Hair algae!!!!!!!!

[Daren]

My tank is being over run with hair algae. I recently installed a new sump form lifereef along with their refugium and new skimmer Bubble King SM 200 and new Solaris I5 light. My system has been setup for about 2 years. I kinda let it go and did not do much to it until purchasing the new equiment. I currently have 200 lbs of live rock and 1 Royal Gramma, no corals, some snails, a couple of hermits. My refugium has been setup for about 4 weeks and the macro has started growing. I do have a calcium reactor running Geo 618 with aquarium plants regulator for Co2. Im also running Nitrate reducers and Phosphate reduces in filter cyclinders. My skimmer is really producing dark nasty skimmate. I only feed my fish about 2 days a week. My aqurium is being over run with hair algae. I turned the lights off for several days and this stuff is growing with the lights off. Does anyone have any idea what is going on?
Paramaters:
Calcium: 400
PH: 8.12
Magnesium: 1380
Temp: 80
Phosphate: Barely detectable
Nitrates: Barely detectable

Thanks,
Daren

[Daren]

Oh yeah, I have been doing 10 gallon water changes everyweek also.

[Daren]

210 gallon also. Sorry just keep forgetting to include the info.

[ReefJunkieOK]

Do you run GFO? I had a hair algae issue and ran GFO. It cleared up within a week. Most phosphate test kits are not very accurate.

[DiverD]

A carefully acclimated sea hare could help short term on the cosmetic end, but I think GFO is the only real solution...

[DLANDINO]

Hi Daren, what kind of flow do you have going? Also, when you install new lights, usually you will have an algae outbreak if conditions are right. It will usually die out within a few weeks.

[Daren]

I use a blueline HD70 for return and 4 koralia pumps with wavemaker control.

[Daren]

Just installed the lights a few weeks back but seems like when they are on it grows more and more, bubbles everywhere. About 30% of my rock is now covered. I dont know whether to keep them off or on. I can adjust the light levels. But not sure what to do.

[DLANDINO]

What number koralias do you have? You should be moving at least 10x the total water volume in gph with your pumps. Do you get at least this movement?

[Daren]

My koralias are #4. rated at 1200 gph each and return is rated at 1700 gph. So yes I should be getting enoguh flow.

[Rae C.]

Are you using RO/DI water? Is it time to change that media?

[Daren]

Yes using RO/DI. Just changed the filters at the same time I swapped equipment out.

[DLANDINO]

Hi Daren, it seems that you have enough PO4 to be causing this issue. I battled this issue a few months back and was successful in beating it. I took an all encompassing approach in the fight. I made one large water change and then kept up with my weekly 10% changes. Switched from RO water to RO/DI water, increased my flow to nearly double what I had, decreased my feedings of frozen foods and cut my dry foods to every other day and only enough for the fish to eat in about 2 min. I also stopped using filter fiber throughout the week,, only using it for 24 hrs after my water change, religiously blew the rocks off with a turkey baster every other day and scrubbed the patches of HA that I saw with a firm tooth brush at water change time. I used the tooth brush when the pumps were off so that the strands didn't blow around that much, it was after the scrubbing that I siphoned off the water for my change and made sure to concentrate the end of my vacuum on the areas that I scrubbed. After my water change was complete I used a product called AZ NO3 to bring my NO3 down to undetectable levels.

I beat HA in about 1 months time. Good luck!

[chieuxuan]

I'm too new to the hobby, what is GFO means??? Thanks

[DLANDINO]

Granular Ferric Oxide. :-)

[DLANDINO]

I am glad that chieuxuan brought this up. I forgot to mention that in my HA rant. I started using GFO during this battle and continue to do so today. I also change mine our bi-weekly. Bi-weekly is much sooner than manufacturers says is necessary. It just makes me feel better about it. I am not sure that it is necessary to change it this often. I run mine in a power filter in a media bag as I have no sump or reactor.

[GIJOE007]

Try this out...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1487330

I've been doing it for two days now, 15 minute soak times for a batch in a pail...I've noticed a difference in just 2 DAYS!!!! Just make sure you rinse with SW before you put the rocks back in your DT. You can also target dose with the powerheads off for rocks with coral and such on them, but if they are free to come out of you DT, use the pail method...much faster results!!!

Hope this helps

[DLANDINO]

GIJOE007, that treatment is for bryopsis. I am not an authority but I don't think it works on HA. At least, I have not read where the Tech M mag overshoot has been used on HA and is successful. But, hey, if it is working for you you may have a thread of your own soon! :-) Good luck.

Dave

[GIJOE007]

thats just it...it seams to have the same effect (cure). I was looking at the make up of the two and they are both (basically) in the same family (nussaunce algae) and caused by high nitrates. Even if you look at pictures of the two, they have very similar characteristics...but in the end it's what causes it thats the same. You may just see a new thread in a few days, once I continue the treatment...we shall see.

I've heard all the attempts to rid GHA...run carbon, run GFO, water change, water change, water change, lessin light on cycle times..etc. I figure what the hell, what do I got lose so early in this tank life.

[chieuxuan]

i don't think raising Tech M will get HA out.......this is the entire thread of Tech M

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1113109&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

[Captinshinyside]

No one mentioned the lights out for 3 days method?
I did that and added in a Sea hair and a Fox face and no more hair algae at all. Now I have to feed them nori or they give me sad looks all day

[Daren]

Thanks for all the response. i ordered a gallon of GFO from Bulk Reef Supply and started using it on Friday evening. Cannot tell any difference yet. I hope this works, Im about ready to give up.

Thanks,
Daren