green hair algae

[kmeans]

Hey everyone I need some help, I have green hair algae taking over my tank . What can I do to get rid of it?

Thanks!

 

[tatersalad]

Margarita snails? I know they love that stuff like it was cake. Also check your water param., and your lighting arrangement. I'm not a professional or anything, but crazy algae usually means an imbalance somewhere. Also, I'd personally stay away from algecides and quick fixes, but that's just me. You want to get to the root of your problem, and not just the symptom. Your LFS might be able to test your water for you if you don't have the test equipment/chems. Hope any of this helps.
-Matt

 

[kmeans]

Margarita snails? I know they love that stuff like it was cake. Also check your water param., and your lighting arrangement. I'm not a professional or anything, but crazy algae usually means an imbalance somewhere. Also, I'd personally stay away from algecides and quick fixes, but that's just me. Your LFS might be able to test your water for you if you don't have the test equipment/chems. Hope any of this helps.
-Matt

I don't think I have any margarita snails but I have a lot of turbo snails, I will look into that! As far as my water goes it is not were I want it to be. I am doing daily testes right now to try and get the numbers back to were they need to be. I read that you can tear the algae off and it will slowly disappear the only problem is it seems to want to grow on my corals and not on the rock.

 

[bigblue141]

Make sure you are using RO/DI water for your water changes.

Do 20-30% water changes once a week until your parameters get back to where you want them to be (or close.) There is no better cure for bad water than to replace it with good water.

During your water changes you can pull out your rock and use a new clean (Never used for anything else) stiff bristled brush and brush as much algae off as you can in a SEPERATE container. Rinse your rock in another bucket with salt water and place back in your system.

Try reducing your light cycle an hour or two.

You might also want to reposition your power heads to make sure there are no "dead spots" in your tank. Maybe even pick up another small Korila for some added flow.

Make sure you're not overfeeding your tank. It's better to have a couple small feedings rather than just one large one. Watch your fish and make sure they are eating everything you are feeding.

You may also check to see how many "reef janitors" you have. A handful of tiny hermits isn't going to cut it to keep your tank clean. I would say you want about 60+ small hermits (red legged, zebra's, blue legged, lefty's etc.) and 60+ assorted snails in your tank. Keep in mind hermits are known to eat snails for a new shell and/or if food is shy.

If you have Bio-balls, toss them. They are probably feeding your algae.

If you have a canister filter, make sure it's staying clean, as dirty floss will feed your algae as well.

If you have floss or a filter sock... Toss the floss pad. Make sure the filter sock is getting cleaned every couple of days to prevent a build up of nutrients.

If you have the space in your sump get some Chaeto from a local Reefer to help "asorb" the nutrients that the hair algae is using up.


Hope this helps.

Ryan

 

[blk822822]

I was having a problem with algae and I started to run carbon and phos. gaurd in a canister filter and its going away now. I need to get a ro/di myself, had one told the wife I didn't need it anymore because I got out of saltwater and sold it. now have to buy another.

 

[Chichas01]

Hey everyone I need some help, I have green hair algae taking over my tank . What can I do to get rid of it?

Thanks!

I think you need to give us some more info. describe your setup:

• tank size? sump? refugium?
• flow?
• parameters? (pH, alk, calcium, mag, nitrates, phosphates)
• lighting? schedule?
• livestock?
• skimmer?
• any media reactors? carbon? phosphate?
• inverts?
• what are you feeding?
• how old is your system?

My first guess is that this is a new system so this is going to be part of the process. Snails can help. I'd recommend turbos, nerites, money/gold ring) cowries, conch's and trochus snails. Margaritas just don't last because they are a temperate species. Astrea snails are good too, but they have a hard time righting themselves when they flip over.

 

[kmeans]

Thank you all for the abundance of information, I will check all the parameters and get a list up in a few hours. I have been meaning to make one anyways

 

[kmeans]

I think you need to give us some more info. describe your setup:

• tank size? sump? refugium?
• flow?
• parameters? (pH, alk, calcium, mag, nitrates, phosphates)
• lighting? schedule?
• livestock?
• skimmer?
• any media reactors? carbon? phosphate?
• inverts?
• what are you feeding?
• how old is your system?

