Dealing with hair algae

[Ayman]

I did manual removal, nutrient drop, and added this thing to outcompete algae in the display tank - Algae Scrubber - no problems since. And this is with me purposely keeping my phosphates a little on the high side because I like happy torches.

Is this Algae Scrubber what you are currently running?

 

[Ayman]

I do think the green hair and turf algae’s consume nitrate and that is important to make sure it’s not crazy high.
Haven’t seen anyone mention yet, besides manual removal and stuff to eat it, you can do 3 day blackout and it will help weaken and slow it down. Easier to remove after that too.
I know I get weak after a 3 day blackout…

The black out method is a good idea at least to break the algae down.

Remove manually as much as i can as everyone pretty much mentioning.

Now also very interested in what people think of algae scrubbers.

very tempted to try out also.

 

[Alexander1312]

Urchins
Nutrients - 100/1 nitrate to phosphate
Herbivores if tank is big enough
Manual removal until short enough for them to eat it
Good flow
Major and minor elements within range - ICP

No seahare
No rowaphos
No hydrogen peroxide

 

[Invictus]

I think reducing nutrients to battle algae is nonsense, which is also pretty much exactly what Rich says in his presentations on the topic, definitely watch the one @Srt4eric shared above. Your corals need nutrients too, so you can't reduce them to zero or your corals will die...algae and corals basically grow in the same conditions. My nutrients are higher than yours and I have zero issues with algae, this is true for many many successful reefers.

The answer is just more cleanup crew, but they don't like the really mature stuff - so manual removal to get on top of it. But mainly CUC. One Urchin is worth about 50 snails in my experience, though snails are good and easy to get. Tangs are awesome too.

Edit - start watching around 7:50.

I think that getting nutrients under control is less about reducing them and more about understanding what caused the spike in the first place; and then figuring out how to hold them steady at the rate that your corals/skimmer can manage. Once a whole tank full of algae is removed your nutrients are likely to spike again if you make no changes to how you’re running the tank.

Phosphates at .15 .25 etc can be totally fine, but you don’t want to be on a roller coaster from 0 to .85 then back again over and over.

 

[derek_SR]

I think that getting nutrients under control is less about reducing them and more about understanding what caused the spike in the first place; and then figuring out how to hold them steady at the rate that your corals/skimmer can manage. Once a whole tank full of algae is removed your nutrients are likely to spike again if you make no changes to how you’re running the tank.

Phosphates at .15 .25 etc can be totally fine, but you don’t want to be on a roller coaster from 0 to .85 then back again over and over.

Yes, I think that is fair. And there are plenty of reasons you may want to keep your nutrients under control and/or stable.

Like Rich says, algae is good at life. And you aren't going to "starve" algae of nutrients unless they are actually zero - and you don't want them zero, that would be bad. So nobody should really have the expectation that taking their no3 from 45 to 5 is going to clear up their algae problem, for example. Any materially measurable nutrient level is basically enough for algae to grow.

Algae...finds a way. It must be eaten!

 

[yosemiteclimber]

Urchins, emerald crabs, turbos have helped in the past for me - spending the time to do as much manual cleanup makes a big difference. Turbos and urchins will continuously knock over anything that isn't nailed down, so be ready to put stuff back daily.

Algae scrubber or chaeto reactor could certainly help - check you phosphates, GFO may be helpful there as well.

 

[derek_SR]

My 225gal with plenty of herbivores was at 170+ppm nitrates and over 1.0ppm phos and algae never got to the point where I could see it growing.

I've also had a tank with 0 nitrates and 0 phos and had plenty of algae growth.

^^^^

 

[Patio]

Now also very interested in what people think of algae scrubbers.

very tempted to try out also.

I am not sure I believe that having algae growing in a scrubber or refugium means it will limit itself to only grow in that scrubber or refugium. I think they remove nutrients though. When I ran one several years back I didn't really measure nutrients often enough to quantify it.

 

[yosemiteclimber]

I am not sure I believe that having algae growing in a scrubber or refugium means it will limit itself to only grow in that scrubber or refugium. I think they remove nutrients though. When I ran one several years back I didn't really measure nutrients often enough to quantify it.

I have seen complaints of N03 and P04 bottoming, but every system is different so I guess you never know until you try!

A supplier I know in Texas switched to scrubber only, did away with the protein skimmer and now swears by it…

 

[Patio]

A supplier I know in Texas switched to scrubber only, did away with the protein skimmer and now swears by it…

I also like that you can reverse light schedule it. Keep photosynth going opposite the display with some PH benefits. I don't measure ph though so can't quantify it.