Hair algae issue

[Reef lvr]

A few months back i had a bad hair algae outbreak.

I moved stock to another tank and turned lights out for two weeks, still didnt take care of all of it.

I tore tank down and dried rock for few days, scrubbed and looked great.

I got a new setup been running/cycling for two weeks, i used some of that rock that had the hair algae.

Everything was looking great, had the brown algae now it's starting to go away but the hair is starting to go crazy again.

I started using ecobak 500ml all at once when i started running new setup, i have heard of blooms for a while till it gets going.

I will not add any stock until i know this stuff is gone, should i pitch the LR and start over??? Or will this ecobak starve it out in time???

It's a aga 120 dual overflows, 40gal sump with Eshopps Snowcone skimmer, phosban 150 with ecobak, maxijet 4500 return, mp40 for extra flow..Lighting is 8 39 watt t5, only been using 4 of them while cycling...

Any help would be great..Also would using algaefix mess the cycle up any?? I would only consider using that stuff with not having any corals in system, never used before so not sure...Thank's

 

[MimicOcto8]

get a sea hair(its a big ugly sea lug) for hair algae. it DESTROYS the hair algae. I had a big problem with my 12g nano for about 6 months. couldnt rid the tank of the hair algae. Heard about the sea lug and got one...1 week later CRYSTAL Clean. amazing. youtube sea lug or sea hair. you will see what i mean. Good luck

 

[Nemo8710]

IHey, Sorry about you GHA. What are you water parameters? That woudl help us out a bunch.
On another forum, There was a thread on Algaefix, People used it in fully blown reefs(sps only and mixed reefs) and it nevver did effect them(corals/fish/water parameters). BUT the Algaefix did do its job, most of the results were reported in 3-5 doses and soem in 1 dose. IT also did not kill any of teh macro algea(Cheatao, culp).
SO with that being said, I do NOT think you will have a problem using it. BUT its always best to find th eroot of the problem than to cover it with chemicals.

 

[Speg]

Three words....Mexican Turbo Snails....

You may just need to up your cleanup crew to deal with the algae....an algae scrub would probably help combat that green hair algae too.

 

[mudguard]

I would just attack with different things. Add some GFO and Carbon. Keep your ecobak and Cheato. Keep the lights off during cycle (no need). Put in cleanup crews like suggested above along with some patient. I think Ecobak takes time to get it working. I heard sometimes, the LR or rocks leech pho and it feeds the alage.

 

[mysterybox]

it's not your live rock, sand, tank; it's your behavior.......you have put in more nutrients (phosphate, nitrate) than you are removing (gfo, skimming, water changes, etc). Get a BRS (or other) dual reactor & run a good rinsed carbon in one, gfo in the other. Change them out frequently at first. Get a good phosphate test kit like a DD Merck, or that new elos, HACH, colormeter & a good nitrate kit like Salifert, Elos, Tropic Marin. Get a good clean up crew...............wet skim, weekly 20% water changes......you'll be good......oh yeah, stop dosing crap & overfeeding (only dose calcium & alk).

 

[Reef lvr]

it's not your live rock, sand, tank; it's your behavior.......you have put in more nutrients (phosphate, nitrate) than you are removing (gfo, skimming, water changes, etc). Get a BRS (or other) dual reactor & run a good rinsed carbon in one, gfo in the other. Change them out frequently at first. Get a good phosphate test kit like a DD Merck, or that new elos, HACH, colormeter & a good nitrate kit like Salifert, Elos, Tropic Marin. Get a good clean up crew...............wet skim, weekly 20% water changes......you'll be good......oh yeah, stop dosing crap & overfeeding (only dose calcium & alk).

Thanks all for your suggestions!!! mysterybox, i agree with all you said except, stop dosing, overfeeding...This tank has only been running for two weeks, no stock to feed, and not dosing anything..I said something about using algaefix but have not, it was just a thought...Thanks for everyones help, i thing i need to up my cuc

 

[sowellj]

Don't worry about it. Your tank is only two weeks old and this is to be expected. It takes a while for tanks to really stabalize. Continue doing water changes. Go slowly. It will run its course.

 

[adamfajge]

Turbo Snails mainly stay on the glass. They are hardly ever on the rocks where you want them unless you place them their. I have used the Seahare and they work. The one thaat worked was the tan/brown ugly looking one. Not the black one with the blue dots. They ate my hair algae in 1 day. I took it out and gave it back to the store. They make a lot of waste but they are safe as long as you don't have any animals that would bother it.

 

[Reef lvr]

Turbo Snails mainly stay on the glass. They are hardly ever on the rocks where you want them unless you place them their. I have used the Seahare and they work. The one thaat worked was the tan/brown ugly looking one. Not the black one with the blue dots. They ate my hair algae in 1 day. I took it out and gave it back to the store. They make a lot of waste but they are safe as long as you don't have any animals that would bother it.

Thank's..I'm picking up a Seahare in the next day or two..They sure are ugly, but if it works will be worth it!!!

 

[Myteemouse]

My friend had a 55 with hair algae soo bad you couldn't see rock just a sea of green..
he bought 100 astrea snails and they wiped it out in weeks.. Scrubbed the rocks clean...