Hair Algae

[Dlhirst]

What to do when a hair algae bloom starts? I have some patches starting, and would like to nip them early. My nitrates seem to be reasonable - always <10, and usually <5.
Any suggestions?

[che25]

We had this problem a couple of months ago. I purchased a "Sea Hare", which looks like a large snail without a shell. It ate all the hair algae in about 3 days and that problem is solved.

[Engine8ff]

How long has your tank been up? Get a couple taqealla snails they will clean it up for ya also, there hard to find so you may have to look around. How often are you feeding the tank?

[saltyj]

FLOW FLOW FLOW. Add more flow to the dead spots in your tank. A lot of times Hair algae is caused by inadequate flow in certain areas of the tank. It can also be caused by overfeeding, but you said you trates are fairly low so, my vote is FLOW.

I had a big HA problem a while back and added two K4's to my 120 and it is almost non existent now.

[swjim]

Have you tested for phosphates? How old is your tank?

[Sk8r]

Generally it's a good thing: your tank is alive and growing. Phosphate bound in rock and sand is releasing to the salt water, and fueling this HA growth. Once it depletes, the HA will go away.
There are several ways of hastening this, but getting anything to EAT the stuff will only have it poo the phosphate back into the water.
Methods of EXTRACTING phosphate: 1. a refugium. You deliberately grow algae in there and throw away or sell part of it. Algae in your display will slowly die out, as your fuge, lit 24/7, sucks up all the phosphate. And I guarantee you that you have phosphate: you just can't measure it with an ordinary test while it is bound up in plants.
2. gfo. Granulated ferrous oxide. Honestly, I haven't found this very efficient.
3. toothbrush, wind, yank, throw algae away. Repeat daily.

Be patient. This is a frustrating period, but this too shall pass.

[boodlefish]

SK8r's advice is good and i would only like to add that i have had success using AlgaeFix Marine from API, heavy skimming and the addition of bacteria to consume and help export PO4 via the heavy skimming.

oh and the one last thing you will need is a little luck and a lot of patients

[garzaci]

Manual removal first. Remove as much as you can. Then do a water change. Then feed less. Purigen works pretty good for me. Less feeding and weekly water changes will help keep nutrients down and will slowly starve the algae out. Its a slow process, but well worth it in the end. If you purchase something to just eat the algae it will not remove the nutrients from your water therefore you'll always have the ability for more to grow.