Green hair algae pops up in your tank. Whats the first thing you do? Tank Talk Thursday

[Rob in Puyallup]

I'd start with larger/more frequent water changes and reduce the intensity /day length of light.

There are various snails that can help, and of course, emerald crabs. These guys will target zoas and other corals if they run out of algae, though.

 

[The Reef Tank]

I would just add more clean up crew, I use tap water and I get algea blooms every now and then but my clean up crew takes care if it and my coral love the nutrient rich water

 

[mainereefer]

realize my tank is healthy.... (put hair algae under a microscope you wouldnt believe the life on it)

just cut back on feeding a couple days and let it run its course. algae is only there if it can eat something, it is doing its job cleaning your water...to kill it take away its food

 

[The Flying Turkey]

I believe it's 1 ml per 10 gallons I'd need to tripple check, but I did it Dailey for about 2 weeks with 0 affect with any corals, inverts, and fish. I believe it starves the algae from oxygen... There is a great post on this I'd have to google it when I get home

I'm going to have to try this. My tank is 6 months old and I'm doing nothing but growing green hair algae and some red colored hair algae. It's on the top of the rocks. I only have 3 coral frags so far, so I'm not to worried about wiping out a bunch of corals.

I use a PurelyH20 RO/DI system Optima Automated RO DI System for all my water, and when I test for phosphates it's always 0.

 

[Florida reefer]

I would like to add that I've had hair algae problems with every tank that I've kept. It seems to get uncontrollable. Every time though, after a long battle, once I've finally gotten rid of it I never had any problems after. I think it's because tanks continue to mature longer than all of my resources have taught me.
Most people tell me that it takes a full year for a reef to mature. These outbreaks that I'm referring to happen after 2 years.
One more thing. If I continue to add pieces of base rock, it seems to trigger these outbreaks.

 

[scooterc268]

Algae doesn't need oxygen, it needs CO2 to survive.

Water changes here and check to see if my Purigen is exhausted.

 

[scooterc268]

Algae needs two things; nutrients and light. Just like any plant.

Find the source of your nutrients 1st and ensure your bulbs are good (if not using LESs) and if you are, check your photo period (how long they stay on).

Adding uncured rock will add nutrients (at times). If using dry, ensure they're cleaned good. Some rock are mined and left out. Bugs and other organic crap could be inside of the little holes and basically breakdown in the tank.

 

[Pete polyp]

Phosphate is the reason 100% of the time. Yes nitrate will play a part in fueling the growth, but I have seen many tanks with high nitrates and no hair algae. The best way to get rid of gha is never to let it take off in the first place. When I see a tiny patch (tip of a ballpoint pen) I know I have phosphates. This I'd when I will use phosphate removing media. It always disappears in a week or less. Rock can absorb phosphate and leach for a very long time, even years... It can be a long war, but if you keep after removing phosphates it will be won

 

[EW_Fish]

Quote (Highlandreefer)

"I elected not to try to use hydrogen peroxide. It is quite toxic to marine life and would be difficult to work with in a safe manor.

Hydrogen Peroxide Thread:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1634588

Hydrogen Peroxide Inhibits Photosynthetic Electron Transport in Cells of Cyanobacteria
Hydrogen Peroxide Inhibits Photosynthetic Electron Transport in Cells of Cyanobacteria - Springer

Combined exposure to hydrogen peroxide and light : Selective effects on cyanobacteria, green algae, and diatoms
Combined exposure to hydrogen peroxide and light : Selective effects on cyanobacteria, green algae, and diatoms

 

[scoobysnack77]

Probably just get a protein skimmer or increase water changes. I'm not really into GFO for me it's mostly just been a coral killer.

i think gfo messed up my whole tank too. all my acros have been doing well for a year and then i added a bit more gfo to my reactor when i changed it out because my phosphates rose to .08. well a few days later ALL my beautiful acros started RTN'ing at the base. i had to frag em all out to try to save em. i recommend using red sea's NO3 PO4 X (only if you have a strong skimmer). it allows you to dial in your nitrates and phosphates just where u want em and keep em there. GFO works great but i had a marine biologist told me that it strips the water column of trace elements and micro nutrients (carbon too) and if the fine granulars get into your water column it can kill corals. he said if you MUST use gfo and carbon, use 50% of what it says on the bottle. he said carbon isn't as bad and rarely kills anything if used in small doses

 

[Pete polyp]

Well nopox will work, but what do you do when you have no nitrate?

 

[scoobysnack77]

Well nopox will work, but what do you do when you have no nitrate?

you back up on the dosing until it shows up on your test kit. then regulate it by dosing accordingly. once its dialed in your golden. you should have very small amounts of nitrate and very small amounts of phosphate i was told by a marine biologist. corals need them both to survive and a wild reef has small amounts of it available to the corals so that their zooxanthellae can feed and in return feed your corals 85% of its food. the rest is taken in via carbs and aminos

 

[Pete polyp]

What I mean is.... What do you do when you have no nitrate I'm your tank without using a carbon source or skimmer. Not every tank has nitrate to begin with.... I know about how the Redfield ratio works and if you have no nitrate using a carbon source will not remove phosphate. You could dose sodium nitrate if that's the route you chose I guess.

 

[Florida reefer]

Please forgive my ignorance. I have always believed that nitrates and phosphate should be kept at zero. So, the idea of trying to add them is strange to me. That being said, couldn't you just feed heavier?

 

[Pete polyp]

I'm actually doing just that.... A 6oz pack of rods lasts me 3 months in my 29. I also feed 1.4 ml of reef roids or coral frenzy daily. My nitrate is sitting at 0.25 in that tank.

Due to the amount of phosphate removed with using a carbon source you will end up with an abundance of phosphate in time.

 

[Florida reefer]

Wow, just so I'm clear, a trace amount of phosphate and nitrate is good, even for sps?

 

[Pete polyp]

Wow, just so I'm clear, a trace amount of phosphate and nitrate is good, even for sps?

Yes. They need a small amount.

 

[scoobysnack77]

What I mean is.... What do you do when you have no nitrate I'm your tank without using a carbon source or skimmer. Not every tank has nitrate to begin with.... I know about how the Redfield ratio works and if you have no nitrate using a carbon source will not remove phosphate. You could dose sodium nitrate if that's the route you chose I guess.

if you've got no nitrate in your tank and your not dosing carbon than i suggest getting a few fish and feed em well. in my experience, my corals DID NOT do well when my nitrates and phosphates were undetectable. i see a lot of people on here aiming for those parameters and when i got mine there finally my corals weren't happy. my acros were they're healthiest when my nitrates were 1ppm and my phosphates were at .02. some people shoot for higher or lower. this is just my sweet spot

 

[scoobysnack77]

Please forgive my ignorance. I have always believed that nitrates and phosphate should be kept at zero. So, the idea of trying to add them is strange to me. That being said, couldn't you just feed heavier?

id get a few more fish and feed em. and trust me, you'll eventually get a nitrate and phosphate reading. the trick isn't getting nitrate and phosphate , its having them present in your tank at a healthy level. my tank suffered when my nitrate and phosphates were zero. i even lost a few previously healthy acros live and learn

 

[Pete polyp]

Me too. I saw a remarkable.difference with a slight amount of nitrate. I always had phosphates