Help with hair algae !!

[Pirate]

For those of you who know me you may remember that last year I had a terrible outbreak of bubble algae. Well that was quickly taken care of with my Foxface. Now I wish it were so simple. I have hair algae like you would not believe. I did a thorough cleaning and rock brushing last week. The tank looked great as I also had to re-aquascape things. All parameters are good, very good as a matter of fact. I do a 20 gal water change a week with ro/di water which is also used for my top off. I add only aragamight to my tank and some iodine every other day. I do occasionaly have to add some reef builder to up the alk. Temps are steady at 76 - 81 during the day. I reduced my lighting cycle, started feeding only every other day, and added a phosphate reducer in the sump. I still have the 125 with a 100 gal sump. actinic vho's on at 9a.m. mh's on at 11a.m. then mh's off at 7 and actinics at 8. For about a week I cut the lights at 5. But now it's coming back, any thoughts or experience ? Give me bubble anyday.

[cath]

Hair algae is a curse, that's for sure. I've got some that's choking out my trumpet. And the clean up crew that I bought don't know what their purpose in life is. Let's see how others have dealt with it.

[seamonkey]

I dealt with it by cheating and I am sure most like doing natural methods of disposal. I'd say more regular water changes and a good clean up crew would do best. A yellow tang would also help because mine seems to love my hair alge when I get it on rare occasions now.

[Junkzoo]

Scott, remind me of the age of your RO/DI,,,about a year or so?
i'll have to get over there and test the tap vs. DI with my TDS meter,,,gotta show it off to SOMEONE! LOL

[Junkzoo]

also,,, mebbe take in a sample to a local water filter type store, Hebron maybe has Osby's i think,,, also think by law they gotta test your water fer free,,,
take in DI water , and don't tell them it's DI unless they ask if it's out of your tap,,,,then say yes,, well it DID right?
it not a lie!
there gonna want to sell you filtration/conditioners, so look for a suprized look from them ,if the water tests TOO well for our "country" water,,,,
get a report with numbers and such,,,and have Jean or your daughter take in tap water the next day or something,,,compare the two,,,,
i'm not sneaky, i'm frugal!

[Junkzoo]

one more thing,,i seem to recall that mebbe Lugol's might help feed the hair,,,can't say for sure tho,,,
IMO, once a week for the Lugols,,,
'member,,ya got the xenia from me,,,
no set schedule for me on Lugol's , i kinda watch the xenia,,and go from there,,,

[Spanky]

Scott,

I know several people that have a unique way of dealing with this. They keep a spare set of rocks cooking in the basement all the time.

[Geoff]

if it is that bad, and the tank is well established. i would suggest a sea hare. mine has done an amazing job of eliminating my hair algae. not the pretties thing to look at, but pretty cool. my wife really likes it though, which totally surprised me. right now i am having problems giving it enough to eat. luckily it also like sargassum and the padina.

G~

[kestrel]

Geoff,

How 'bout a pic? Also, if you are having that much trouble finding food for it, please send it to the mountains for the summer I've got a good supply of hair algae, and seeing more every day.

Daryl

[Geoff]

here ya go kestrel

actually that is pretty temping. or maybe i could rent the hare out! my tank was just about covered in hair algae and within a couple of months it cleaned it right up! i was hoping to get a smaller one, but this was the only one my LFS could get. it is 8 inches long.

G~

[kestrel]

OK Cool.

Which LFS? I come down to Raleigh about once a month, for business.

Or the other option: Would you like to borrow a few large rocks? They are semi-live rock - actually they are dead coral skeletons that have been in my tank for 5 years as of Friday. They have spots of coraline, but still seem to act more as detritus traps and algea platforms than anything else. The worst one is a finger/table acropora, about 12" across and weighing in at too many pounds - I've never weighed it but probably 15-20 lbs.

Daryl

[Spanky]

Dolabrifera dolabrifera

Ok Geoff, spill it. Where did you get him?

[Pirate]

Well thanks guys, especially you Spanky for the live rock idea. Why didn't I think of that ? I'll go right out tomorrow and pick up another 180# of LR for the sump. I have several critters that should do well ie: Yellow tang, regal tang, foxface etc, and about 100 each crabs, and a variety of snails, nothing wants to touch the hair. Guess I'll get the toothbrush out tomorrow and start scrubbing before it gets bad again.

[Spanky]

LOL

Not in the sump Scott. That just acts like a detritus trap. Like a big wad of filter fluff.

They all set up vats in the basement, in the dark, with just a pump for circulation. Lets the bacteria have time to work on it.

[Pirate]

Yeah Spanky that's great, I will tell the wife as soon as I log off that we need some vats and more pumps running. The only good thing that I see coming of this is that I will be forced to move back to Marathon, then at least we can dive together. I guess that maybe Jeff would come see me once in awhile then. And Jeff, the ro/di is just over a year. Which is why I put the phosphate sponge in the sump. As far as the lugols... I'm not sure about how that dosing relates to microalgae. I know that iron is a huge factor, but I have none of that. Or at least not much. But hey... grab a toothbrush and come on over.