need help getting rid of hair algae!

[devids]

what is the fastest way to get rid of hair algae? i put a sea hare in my tank a couple of weeks ago and it doesn't seem to be working well at all. my water parameters are all good except for phosphate, so i bought phosban to help reduce it but i dont see any progress. any suggestions? thanks

 

[Mopar Reefer]

You said they were not good but you did not specify so what is your phospahte readings? You have to find the source of your excess nutrients, overfeeding? Water change schedule? How old are your bulbs? A recent change in lighting will spike a growth in algae too. I had a huge GHA problem and started running macro algae and put in a reactor w/GFO and with frequent water changes I beat it over a time.

 

[pnikiel]

Phosphate is the big problem with hair algae. You can drop that with a number of different products, but you still need to get rid of the algae in your tank. The only way I've been able to do it is to remove from the tank the rock with the algae and scrub it with a wire brush. As long as it stays in the tank, and pieces of it float in the tank, you'll be fighting it... and that ain't fun.

 

[bmw-legend]

Do you have UV Sterilizer? that worked on mine tank

 

[devids]

Do you have UV Sterilizer? that worked on mine tank

ya i think u told me about this once, when i met u at ben's house. i think i want to try it but i've also heard some negative things about using uv sterilizer too. i'll try to find a used one and if it ends up not working out, plan B is to take out all the rocks with hair algae then scrub it off like the others said.

 

[1fishkeeper]

What do you have for a clean up crew?

 

[devids]

yes i have about 20 blue legged hermits, three emerald crabs, and a few snails.

 

[Ed Hahn]

I would check things like making sure your RO/DI filters are in good shape. I would also check your parameters. Things like temperature swings, Calcium ratio to Magnesium ratio to make sure Alk and Calcium are not bouncing fast. One that sneaks in here often unheard of is using multiple fix alls like combination dosings at same time. People dose Alk and Calcium at same time-not good. Clean your skimmer to make sure its working properly. Make sure you have enough flow to keep things in water column for skimming. Aquascaping for good flow. Remove anything uneaten or dead in your tank and do a water change, So many causes of Algae.

 

[ashton]

You could also try cutting back on your feedings because if you are feeding heavily that can contribute to the hair algae. I had really good results running a phosphate reactor with rowaphos in it which has helped keep my phosphates at 0. Good luck

 

[Mopar Reefer]

Do you use tap water?