Green Hair Algae - Aquarium Advice

Gonzo82 · 09-07-2005, 06:31 PM

Ok i have been battling this stuff for about a month now. I have tried getting another emerald crab a couple more hermits with no headway. I was wondering what other options are out there for me to try. I only have two fish a saddle back clown and a yellow watchman in the tank with a few other shrimp and crabs. I think i have room for maybe another fish if there is one out there that will eat this stuff. I know there is an Algae Blenny but i am afraid that it and my watchman might not get along because they are simmilar in body shape and i have heard that they can become territorial and agressive when combined. I dont know though. Any and all recomendations are apreciated because it is starting to grow on my corals and has already began to suffocate some of my smaller starburst polyps. Everything else seems fine for the most part but i want to try to get this under control before it reaches plague proportions. [acronym:5b7dcb2dfc="Thanks in Advance"]TIA[/acronym:5b7dcb2dfc]

vertex · 09-07-2005, 08:31 PM

I've been at battle in my 33g for a couple of months as well.

Only advice is:
1. Manual pick out what you can.
2. Feed less
3. 1 or 2 hours less light than you are doing now
4. More water flow
5. Little more generous water changes
6. Keep your temp below 82 degC

Keep at it with these things and it should start to go away. mine is slowly.

StickyTuba · 09-08-2005, 09:35 AM

I tried adding more livestock as well but it did not work and I couldn't decrease the hair algae.
I found that the best course of action, for me, was to manually remove as much hair algae as I could and then do water changes. I have been doing about a 25 or 30 % water change every other day and it seems to be working quite well. I did these water changes for a week and then let it sit for a week. I will be back to doing water changes every other day next week.

Also check your Phospates and Nitrates. I have read that they will affect your hair algae as well. I checked and mine were fine, I only ran my lights for 10.5 hours daily and I feed every other day. So the water changes were my best bet.

Good luck and keep us posted.

seaham358 · 09-08-2005, 09:41 AM

Check nitrates and phosphates and post numbers... What type of water are you using? Test your top off water also. The algae is feeding off of something, you need to track down what it is and then work to get rid of it.

09-07-2005, 06:31 PM	#1
Gonzo82 Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: KY Posts: 73 Images: 1	Green Hair Algae Ok i have been battling this stuff for about a month now. I have tried getting another emerald crab a couple more hermits with no headway. I was wondering what other options are out there for me to try. I only have two fish a saddle back clown and a yellow watchman in the tank with a few other shrimp and crabs. I think i have room for maybe another fish if there is one out there that will eat this stuff. I know there is an Algae Blenny but i am afraid that it and my watchman might not get along because they are simmilar in body shape and i have heard that they can become territorial and agressive when combined. I dont know though. Any and all recomendations are apreciated because it is starting to grow on my corals and has already began to suffocate some of my smaller starburst polyps. Everything else seems fine for the most part but i want to try to get this under control before it reaches plague proportions. [acronym:5b7dcb2dfc="Thanks in Advance"]TIA[/acronym:5b7dcb2dfc] __________________ No man is so foolish that he may sometimes give another good council, and no man so wise that he may not easily err if he takes no other councel than his own. He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master. --- Hunter S. Thompson 29gal. 65W Accentic 65W Daylight [acronym:1007e10b81="Power compact fluorescent"]PC[/acronym:1007e10b81] Aquaclear 150 [acronym:1007e10b81="Hang On Back"]HOB[/acronym:1007e10b81] Filter (soon to be upgraded to a 15gal refugeum) Seaclone 100 Protein Skimmer 20 lbs Live Sand ~2in SB 35 lbs Live Rock ~ (wanting to have about 45lbs when done) 1 yellow watchman goby 1 saddle back clown that hosts my condy 1 cleaner shrimp 1 peppermint shrimp hermits and snails 2 emerald crabs Corals Devils Finger Leather Closed Brain Coral Starburst polyps (2 colors) Yellow Colony Polyps Pink and silver zoos

09-07-2005, 08:31 PM	#2
vertex Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Calgary Canada Posts: 143 Images: 11	I've been at battle in my 33g for a couple of months as well. Only advice is: 1. Manual pick out what you can. 2. Feed less 3. 1 or 2 hours less light than you are doing now 4. More water flow 5. Little more generous water changes 6. Keep your temp below 82 degC Keep at it with these things and it should start to go away. mine is slowly. __________________ Equipment: 33G [acronym:140c8ae565="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:140c8ae565] Reef tank (pic), 192W Coralife [acronym:140c8ae565="Power compact fluorescent"]PC[/acronym:140c8ae565] lighting, [acronym:140c8ae565="power heads"]PHs[/acronym:140c8ae565] for H2O circulation, Red Sea Berlin Classic Skimmer Aquascaping: 3" [acronym:140c8ae565="Deep Sand Bed"]DSB[/acronym:140c8ae565], 50lb live rock (~35 lbs home made Cement Base Rock) Clean Up Crew: Blue Leg hermits, Cerith snails, Astrea Snails, Stomatella snails, Brittlestar, banded brittles. Critters: Hawaiian feather duster, Coral Banded Shrimp, Emerald Crab Corals: Open Brain Coral, Cabbage coral, 4 RBTAs, Melon mushrooms, green Zoos, yellow polyps, finger Leather, orange Zoos, Brown Zoos, Chocolate Zoos, Xenia, GSP, Kenya Tree Coral, 2 acropora [acronym:140c8ae565="Small Polyped Stoney"]SPS[/acronym:140c8ae565], blue sponge, candy cane Fish/Inverts: Maroon Clownfish, Scooter Blenny, Coral Beauty dwarf angel, Sea Hare

09-08-2005, 09:35 AM	#3
StickyTuba Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 148 Images: 7	I tried adding more livestock as well but it did not work and I couldn't decrease the hair algae. I found that the best course of action, for me, was to manually remove as much hair algae as I could and then do water changes. I have been doing about a 25 or 30 % water change every other day and it seems to be working quite well. I did these water changes for a week and then let it sit for a week. I will be back to doing water changes every other day next week. Also check your Phospates and Nitrates. I have read that they will affect your hair algae as well. I checked and mine were fine, I only ran my lights for 10.5 hours daily and I feed every other day. So the water changes were my best bet. Good luck and keep us posted. __________________ 12 gallon Nano Starting Over

09-08-2005, 09:41 AM	#4
seaham358 Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2004 Location: Poughkeepsie, NY Posts: 3,296 Images: 21	Check nitrates and phosphates and post numbers... What type of water are you using? Test your top off water also. The algae is feeding off of something, you need to track down what it is and then work to get rid of it. __________________ 9/02-125 REEF, 125 lbs LR,LS 4x160 VHO, Reef Devil /Sump, Fuge 7/03-55 FOWLR 60lb LR, 50 lb SD sand 2x40 NO strip light, Reef Devil/sump, Fuge TANK PICS http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=98202

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Is this green hair algae?	Burks	Freshwater & Brackish - Planted Tanks	3	10-11-2006 11:38 PM
green hair algae.??	bckane	Saltwater Reef Aquaria	1	09-13-2005 11:37 AM
green hair algae	jonnyb1425	Freshwater & Brackish - Planted Tanks	4	05-11-2005 08:16 PM
Green Hair Algae	8965	Saltwater & Reef - Getting Started	7	12-29-2004 07:15 PM
Green hair Algae	gizmo	Saltwater Reef Aquaria	4	04-05-2004 01:51 PM