Letting Green Hair Algae Alone?

[Blakskall]

Ok, my tank has been cycled for about 3 weeks and when it cycled I got a bloom of green hair algae.. I asked the people at my LFS and they said leave it alone and it will die off on its own.. but its been almost a month and nothing has happened, i think its even getting worse.. So i guess my question is should I just follow there advice and stick it out, or have a full on battle with the algae? things like (PWC's, removing the algae)

Any opinions on the matter are greatly appreciated

[hackteck]

no it wont go away on its own you need to start pulling it out and doing pwc most likely your phosphates are high thats why your getting it so check your phosphates and if your using tap water start using ro/di water

[jpchin]

I gave this advice to someone else a while ago. If you have the room add a couple of mollies to the tank. I added 2 sailfin mollies and they took care of the hair algae in about 2 weeks and it was all natural. No problems since. They still snack around the plants but don't injure them. If you need to remove manually use a toothbrush to snag it off the plants. Just make sure it's a new brush. Hope this helps.

[melosu58]

Good battle plan for nuisance algea. It wont go away except by drastic action.

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

[jpchin]

Originally Posted by jpchin

I gave this advice to someone else a while ago. If you have the room add a couple of mollies to the tank. I added 2 sailfin mollies and they took care of the hair algae in about 2 weeks and it was all natural. No problems since. They still snack around the plants but don't injure them. If you need to remove manually use a toothbrush to snag it off the plants. Just make sure it's a new brush. Hope this helps.

OOPS. JUST NOTICED THAT YOU HAVE A SALTWATER TANK. ALTHOUGH MOLLY'S ARE FRESH, BRACKISH, OR SALTWATER SAFE, THE GUY AT THE FISH STORE WHO GAVE ME THIS ADVICE HAD THEM IN HIS FRESHWATER AND SALTWATER TANKS. I USED THEM IN A FRESHWATER TANK MYSELF. THE TOOTH BRUSH THING MIGHT NOT BE GOOD FOR A SALTWATER TANK.

[PistolPete]

Originally Posted by melosu58

Good battle plan for nuisance algea. It wont go away except by drastic action.

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

Mel if I blackout my tank for a week will it will my pulsing Xenia's, Zoanthids and Greep Star Polyps?

[Blakskall]

Originally Posted by hackteck

no it wont go away on its own you need to start pulling it out and doing pwc most likely your phosphates are high thats why your getting it so check your phosphates and if your using tap water start using ro/di water

ive used ro/di water since day one, i think im going to start taking it out physically, im also buying salifert test kits for phosphate, alkalinity, and nitrates.. the red sea test kits i have are garbage

[hackteck]

what are your nitrates looking like?

[Blakskall]

zero, but ive heard that phosphates and nitrates might not show up due to the algae

[hackteck]

Originally Posted by Blakskall

zero, but ive heard that phosphates and nitrates might not show up due to the algae

yup thats true your best bet is to remove it and continue to do water changes also check your phosphates

[melosu58]

Originally Posted by PistolPete

Mel if I blackout my tank for a week will it will my pulsing Xenia's, Zoanthids and Greep Star Polyps?

I`ve heard people say that you could but before I tried that I would try manually removing it, feed every other day and cut lighting to 4 or 5 hrs a day. Let`s save the total black out as a last resort. Remember that it did not happen over nite and it`s not going to go away over nite. Follow that plan and it will eventually go away. Seen it many times.

[rdnelson99]

A lot of experts weighing in here and I am most deffinately not one of them. Having said that, I will let you know what did it for me. When I put my clean up crew in the Hermit Crabs went after it in full force. My outbreak was not terrible but still, they knocked it out in a few days.

[carey]

Cleanup crew is an option BUT it's not always the best idea to add livestock to fix a problem. Me, I love hermits and snails so it's no biggie for me I actually like them after they finish cleaning up. LOL

I would say cut back the lighting some, remove what you can manually and do water changes. It will make a good sized dent in your problem.

[rdnelson99]

Originally Posted by carey

Cleanup crew is an option BUT it's not always the best idea to add livestock to fix a problem. Me, I love hermits and snails so it's no biggie for me I actually like them after they finish cleaning up. LOL

I would say cut back the lighting some, remove what you can manually and do water changes. It will make a good sized dent in your problem.

I agree Carey however in my case, the tank was empty at the time so I needed a CUC anyway. I added the 10 hermits and 5 snails with the first of my fish which were a pair of clowns.

[carey]

Oh cool, I'm not against cuc by any means, just the thought of adding them specifically and in abundance to fix an issue.

I have a sea hare that I got cause he is soo cute, but some people buy them just to eat the algae which I think is a mistake. My tank doesnt have much algae but i love my hare either way. lol

The size of your crew isnt that large but they should also be helping with your algae issue, not becoming part of the problem.

Good luck, try some of the suggestions listed above and let us know. Cutting the lights some and removal should produce some results in not a very long amount of time.

[Blakskall]

I removed a big amount of green hair algae and it looks great, i currently have a blue leg hermit and a turbo snail eating the rest, im still getting salifert test kits making sure the water levels are ok, then its on to some livestock