Hair Algae

[Hannibal]

Okay, I've tried everything. Snails, Crabs, Big Snails, Tangs, you name it. I have a Huge
Skimmer, and use only Ro/DI water. I Have zero nitrates, zero amonia etc and still have a hair algae problem. There are only 3 fish in the tank, a yellow tang and 2 clowns. There is 200lbs of Rock, 100 lbs sand. The tank is 120gal. I run 2 actinics, 1 daylight, one blue,and run 2 175watt Halides for 5 hrs a day. (German 10K's). There is a really big Green Hammer, a green brain, lots O'shrooms and a branching torch. No carbon but I do have aphosphate bag. I also run a ocean clear canister, a U.V. and a calcium reactor.I'm about to give up on this !!! HELP !!

[FishDaddy]

Hi Hannibal,

As Brooke suggested, the type of algae could make a difference in control methods. Try to sift through the pics and descriptions on these Algae sites and see if you can ID and let us know: http://128.171.207.10/ReefAlgae/Greenskey.htm http://www.coralreefnetwork.com/marl...th/Default.htm http://www.coralreefs.hawaii.edu/Ree...LOROPHYTA.html http://128.171.207.10/ReefAlgae/cata...reen_algae.htm
Glad to have you with us on The Reef Tank!
Dick

[Hannibal]

I looked at all those links and did not see anything that looks exactly like my algea. It is definately not valonia and does not look like bryopsis. If you send me an email I'll forward you a couple of pictures.

It is tufts of hair, dark green and smells really bad when I pull it out.

[Rick O]

Hi Hannibal,

Welcome to TRT. I'm on my second bout with HA so "I feel your pain ".

It looks like you're doing everything right as far as water quality goes. What I learned from my first bout was that manual removal is the only way to get rid of it. I pulled every rock out and scrubbed it with a toothbrush in a bucket of tank water during a water change. I kept another bucket of tank water to rinse in. The snails will do a good job after it's cropped low but they won't touch the long stuff.

FWIW I'm experimenting with a tuxedo urchin which is on loan to me. It does eat coralline algae but it doesn't seem to mind if there is HA growing over the coralline it eats.

HTH, Rick

[ReefJunkie]

What causes turf algea and how do you cure it? I am battling some algea that I thought was hair but my numbers are 0 and nothing touches it. Thanks

[FishDaddy]

Hannibal,
I couldn't make out the picture you sent but from your descriptions and its resistance to removal, I suspect Bryopsis plumosa or another species of Bryopsis.
Here are some other links: http://www.biology.ucsc.edu/classes/...ng99/bryopsis/ http://www.globaldialog.com/~jrice/a...e/bryopsis.htm
HTH
Dick

[Alice]

Ok...I'll start with a couple of questions

1) Are you sure it's hair algae?

2) Have any of the critters been eating it?

Critters seem to eat the hair algae but not things like turf algae is the reason I ask.

~Alice

[Hannibal]

Nothing seems to eat it. What's the difference between Hair and Turf?

[FishDaddy]

RJ,
The Red Turf is so durable, they should use it for football fields!!
Gelidium pulsillum:
http://www.globaldialog.com/~jrice/a...ge/redturf.htm
I have a crop of it that I prune back by simply pulling it off....peels off in a patch if you do it carefully. I had one Mithrax that showed some interest in it but the one I have now ignores it.
I have read suggestions that Kalk paste applied to some of the alga's, such as Bryopsis, will control it but I don't recommend that as enough Kalk to kill off a substantial patch of algae could cause pH problems with the tank. Last time I tried that for some unwanted encrusting Fire Coral, my softies didn't like it at all!
Dick

[ 03-28-2001: Message edited by: FishDaddy ]