Reef Aquarium Fact #282 Green hair algae is not actually the devil. So it can in fact be killed and

[revhtree]

We are going to continue discussing the reef aquarium facts submitted by our members. Do you agree or disagree? What are your thoughts?

Fact #282

Green hair algae is not actually the devil. So it can in fact be killed and eradicated with a steady mulch-pronged attack strategy. Such a strategy can include but are not limited to: raising magnesium levels, replacing old bulbs, replacing ro/di filters, using a more effective filtration method, and larger water-changes. If all else fails, try an urchin!

Truth or False? What else might we need to learn on this subject? Please also share any pictures that may pertain to the subject.

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[mike007]

I have used a counch before with good results.

 

[revhtree]

Good to know! What other ways have you all reduced or eradicated algae?

 

[ReefDVMs]

We have used GFO and biopellets to starve it out, but really it seems to be a very hard critter to get rid of once established.

 

[jackers]

I had a pretty decent hair algae problem and found a thread about using hydrogen peroxide. I took out the larger of the rocks and did a dip in fresh peroxide, followed by a saltwater dip, then back in the tank. Within days the hair algae turned white and then just vanished.

I have heard, on larger tanks where the rocks are too hard to remove, that you can cover a rock with plastic wrap and use a syringe (like found at drug stores for diabetics) to inject small amounts of peroxide. The plastic wrap is used to simply keep the peroxide in contact with the rock and algae longer.

I have one large base rock that has a nasty turf type green algae that is about to get the plastic wrap/peroxide treatment simply because of how good it worked on my other rocks.

 

[a49panhead]

do u use straight peroxide or do u dilute it, if so how mutch?

 

[GHill762]

I have no pest algae which is nice, but a little too sterile imo.. even some awesome pink cotton candy algae that I got a bunch of on a frag rock from a fellow reefer all disappeared.. I had a GHA outbreak for a while (when the tank was very young), but nothing since.. I even had a couple bubble algae bubbles burst in my tank.. nothing.. no "pest" algae.. out:

 

[djmatteo]

In my 2 years of reefing I have not had an algae bloom. I had a single bacterial bloom in my 55, and one in my 125. I generally alternate flake/frozen food every other day, GFO has been used off an on, skimmer, and recently the addition of an algae scrubber. Water changes arent on any specific schedule, but I test at least weekly and I either end up doing 2 small WC every month or 1 large one.

It actually wasnt until last week I had my first detectable nitrate in 2 years (10 ppm), I did like many others and just assumed I was maintaining 0 but with the introduction of my scooter blenny and new feeding regime of feeding frozen more often I think that caused it.

I am thankful I have not yet had to battle this GHA fight!

 

[jedidad]

A sea hare cleaned my tank up in no time. However it is important to get the the root of the problem and fix it or it will continue to plague your tank.

 

[BuzzWrasse]

I have tried everything from Sea Hare to Algae Fix. What has worked for me is using Eco-Bak bio pellets to reduce phosphate and nitrates. I had Rowa-Phos running before that which wasn't helping with the GHA. After 8 weeks of breaking in my nitrates are now down to zero. Only thing now is that the GHA doesn't want to die, for that I use 3 mL of 35% hydrogen peroxide (pharmacy kind is 3%) in a 100 gallon total system volume per day. I turn off all the pumps and powerheads for 5 min. I put it in a syringe and treat a roughly 4-6 inch diameter patch of rock, adding it to the base of the GHA at the rock. This is EXTREMELY effective for removing the algae, but if you don't get to the root of the problem (i.e. reducing phosphate and nitrate), then its just a waste/temporary solution.

I work for a chemical company is how I have access to this 35% peroxide, I believe you can also get it at hydroponic stores.

Thats my 2 cents worth. HTH

 

[navila06]

I fought GHA for 6 months, lots of rock scrubbing, lots of water changes, shorter photo period, used algae fix marine, cut back on feeding, used snails, tangs and vodka dosing cured this for me. I have heard that you will never 100% get rid of it, but I dont have a single hair of this stuff now(knock on the biggest piece of wood in my reach). Since then I have not vodka dosed for a couple months and it has not come back. It drove me mad to the point of quitting it all, stay focused and give it time and you will over come this pest.

 

[fragmatic]

I have no algae problems in my main display tank, my display refugium tank has a brown algae "problem". The reason for the quotation marks is it really isn't a problem, also this tank has much more light than my main display. My under tank refugium has plenty of red algae, and loads of green algae. Enough I can harvest it off the algae mats and glass. Oh, and let's toss in the sump with no light.

Now as to why I think I have three tanks (well four if you count the sump) on the same water system and they have different algae. My main display has 54 watts of LED and it is a 90. My under tank refugium is lit by too full spectrum worm lamps. My display refugium is lit by 84 watts of assorted LED's. Now, lets think about this, these tanks all have the same water running through them.

>No problem in the 90 with 54 watts of LED and all sorts of healthy life forms
>loads of brown algae in the display refugium with 85 watts of LED at a max of 20" from the tank floor.
>loads of mixed algae in the tank with full spectrum lighting at 3" off the water and a max of 15" off the rubble floor.
>no algae in the tank with no lighting.

So lets "figure this out"... it "ain't" filtration, it ain't GFO, it ain't carbon, it ain't my dose selection and schedule, it ain't water chemistry, it ain't nutrients, .. do you think it may be lighting??? Oh, and I only feed in the main display tank, (and a small amount in the display refugium). So.. it ain't from feeding.

It is a clear no brainer..... I still think most people have too much light over their tanks.
In my 90, I have mushrooms who would cup and reach for light if they don't get enough... they aren't. I have umbrella zoa on the floor who I need to move into the shade because they are getting too much light to open fully. My corals are healthy and growing. My water stays crystal clear. .. ..........................and ...............I am on my 5th week without a water change.

