]

Here's the forecast for one of the Fiji Islands for the week 5/31/10 - 6/3/10

Situation
A trough of low pressure to the north of Fiji. Associated cloud and showers affects Rotuma, Northern Vanua Levu and Northern Lau. Meanwhile, a moist east to southeasterly wind flow prevails for the rest of the group

For Rotuma
Cloudy with some rain and a few thunderstorms.
Moderate easterly winds, fresh at times.

Even in the tropics there are occasional periods where a storm stalls and the coral don't get sunlight for a week. Cut the lights back to 3 -4 hours a day. They'll survive.

 

[redneckgearhead]

thanks for the help guys!!! Ill will do that!

 

[SelectAquariumSupply]

I agree with everyone...especially Keith A., although a bit of a pain to set up, a refugium with a healthy set of caulerpa will do wonders for nuisance algae. Especially if it is properly groomed (healthy mud bed, with proper pruning).

 

[redneckgearhead]

Yea I have a sump/refuge and it had the macro in there and some caulerpa as well. I took it all out because thats where the HA started then ended up in my DT. I kept the Macro and put it in my overflow so it would be close to my light and my Yellow Tang kept eating it when it was in my DT lol. I tossed the caulerpa because ive read that if the lights are not on 24/7 they can cloudy up your water by spawning. I killed the lighting above the sump to eliminate the HA in the sump. thanks again everyone.

 

[CEverii]

Edit:


Ya you've got a reef tank lol. Just went through this for my FOWLER. Different strategy with reef so the long post i just had about what i did is useless lol. GL tho!

 

[redneckgearhead]

WOW Ive been on shift for the last 72 hours and come home to at least half my HA gone! Cutting the lights down to 4 hours a day did the trick! Thanks to all that helped!