How can I have chaeto out compete hair algae ?

[Lavey29]

I dosed chaeto grow to fix what killed my chaeto. I used too much fox carbon and it stripped needed elements for my chaeto. The problem with chaeto grow is it causes huge spikes so I prefer to single dose iron normally which I’ve gone back too. Look at my ICP I have nearly 30x recommended iron from dosing chaeto grow once. This icp test is after killing my chaeto and fixing the problem. My problem is I can’t get the green hair algae to not out compete and grow over the chaeto. I can assure my elements are fine for chaeto now look at my Icp. I’m wondering

Is there anyway to promote chaeto growth over GHA ? I keep removing the GHA but it’s very hard to remove when attached to chaeto. I don’t want to buy a new ball of chaeto because I don’t want to risk any pests in my system. I’m trying to keep the original chaeto that nearly died back to life. I would harvest 5 gallon buckets full prior to over doing rox carbon.

When my fuge was young I had this problem and manual removal was primary fix along with snails. Eventually chaeto out competed it and GHA went away.

 

[Lavey29]

Having the same problem. But, GHA is localized to only the refugium so I dont really view it as a problem, should I?

No but I would continue to manually remove GHA eventually your chaeto will out compete it and take over.

 

[Royal_pudding]

No but I would continue to manually remove GHA eventually your chaeto will out compete it and take over.

Yes it is a young fuge, only a week ago I still had a cyano ptoblem in there. Looks like GHA took care of that. I think ekth a thorough clean and a new decent sized chaeto ball, the fuge will be at ease.

 

[vetteguy53081]

So a month ago I nearly killed my chaeto. I was left with a golf sized ball. It’s still alive but barely has grown. GHA keeps growing on it and competing. It’s also growing all over the walls in the refugium. I keep removing but it’s not helping. What can I do to help the chaeto grow back so it can over grow the GHA like it used to before I nearly killed the chaeto. Would lowering the light level help kill the GHA but allow the chaeto to still live?

The GHA is getting nutrients and more nutrients than chaeto out-competing it. Chaeto require iron and light whereas GHA requires organics, light and flow. Adding a few carribean blue leg hermits should help as they wont touch chaeto but will GHA. Same with cerith and astrea snails and reduced white light. Red best with chaeto but run it part time until hair algae has subsided

 

[TWYOUNG]

I used to have the same problem and gave up on chaeto for a while. I put some coarse Aquamesh in the fuge and power washed the gha off every couple of weeks. Considered it my homemade algae scrubber. For some reason my chaeto is now growing well. Tried chaeto grow and found it useless. It likely feeds gha as much as chaeto. My tank is 18mo old now so it's likely related to tank maturity and more nutrients availability.

 

[GARRIGA]

GHA is overtaking my Pom Pom as well. Started dosing hydrogen peroxide last night but not overly confident that will work since both are macroalgae and the dosage that won’t kill my Pom Pom likely not killing my GHA. I also dose ChaetoGrow but assuming that’s also beneficial to GHA.

Why I might just let them be and see if they coexist. It’s not like the GHA is smothering the Pom Pom. Just growing on one side. Perhaps I should buy more Pom Pom and that will outcompete the GHA. Playing God isn’t easy

 

[christwendt]

The GHA is getting nutrients and more nutrients than chaeto out-competing it. Chaeto require iron and light whereas GHA requires organics, light and flow. Adding a few carribean blue leg hermits should help as they wont touch chaeto but will GHA. Same with cerith and astrea snails and reduced white light. Red best with chaeto but run it part time until hair algae has subsided

Thank you very much. I will take all these tips. I’ve moved some snails to my refugium and adjusted the light.

 

[christwendt]

I used to have the same problem and gave up on chaeto for a while. I put some coarse Aquamesh in the fuge and power washed the gha off every couple of weeks. Considered it my homemade algae scrubber. For some reason my chaeto is now growing well. Tried chaeto grow and found it useless. It likely feeds gha as much as chaeto. My tank is 18mo old now so it's likely related to tank maturity and more nutrients availability.

Yea I don’t like chaeto grow because it spikes iron a lot according to ICP which fuels other algae’s. I’m in the process of deciding if I should do what you did and give up on it for a little and turn the lights off on fuge. Scrub super well and re introduce down the road.

 

[christwendt]

GHA is overtaking my Pom Pom as well. Started dosing hydrogen peroxide last night but not overly confident that will work since both are macroalgae and the dosage that won’t kill my Pom Pom likely not killing my GHA. I also dose ChaetoGrow but assuming that’s also beneficial to GHA.

Why I might just let them be and see if they coexist. It’s not like the GHA is smothering the Pom Pom. Just growing on one side. Perhaps I should buy more Pom Pom and that will outcompete the GHA. Playing God isn’t easy

Haha glad I’m not the only one. I didn’t have this issue when the chaeto was large. Might just help to order more.

 

[GARRIGA]

Haha glad I’m not the only one. I didn’t have this issue when the chaeto was large. Might just help to order more.

Dipped sample Pom Pom for a minute in 3% HP and it killed all the GHA yet stressed the Pom Pom. Seems GHA more sensitive or there was less of it. Next sample I'm only dipping that covered in GHA and for a quarter of the time and see how that responds. First sample still alive but turned orange which I'm told an indication of stress.

Moved all Pom Pom to HOB and display in darkness. Thinking of draining it and exposing all remaining GHA to air and sprayed with HP as one final battle that ends all wars then dip all Pom Pom to wipe edges containing GHA. Return same water since it's been there since inception and part of my bigger experiment. Really want this miserable forsaken green blob monster gone. I despise it's very being

 

[TheGrimReeferTx]

When my fuge was young I had this problem and manual removal was primary fix along with snails. Eventually chaeto out competed it and GHA went away.

Did it out-compete by going to zero nutrients or, just out-compete with nutrients in the column?

 

[Lavey29]

Did it out-compete by going to zero nutrients or, just out-compete with nutrients in the column?

I always tried to keep good nutrients levels and let the tank run its course. The only help I gave was manual removal. These tank evolutions take time. Not overnight fixes.

 

[TheGrimReeferTx]

I always tried to keep good nutrients levels and let the tank run its course. The only help I gave was manual removal. These tank evolutions take time. Not overnight fixes.

I get that, what do you keep your nitrates at while running the scrubber? I have always wondered how something can "outcompete" something else if you are adding nutrients to keep a consistent n03. Especially if that algae is confined to the sump in a reactor.

 

[vandy]

Honestly I had a GHA issue in all my tanks until I added pin cushion urchins. These guys DEVOURED my GHA and it was gone in less than a week. I’m honestly trying to get my nitrates up and grow some more because I liked the supplemental feeding for my tang and he’s having a hard time finding algae to graze on now because of them lol

 

[Lavey29]

I get that, what do you keep your nitrates at while running the scrubber? I have always wondered how something can "outcompete" something else if you are adding nutrients to keep a consistent n03. Especially if that algae is confined to the sump in a reactor.

I don't use a scrubber just a chaeto fuge and dry skimming. My nitrates are 15 and phosphate is .26 currently. I don't really chase numbers but much prefer to be slightly elevated versus deficient even when my tank was young and I had a GHA jungle going on.

 

[TheGrimReeferTx]

I don't use a scrubber just a chaeto fuge and dry skimming. My nitrates are 15 and phosphate is .26 currently. I don't really chase numbers but much prefer to be slightly elevated versus deficient even when my tank was young and I had a GHA jungle going on.

Got ya, I understand