My first guess is that this is a new system so this is going to be part of the process. Snails can help. I'd recommend turbos, nerites, money/gold ring) cowries, conch's and trochus snails. Margaritas just don't last because they are a temperate species. Astrea snails are good too, but they have a hard time righting themselves when they flip over.

OK here is goes...

65 gal tank with a 20 gal sump, no refugium

three korilas, two small and one a little bigger.

parameters: Doing much better then where they were a week ago
Calcium 360
Carbon 5 DKH
Phosphate 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
PH 8.1
Ammonia .5

I have my lights on 10 hours and off the rest of the night. I have a 14000 medal halide and two actinic bulbs. I am working on getting it set up so the actinics come on an hour before and after the halide.

Skimmer: modified ASM-G1 with a sedra 2500

No reactors.

Livestock/inverts
Two cleaner shrimp
Pistol shrimp/ watchman goby (The way these are connected I am sure they are actually one animal)
Scooter Blinny
Bartlett Anthias
Rose tip anemone (i think more orange then rose)

They get fed brine shrimp daily and clyptoease every three days.

The tank is three years old, I have had it for only three months but we kept about 75% of the old water.

No bio balls and no filter sock (is this needed?)

Hope this helps!

Thanks, Kassie

 

[blk822822]

Do you have live rock and sand?????

 

[kmeans]

Do you have live rock and sand?????

I have about 50 pounds of rock that came with the tank. I added sand when I got the tank.

 

[bigblue141]

Do some nice big water changes everyweek for the rest of the month and everything should level itself out.

You Alkalinity is a little low. You might want to get a carbonite buffer to raise it up a little bit.

As far as your korila sizes, the bigger one is a K2 and the smaller ones are K1's.

 

[kmeans]

Do some nice big water changes everyweek for the rest of the month and everything should level itself out.

You Alkalinity is a little low. You might want to get a carbonite buffer to raise it up a little bit.

As far as your korila sizes, the bigger one is a K2 and the smaller ones are K1's.

Thank you Ryan, I am going to go get some RO water tomarow and I will look to see if I have a carbonite buffer, I think i do.

 

[fishwishmarge]

Sounds like things are going in the right direction! Good to hear. I would certainly get some RO water, its the best option if you are going to have a healthy aquarium again soon. Good luck and hope things keep going in the right path for your tank in trouble.

 

[minhmattmai]

+1 for the RO/DI suggestion above. Nothing but algae grief for me until I bit the bullet and switched over to good water.

 

[kmeans]

So I spent all day Saturday on my tank. I had picked up some RO water on Friday and pre made some salt water. Saturday morning I removed all live stock and rock. I turned my spray bar (this was causing my sand to fly all over the tank) then I scrubbed all the rock. I did about a 50% water change and put everything back in. I took my time and positioned everything just right, the first time I was too excited and rushed this process. I set up my light to run actinic for 10 hours and Halide for 8. My fish seem to like the new set up but my corals I think are a little angry. I figure it will take them time to get over the move. The good thing is I did not loose anything in the process and my tank looks better then ever! Hopefully I will be able to keep the tank algae free or at least manageable. Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[minhmattmai]

Sounded like you had a busy weekend, in a good way

 

[kmeans]

Sounded like you had a busy weekend, in a good way

Yes it was very busy but I had a lot of fun. I never thought scrubbing rocks would be enjoyable!

 

[bigblue141]

That's good to hear.

I have re-aquascaped my tank about 6 times since February. I like to tell myself it's because I'm adding a new fish..... But it gets to looking better every time and gets more and more secure. Hopefully by the end of summer I'll be done farting around with it

 

[kmeans]

That's good to hear.

I have re-aquascaped my tank about 6 times since February. I like to tell myself it's because I'm adding a new fish..... But it gets to looking better every time and gets more and more secure. Hopefully by the end of summer I'll be done farting around with it

I still have at least 30lb of live rock I would like to add someday so I know it won't be done any time soon. But as soon as I add the rock I will find some other reason to change it, or I will just buy another tank!

 

[runtowin777]

just simply pull it off with your fingers when it grows