Suggestions? Thoughts?

[mooric]

So I am fighting hair algae in my tank currently.

All my water parameters test just fine (of course Phosphates are 0 since the algae is using it). I am running Ferric Oxide in my filter and have been doing regular water changes. I have cut back on my feeding to every other day, but so far I haven't seen any improvement. I have some turbo snails and I think they are afraid of the hair algae since I never see them get close to the stuff. So I am looking for other natural methods of dealing with it. I have been contemplating getting a Sea Hare from "Mama", but I am open to other suggestions as well.

I am somewhat space restricted since this a 28g cube tank.

Thanks,

Charles

[Brooks]

When I had it in my 75g, a Lawnmower Blenny took it away fast!

[labradorduck]

Just curious, where do you get your water from?

[Hamp]

I am finally winning my battle with it. I removed the old sand bed, and replaced it with a 1/2" of florida LS, increased flow, raised my Mg to 1650, did 2 weeks of dosing algae fix, then started zeo vit. It is all but wiped out. The little left is clear and easily pulled off. It took a while, and some drastic measures, but the results look really good(crossing fingers). Oh, I also reduced feeding to the bare minimum.

[Hamp]

PS, I washed the LS clean before putting it in my tank.

[caferacermike]

I routed water from my sump on the old 75g tank to a Euroreef skimmer rated for an 800g tank and let it rip for about a month. Every night I would pull as much algae from the rock as possible and stirred the sand bed. I placed power heads in the sand so it could never stop being blown around. Granted the skimmer pulled everything from the water within 4 days. I also filled a canister filter with 1g of high grade carbon. I did 50% weekly water changes as well as 5g daily water changes. My tank had been ruined by algae that came in on a frag swap. It was uncontrollable. I battled it slowly for about a year, even crashed the tank killing everything within it with an ozone mishap.

The skimmer I used did the trick. I can rent it out to you if you'd like.

[mooric]

Ok couple more details.

I have my own RO/DI with dual TDS Meters (incoming is 14ppm, output is 0ppm). I don't have any hair algae on my sandbed, and I grow Cheato in my tiny refugium and have Halimeda growing in the corner of my tank. I am also running carbon in the filter (Chemi-pure Elite), also I run my skimmer "wet". I would love to put a lawnmower blenny in my tank because I think they are cool, but my tank is too small for one.

[Hamp]

Your tank isnt too small for a lawnmower blenny, IMO, but I dont think it will contain your algae growth. Also, if you are keeping cheato alive, bryopsis will flourish.

Also, the algae isnt going to grow on your sandbed, but your sand will trap nitrates and phosphates. I am over deep sandbeds. My tank really turned around after I pulled mine.

I would really try and get it under control now, because it seems to only get harder.

[Robb in Austin]

Manual removal, a blenny(though mine never touched it), phos absorber of some kind, increased water changes, avoid flake food, and check the age of your lamps.

All will help.

Is the rock old?

I think some of my issue is related to old rock which has absorbed too much PO4 and is releasing it.

If all else fails, borrow Mike's skimmer.

[DaJMasta]

When I was dealing with it in my 7.5G the crabs in the CUC did the most noticeable work. Hermits and mithrax crabs, combined with your normal snail CUC did a huge amount to get rid of mine, then it was just a matter of starting with the RODI in my case to keep it away. Also are you running the fuge lights on a timer? If so try 24 hours a day for more nutrient absorption.

[barderer]

What worked for me.

1) Took out old filthy sand bed and ran glass bottom

2) Elevated rocks off the bottom so flow can get under them.

3) Took out most infested rocks and cured them in a separate dark QT tank.

4) Replaced sand bed with thin fresh bed cooked in separate dark tank.

5) Used phosphate absorption media and phosphate binder.

6) Water changes.

7) Added macro to the display to compete for resources.

Phosphate kits are not sensitive enough to pick up the levels required by byropsis/hair to grow.

[Will]

you could try one of those balloon molly's (on other thread) and see if they like it.

[Mike M.]

I agree with one of the elements of Hamp's recipe. Using a bacteria and carbon source protocol to work on the source of the algae problem: nutrients. Getting this going along with a blend of the other angles presented above would be working the problem from both ends and ultimately allow you to get away from GFO can be tricky when changing media. Sometimes tissue necrosis on corals will occur with GFO changes. Bacteria and carbon source dosing would allow you to wean away from GFO. Zeovit, Polyp Lab, Microbacter 7/Vodka. Any will work. I have had great success with zeovit in reducing phosphates from over .25mg/L to .02 in five months. It has made a world of difference and what algae I had has disappeared. Nice side effect!

Give it some consideration.

Mike

[Christian]

You could add a emrald crab. The aquadome has some sea hares.