How about you simply try less lighting. ..wink... ?? It sure as heck can't hurt.

 

[Otter_rs]

Lower nutrient levels as much as possible, and be patient. Manual removal helps and so do urchins.


Brent \><{{{{*>
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[Otter_rs]

I have no algae problems in my main display tank, my display refugium tank has a brown algae "problem". The reason for the quotation marks is it really isn't a problem, also this tank has much more lit than my main display. My under tank refugium has plenty of red algae, and loads of green algae. Enough I can harvest it off the algae mats and glass. Oh, and let's toss in the sump with no light.

Now as to why I think I have three tanks (well four if you count the sump) on the same water system and they have different algae. My main display has 54 watts of LED and it is a 90. My under tank refugium is lit by too full spectrum worm lamps. My display refugium is lit by 84 watts of assorted LED's. Now, lets think about this, these tanks all have the same water running through them.

>No problem in the 90 with 54 watts of LED and all sorts of healthy life forms
>loads of brown algae in the display refugium with 85 watts of LED at a max of 20" from the tank floor.
>loads of mixed algae in the tank with full spectrum lighting at 3" off the water and a max of 15" off the rubble floor.
>no algae in the tank with no lighting.

So lets "figure this out"... it "ain't" filtration, it ain't GFO, it ain't carbon, it ain't my dose selection and schedule, it ain't water chemistry, it ain't nutrients, .. do you think it may be lighting??? Oh, and I only feed in the main display tank, (and a small amount in the display refugium). So.. it ain't from feeding.

It is a clear no brainer..... I still think most people have too much light over their tanks.
In my 90, I have mushrooms who would cup and reach for light if they don't get enough... they aren't. I have umbrella zoa on the floor who I need to move into the shade because they are getting too much light to open fully. My corals are healthy and growing. My water stays crystal clear. .. ..........................and ...............I am on my 5th week without a water change.

How about you simply try less lighting. ..wink... ?? I sure as heck can't hurt.

I use 2x1000wt halides and 2x120wt VHOs with no bad algae. In my opinion, you can't have too much light unless you have too much nutrients.

Brent \><{{{{*>
Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[bgibbon]

I'm no expert, but the only time we have had a lot of hair algae was after the initial cycling of our tank prior to the addition of any livestock. After the addition of a Yellow Tang and a Kole Tang all the algae was gone in a day or two, Now we have some hair algae that builds up around the pump return nozzles that does not get cleaned off but that is easily removed every several weeks by hand. We do run a sump with constantly illuminated macroalgae so that tends to keep nitrates very low in our system.

 

[fragmatic]

LOL.. I love this hobby.. there are so many good answers and ways. I feed heavy and have loads of nutrients. Under Otter's lighting I would absolutely have too many nutrients.

... I agree, If you have a high nutrient system you can't be heavy on the lighting. ...and .. I think we see that in nature. I see it every year in our local fresh water city "lakes" (they are small). When the sun gets high and hot in the summer, the algae goes nutz. This could have something with the spring lawn feeding.. ya think?

So, I see it showing as a nutrient / lighting balance.

 

[Otter_rs]

LOL.. I love this hobby.. there are so many good answers and ways. I feed heavy and have loads of nutrients. Under Otter's lighting I would absolutely have too many nutrients.

... I agree, If you have a high nutrient system you can't be heavy on the lighting. ...and .. I think we see that in nature. I see it every year in our local fresh water city "lakes" (they are small). When the sun gets high and hot in the summer, the algae goes nutz. This could have something with the spring lawn feeding.. ya think?

So, I see it showing is a nutrient / lighting balance.

I completely agree... If you can't limit one algae growth variable, you have to limit another to get results.


Brent \><{{{{*>
Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[GratefulReef]

I used to use tap water treated with amquel and never had hair algae, but I also had an urchin I didnt realize how much hair algae it ate until about 4 months after it died and my tank was covered! I have now switched to RODI and the problem is being fixed slowly, with regular water changes I pluck some algae from a certain area of the tank, couple weeks later I do another water change and pluck some more. Have also switched out for new bulbs ati and geis and can def tell the hair algae is dieing off, its turning dark dark green. I also added a lawnmower blenny=)

 

[mcarroll]

[...] cover a rock with plastic wrap and use a syringe (like found at drug stores for diabetics) to inject small amounts of peroxide. The plastic wrap is used to simply keep the peroxide in contact with the rock and algae longer.

Never heard of using plastic wrap before but could be a great idea - at least when you're able to treat a whole rock. I like!

-Matt




Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[jackers]

I have tried everything from Sea Hare to Algae Fix. What has worked for me is using Eco-Bak bio pellets to reduce phosphate and nitrates. I had Rowa-Phos running before that which wasn't helping with the GHA. After 8 weeks of breaking in my nitrates are now down to zero. Only thing now is that the GHA doesn't want to die, for that I use 3 mL of 35% hydrogen peroxide (pharmacy kind is 3%) in a 100 gallon total system volume per day. I turn off all the pumps and powerheads for 5 min. I put it in a syringe and treat a roughly 4-6 inch diameter patch of rock, adding it to the base of the GHA at the rock. This is EXTREMELY effective for removing the algae, but if you don't get to the root of the problem (i.e. reducing phosphate and nitrate), then its just a waste/temporary solution.

I work for a chemical company is how I have access to this 35% peroxide, I believe you can also get it at hydroponic stores.

Thats my 2 cents worth. HTH

Be careful with the 35% stuff. Be sure to wear safety glasses, I've heard a drop can eat off your cornea.