frostyjay1
Active member
not sure if this is the right spot but here goes. i have had a recent hair algea break out, and not sure how to handle it. any ideas would be great. thx
hair algea a pest?
- Thread starter frostyjay1
- Start date
superslinky911
New member
lights out should probably put it on lock down. I know you said you got a turbo snail and chemicals are not cool but if all else fails keep algae fix marine in mind. Ive used it in the pass and seem to work
frostyjay1
Active member
is the algea fix marine reef safe? i have a lot of coral and dont want to do any harm
frostyjay1
Active member
i have a phosphate test kit but have never used it. the instructions are missing and i can view them online. i will take in a sample on sunday to a lfs and see. thx
EricTheRed
No, I'm not a communist..
Unless they are really high, test kits don't help much. You really need to have it measured by a meter to detect low levels. Generally speaking the best way to get rid of it is to reduce the source of the phosphates/nitrates. As an example; are you using rodi? What type of food and how often do you feed? Overfeeding is the #1 cause of algae coupled with poor nutrient export. You have a good skimmer? Fuge? Personally, I love to overfeed and get big fat fish, so I run GFO.
frostyjay1
Active member
my skimmer now is a seaclone 100, and i only feed once a day. i plan to get GFO my next trip to lfs. or put money on card and got to BRS. the new tank i have a ASM skimmer and plan on a fuge
EricTheRed
No, I'm not a communist..
Sometimes rock can leach phosphates too. I used to have a bad case of it (like most people at some point) and GFO did the trick for me. After I ran the gfo I could brush it off with a toothbrush and it wouldn't grow back 
KeishaKornbread
Banned
Sometimes rock can leach phosphates too. I used to have a bad case of it (like most people at some point) and GFO did the trick for me. After I ran the gfo I could brush it off with a toothbrush and it wouldn't grow back
This also happened to me recently and a few weeks of GFO made a huge impact.
Herbie
Banned
I had a terible time when I first started with HA. Check my 28 thread for some hope . GFO and purigen seemed to help as did emerald crabs, a lettuce slug and feeding waaaay less. My lawnmower blenny was the key, but be careful with starving those guys. Mine is really happy, but they need more than just HA. http://www.chicagoreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?4366-Lawnmower-Blenny-Article-in-Reef-Hobbyist&highlight=lawnmower
. GFO and purigen seemed to help as did emerald crabs, a lettuce slug and feeding waaaay less. My lawnmower blenny was the key, but be careful with starving those guys. Mine is really happy, but they need more than just HA. http://www.chicagoreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?4366-Lawnmower-Blenny-Article-in-Reef-Hobbyist&highlight=lawnmower
EricTheRed
No, I'm not a communist..
Another thing that helps keep it off is to blow your rocks off before each water change to lift the detritus off the rock and into the water column for export. Turkey baster works, or better yet, a small powerhead that you hold in your hand to blow off the muck. Sometimes people are baffled about why they have algae when their phosphates are low....until they blow their rock.
KeishaKornbread
Banned
OMG, I recently learned this. I now blast a couple times a week and my water stays pristine. It's amazing what the smallest changes can make.
Herbie
Banned
so this would be ablove and beyone running an MP10 on NTM for a few hours before a WC? Interesting. I gave up on that once I got the MP10. . .
EricTheRed
No, I'm not a communist..
Yeah, i have an old mj pump that i hold in my hand. It is sooooooooooo much easier than pumping a dang turkey baster baster for 15 minutes. plug in the pump and I'm done with the whole tank in less than a minute 
EricTheRed
No, I'm not a communist..
I run 2 mp40 at 80% on ntm and can still blow detritus off my rock at any given moment...there are crevices and places that even the mighty vortechs cannot reach.
KeishaKornbread
Banned
Reefwise has Hi-Capacity and Regular GFO for teh same price BRS sells it.
EricTheRed
No, I'm not a communist..
Keep in mind that you'll need a reactor and pump if you've never used it before.
KeishaKornbread
Banned
Yup. I do it just as the lights are dimming and it makes the water nice cloudy. I'm assuming live food bits get knocked into teh tank because my acans and other corals open up like mad and they start feeding. Even my Scolly flips inside out for this event.