Green hair algae

unclejed · 10-13-2007, 12:08 PM

Hi everyone, well lets try to find a difinitve answer to the dreaded green hair algae problem. My water perameters are near perfect, I am running a mega-flo model 1 wet/dry filter and r/o water and i'm still getting the green hair algae! If anyone can help I appreciate the input. Unclejed

Chitown1 · 10-13-2007, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclejed

Hi everyone, well lets try to find a difinitve answer to the dreaded green hair algae problem. My water perameters are near perfect, I am running a mega-flo model 1 wet/dry filter and r/o water and i'm still getting the green hair algae! If anyone can help I appreciate the input. Unclejed

How long has the tank been set up for? If less than a year it is very common to have hair algae.

How old and what type of lighting do you have?

unclejed · 10-14-2007, 10:34 AM

Thanks for responding chitown1, this tank has only been "up" for a couple of months as it is a replacement of a tank that was 12 years old. When the guys "flipped" my old tank to this one they used about 1/2 of my existing water. I have since done at least 4 twenty five percent water changes with r/o water and am quite sure all the old water has been displaced. I am real happy with the set up as this is a 55 gal. overflow with the bottom drilled. The old tank was a standard with back filters, then canister filter. the old tank was breaking down fast toward the end and I got an outbreak of "hair" about one month before we could flip it. I had an outbreak years ago and to my surprise a lady who ran a lfs that I never go to(my buddy wanted to stop)suggested Maracin for fresh water! Thought she didn't know what she was talking about as I told her I had salt water. After an awkward discussion she asured me it would work. Bingo! It did and in only a matter of a few days to a week! Now, however I have corals and live rock as I didn't before I am reluctant to put any chemicals in this pritine new enviroment. Lighting is: coralife 48" compact and a coralife T-5. Thanks again for any more input.

Chitown1 · 10-14-2007, 11:04 AM

I don't think you have anything to be concerned with, you are just in a normal cycling stage. You can add some mexican turbo snails and they will eat the hair algae, another option is a sea hare, they thrive on hair algae and either will prevent you from using chemicals or additives which I agree with your theory of not using them 100%.

unclejed · 10-14-2007, 06:10 PM

I considered using a sea hare but then read they can exude a potentially fatal "ink". Maybe rare, but read people have lost both fish and corals. What's your take on this?

Chitown1 · 10-14-2007, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclejed

I considered using a sea hare but then read they can exude a potentially fatal "ink". Maybe rare, but read people have lost both fish and corals. What's your take on this?

The possibility def. exists, but they only do that when they feel extreme danger. I have had them before and did not have any issue, I could even pick them up and hold them and they never released poison.
The last one I had did such a good job with the algae, it has been passed around between a couple of my friends tanks just to keep him fed, it was a blue spotted one that my wife named snufalu***us....LOL