View Full Version : How can I rid my tank of green hair algae
Dustyreef
01/07/2007, 12:22 AM
Ive got a 75G reef tank with 2X250W 10K MH and 2X110W blue avtinics VHOs. I've tested several things including phosphate. I pull all of it out and then do a water change, every week. But it keeps coming back. Im afraid to try anything chemical wise to get rid of. Could it be that Ive got too much light. So what can I do to rid my tank of green hair algae? Any info will be helpful.
SALIFERTS TESTING
PH: 8.2
AMMONIA:O PPM
NITRITE: 0 PPM
NITRATE: 10 PPM
PHOSPHATE: 0 PPM
SILICATE: O PPM
CALCIUM: 460 PPM
ALKALINITY: 2.86 meq/L 8dKH
dc_909
01/07/2007, 12:25 AM
Try mollies. People have been having good luck with them.
the_anti_honda
01/07/2007, 12:36 AM
LOL yea Murrieta!
Ok on the serious side. How long is your photo period? Also what kind of flow do you have? And what kind of clean up crew do you have?
supertech3
01/07/2007, 12:40 AM
where is the algae location?
dc_909
01/07/2007, 12:46 AM
Mollies actually do very well in a reef. They also eat tons of algae. There is a pretty big thread about them somewhere on here.
dc_909
01/07/2007, 12:53 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8479409#post8479409 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LBChicka
I bought a single sailfin molly 2 days ago for my (1st) saltwater tank. Acclimated her overnight. She has been in the tank a total of about 24 hours and has eaten most of the cyano and hair algae that was in it!
I wish i'd taken a good before shot, but my glass was about 2/3rds covered with cyano and there was hair algae (also covered in cyano) on almost every rock.
Its amazing. to anyone who is struggling with this stuff, mollies are definately worth a shot.
the_anti_honda
01/07/2007, 01:39 AM
Oh my location is not on my thing but I'm from Murrieta also..
Gundo5000
01/07/2007, 01:48 AM
MAtbe try a sea hare or a zebra urchin.
clutch
01/07/2007, 08:50 AM
use a refugium and use macro to get rid of. What happen to the animals when algea is gone. 2 blue leg hermits would work too. Maybe change the lighting (age) 10k ? I had this problem bought a whole wack of inverts and added the fuge the only thing that is living now is couple of crabs and macro in fuge(i use cheato and clulerpa). good luck
philipm
01/07/2007, 08:54 AM
Algae eating organisms treat the symptoms and ignore the problem. You need to figure out what aspects of your husbandry are causing the excess of nutrients that is feeding the algae.
What brand and model skimmer are you using?
Do you use tap water?
How often and how much do you feed the fish?
How long has your aquarium been set up?
clutch
01/07/2007, 08:55 AM
well said!!!!!!!!!
RandyStacyE
01/07/2007, 10:28 AM
I would use an RO/DI unit for your water change water and your top off water. Without it you run in circles ... problems occur and the problem is the water used (Assuming you do not use RO/DI). No matter how many water changes you do the problem will never go away.
I tried the mollies before and they didn't get the chance to do anything :)
Ever seen a headless molly? When I put one in my tank it just didn't look like it fit in if you know what I mean. My critters must have thought the same thing and decided to eat its face off.
I tried it a couple more times and within a couple of hours I had more headless mollies.
ushered_in
01/07/2007, 01:57 PM
Foxface Lo!!! Or rabbitfish by another name. get a good sized one (3" should do it) and he'll have that cleaned up in a couple weeks. after it's gone, he'll eat whatever you give him.
RedEyeElf
01/07/2007, 07:21 PM
Small yellow tang, if I'm not mistaken the smaller the better seeing as how their digestive system is faster when they are smaller, then you just have a bright colored small tang instead of aton of random inverts
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8916456#post8916456 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dustyreef
Ive got a 75G reef tank with 2X250W 10K MH and 2X110W blue avtinics VHOs. I've tested several things including phosphate. I pull all of it out and then do a water change, every week. But it keeps coming back. Im afraid to try anything chemical wise to get rid of. Could it be that Ive got too much light. So what can I do to rid my tank of green hair algae? Any info will be helpful.
SALIFERTS TESTING
PH: 8.2
AMMONIA:O PPM
NITRITE: 0 PPM
NITRATE: 10 PPM
PHOSPHATE: 0 PPM
SILICATE: O PPM
CALCIUM: 460 PPM
ALKALINITY: 2.86 meq/L 8dKH
Parameters look o.k.
How old are the bulbs?
jefathome
01/07/2007, 08:50 PM
Feeding less and a sea hare worked for me.
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