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View Full Version : What Eats Hair Algea???


Kevin34
01/19/2009, 09:01 AM
What reef safe invert eats hair algea?

Fish_wiz2
01/19/2009, 09:25 AM
snails, hermits, lawnmower blenny's

Kevin34
01/19/2009, 10:14 AM
I thought only mexican turbos ate hair algea but I wanted to avoid them because they are more a of cooler water species. I have a bunch of astrea but they arent eating it. Dont want hermits because I already have snails. What about emerald crabs? I have one already but it doesnt do much. Also want to stay away from the blenny because they arent clam safe.

Fish_wiz2
01/19/2009, 10:18 AM
No, emeralds only take care of bubble algae. the blenny i understand but mine didn't touch my 5 clams but it did die because it cleaned my tank dry. since you have a 125 how about a yellow tang? they work well and look cool

Sk8r
01/19/2009, 10:25 AM
A Phosban reactor or large fuge.

Kevin34
01/19/2009, 10:32 AM
whats an ideal phosphate level for no hair algea?

Craig Lambert
01/19/2009, 10:32 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14190150#post14190150 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
A Phosban reactor or large fuge.

+1!

Here is a good read for you:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm

Craig Lambert
01/19/2009, 10:35 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14190209#post14190209 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kevin34
whats an ideal phosphate level for no hair algea?

.03 or lower, but you would need to use a Hanna Colorometer to measure it. (At a minimum). Hobby kits are pretty useless at measuring phosphate. Do you have to clean the glass regularly? Do you have hair algae? Then you have a phoshate problem and need to export nutrients at a faster rate, and perhaps reduce their input to the tank.

connecticut cichlids
01/19/2009, 10:37 AM
Golf ball sized turbos

Junyoungmin
01/19/2009, 11:04 AM
I have a few blue leg hermits that take care of hair algae just fine.

Kevin34
01/19/2009, 12:02 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14190227#post14190227 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Craig Lambert
.03 or lower, but you would need to use a Hanna Colorometer to measure it. (At a minimum). Hobby kits are pretty useless at measuring phosphate. Do you have to clean the glass regularly? Do you have hair algae? Then you have a phoshate problem and need to export nutrients at a faster rate, and perhaps reduce their input to the tank.

The glass isnt really a problem at all. no algea on the glass. I usually clean it once ever 1-2 weeks. I have hair algea on my rocks only. none on the sand. and it isnt even that bad I just dont like the look of it. Its growing in small short clumps. not the long strandy kind.

pntballgunz
01/19/2009, 12:25 PM
Get a Rabbitfish.....Mine chomps all day!

Ratpack
01/19/2009, 12:30 PM
I have just about everything listed in this thread (alive) and none of them have touched mine. My next step is the phosban reactor.

tcmfish
01/19/2009, 12:36 PM
A SEA HARE! Most fish like blennies and tangs won't like it. And snails might eat it but it may grow back faster than they can get to it depending how many you have.

Phosphate reactor works though.

Sharkbait1
01/19/2009, 12:44 PM
Lettuce nudibrach. Hair algae is their main diet

LobsterOfJustice
01/19/2009, 12:55 PM
sea hare

michellejy
01/19/2009, 01:21 PM
Ditto the sea hare. I love mine, but he is a bit of a bulldozer.

johnike
01/19/2009, 01:56 PM
Another vote for the sea hare. I'm ready to give it to another fellow hairy reefer!

lb013
01/19/2009, 05:58 PM
Mollies can help but a toothbrush rubberbanded to a siphon hose and scrub and suck it out. If you siphon into a sump or fuge, rubberband the other end with pantyhose to catch the waste.

Kevin34
01/19/2009, 09:04 PM
what does a phosban reactor acually do? remove phosphates? I tested mine and they are around .1. would a simply phosphate removing filter pad get the job done? I dont think I have room in my sump for a phosban reactor.

buccard
01/19/2009, 09:52 PM
I tried a sea hare and it died very quickly, I did a 2 hour acclimation drip but it still died within one day, not sure what I could have done different...my tank parameters are good.

Beware of the sea hare may be sensative and if it dies and you dont find it soon enough it could cause some issues.

reefworm
01/19/2009, 11:19 PM
the above advice about getting at the source is correct - lower the nutrients by cutting back on feeding or transporting more of them out of the water column [growing macro, heavy skimming, phosban reactor, etc.] or a combination of both.

as for the present - ib013's advice about getting out what you have sounds like a good method [the stuff is tenacious]. Melev's method is worth looking at as well http://www.melevsreef.com/gha.html

CraigSlice
01/19/2009, 11:42 PM
seconding the rabbitfish. I got a one-spot foxface, ripped out the long pieces, and he took care of the rest. haven't seen any hair algae since about a week or two after adding him. Also like the looks of him, so thats a plus!