Help, Green Hair Algea continues to win the battle

[kcslee]

Need some advice or suggestion. I have a 95 gal corner reef tank that has been active for a little over 2.5 years. The green hair algae seems to always take over, to start it first took over the live rock, after fighting with it there and thinking I won, it then consumed 2 sponges, 3 leathers, 1 brown and 1 green polyps and 2 colt corals...killing them all. After it did that the first time, I let the tank rest in the dark for a while, killing off the algae, now 1 year later it is doing it again and I cant figure out why or how to stop it. Yes, weekly water changes..made sure it wasn't high in any nutrient that might cause an algae explosion (ro, carbon filtered water), have a cpr protien skimmer, Eheim wet/dry , a UV, rock and sand. all the various test in each variable seems to be within prime levels. I just cant seem to stop the killer algae..

[Katspaw]

The only thing else I can ask is does your RO/DI remove silcia? ( sory if I spelt it wrong /ubbthreads/images/icons/laugh.gif ) Silcia's in the water can add to the growth of hair algae.

Tracey

[bluereef]

Hi
IMO cut the water changes,with fresh sea water you introduce loot of trace element which hair algae need to grow,reduce feeding and if you can remove the rock infested with hair algae and scrub them with diluted vinegar(only place where are the hair algae).Also if you have canister or power filter buy quality phosphate and silicate remover and put them in filter,you can also use seachem purigen in combination with phosphate remover.Dont dose any aditives in the tank except calcium and kh buffer and if you dont dose kalkwaser you can start,hair algae dont like high ph.Also what kind of light you have?,old bulb can contribute to hair algae problems.

[james]

also i was told that a strong water flow helps to remove this algae im not positive but im just going on what i was told

[kbt]

<blockquote><font class="small">So speaketh james:</font><hr> also i was told that a strong water flow helps to remove this algae im not positive but im just going on what i was told <hr /></blockquote>

I agree with this. Movement will help a lot. It will keep it from finding a place where it can attach.

Also, eliminate what it feeds on. Macro algeas need phosphates, nitrates, and disolved nutrients to grow. Nitrate and phosphate levels may not even be detectable for them to grow well. Just look at the diatom bloom that everyone has when cycling a tank, that level of nutrient increase is usually not in the detectable range. Some thing you can do to lower nitrate &amp; phosphate levels is make your wet/dry a refugium &amp; wet/dry combo by using a prefilter to protect your pump and fill your wet/dry with culerpa algea and a very deep sand bed. If you have overflows put a standpipe in them and put some culerpa in there too. Ozonation may also increase your ability to export nutrients. Other ways to help reduce the nutrients is to get a bigger/better skimmer, increase your sand bed depth, do surface skimming with a standpipe or overflow if you're not currently doing it, etc.

Basically all the usual things you'd look at to increase nitrate &amp; phosphate export and look at reducing standing nutrient levels. Phosphates are a usual culprit in themselves and adding a refugium somewhere is probably the best bet.

/ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif

[prow]

sounds like you know what u are doing with your water. but dosent help get rid of your alge. no worries not sure of your creatures but try to get a tang. they will eat your green hair alge in one day. all you need to do is buy 1-2-3 tangs what ever you like and they will take care of the rest. word of advice is get your sponges back in there and your asst. hermits and snails because once the green alge starts to get under control you will get a brown alge spike cant prevent this(but it is needed ) as well as the red slime alge haveing the crabs and sponge will help shorten the bloom of the brown and red stuff. hope this helps