Hair algae plz plz help

[Scotty09]

I posted links before never really get answer my nitrate is 1 ppm and my po4 is <o.o2 ppm so y is this happening

 

[carey]

I wish I could help ya, those two readings would be what I would have asked for first off. Are you running a protein skimmer? hair algae is excessive nutrients I believe. But I think your phosphates would be high then.

 

[Scotty09]

Got a skimmer yeah and it over skims by almost double my tank

 

[carey]

I'm a newbie with saltwater myself, just sharing what i've picked up. maybe we can keep this thread alive long enough to get an expert in here. LOL I'd like to know the why as well.

 

[Scotty09]

I been going bout 6 months how bout u got a 70 gallon tank

 

[Smitty]

What kind of light are you running? Running any kind of sump? How often are you feeding and do the fish finish it off after 10-15 seconds?

Typically algae is going to grow if there are excess nutrients that they system itself isn't using up. The most likely culprit is over feeding and/or the lights.

 

[Scotty09]

I got 2 White t5 and 2 blue I feed every other day

 

[redneckgearhead]

When I bought my skimmer, I was told to always get one rated for twice your tank size, because most skimmer manufactors overrate their products. What brand/model is it? Second your phosphates and nitrates are low because they are being used as fertilizer for the HA. A skimmer is a good start but only a start. Are you using RO/DI water or tap? Have you had the RO/DI water tested for TDS? How old are your light bulbs and what type are they, how long do your lights stay on for? How often do you do water changes and how much do you do? What size is your tank, what fish do you have, how often and what are you feeding what kind of CUC do you have? HA is a PITB but the battle can be won. It will take monthes to get rid of it completely.

 

[Scotty09]

Bloody he'll lot of question my skimmer is double the size and my tank 70 gallon I got 3 shrimp 20 snails 5 hermit crabs . 1 lipstick tang ,1 regal tank ,blue cleaner wrass ,blue cheeked goby , clown fish and I do a 10% water change every single week plz help me I been going 6 months

 

[Scotty09]

Ro water used

 

[redneckgearhead]

6 monthes, so can I assume that your light bulbs are 6 monthes old? If so then they're fine. I would up the water changes to 20% and do them twice a week and when you do the water change try to suck out as much HA as you can, and if you can remove the rocks with the HA on them and scrub them in a bucket of old tank water, with a new toothbrush. You didnt say how long your lights are on for but I would cut them down to about 4-5 hours a day, and cut them completely for two-three days at a time, back on for 2-3 days. Unless you dont have coral then you could cut them completely until the HA is gone and do several water changes to get rid of the nitrates/phosphates locked in the HA. The shorter you can get the HA the more likely your cuc will eat it, so when your doing your water changes kill the power heads and suck as much of it out as you can. I would add more hermits and snails.

 

[CaptainAhab]

Consider the fact that your nitrates are low because your existing algae is consuming what nitrates you have. In other words, your 1ppm is not 1ppm.. it's 1ppm after the algae has consumed all it can and there is 1 ppm left..burp.. Sooo you're even feeding your algae too much

 

[Scotty09]

I was told by some one I trust never to cut lights down by 8 hrs coz if harms my corals

 

[redneckgearhead]

I was told by some one I trust never to cut lights down by 8 hrs coz if harms my corals

Well you dont have to, but it will slow down the HA. Ive been battling HA myself and have cut my lights down to 4 hours a day and kill the lights for at least the two days before a big water change. It seems to weaken their hold on the rock. I have several corals that are still thriving even after cutting the lights down. You have to remember that its not always sunny in the natural coral reefs. A storm can block out most of the light on a coral reef for days at a time.

 

[Scotty09]

Suppose so just wish it would go away really like my sw tank but this ha really killing it for me

 

[redneckgearhead]

It will be a long battle.

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

It is a very long battle! I have been fighting hair algae in my nano for quite awhile. I just scrubbed the main rock the algae is growing on with my last water change and it looks much better now. The water looked almost black when i was done with it. Good luck! Oh and my lights are on 7 hours a day and it has not effected the corals as far as i can tell.

 

[Scotty09]

Just wish I could see me winning see some change be nice

 

[Swimzebras]

I suggest adding some cheato to the system

 

[Scotty09]

Got no room for cheato at all my first tank ain't designed the best lesson learned lol