Green Hair Algae In Refugium

[chris_duby]

i have a 125 gallon reef with many coral, fish, and around 200lbs of live rock. in my refugium there is alot of green hair algae which is actually taking it over. i have a 30 watt 50/50 on it with around 15 lbs of live rock but i'm still working on the sand bed. it's only about 1/4" thick. when i do put more how much am i supposed to use. and do i need to get rid of the algae or is it good. and if i need to get rid of it what do i use. i was also thinking about putting hermit crabs in the bottom, if that would help.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Ok sooo...you dont have to put more sand in your refugium but if you are going to go for a deep sand bed then you're going to want at least 6". As far as the green hair, you dont want that at all. You can start ripping it out with your hands, scrubbing rocks with tooth brushes, then maybe use phosphate remover, start growing a more beneficial algae i.e. chaetomorpha, halimeda, caulerpa. The fact that theres green hair and that it's thriving indicates that there are too many nutrients in your water. Water changes will help. You want to remove silicates as well as phosphates. Hermits would be good down there. Good luck!

 

[Lynden]

I disagree, hair algae is as helpful as any a far as nutrient removal. It also breeds 'pods as well as any other choice.

 

[chrissaysyes]

But it smells god awful and isnt it possible for it to spread to the display?

 

[1entra]

I also have some green hair algae growing in my fuge alongside my chaeto. I do not believe it does much harm as my macralagae tends to outcompete it and nobody really gets to see it either. Also I find a lot of pods do thrive in both my algaes so I wouldnt say just completely get rid of it, instead put some macroalgae alongside it and it shouldnt grow or spread as rapidly!

 

[chrissaysyes]

Welllll personally I dont like the stuff, but I will agree, when my tank was broken out with it, I had WAY more pods.

 

[1entra]

Well either you like the stuff or not. everbody has there own opinion and as this is your tank chris_duby, its upto you to decide whether you want to keep the algae or get rid of it!

 

[chrissaysyes]

This is true, but a nice argument of pros and cons always makes a decision easier to make. You guys have fun with your green hair muck.

 

[1entra]

You guys have fun with your green hair muck.

always do!

 

[Musho3210]

im with lynden, its just as good as any other algae, and with its increased surface area, it might even be better in some cases. It also has A LOT of beneficial micro and macro life living in it, amphi-pods, copepods etc. There is always a chance of it getting into the main display, but if you have a good amount of green hair algae eaters in there, if it ever does, it will get eaten.

I got gha growing in my display, and i like it, nutrient removal and a good amount of pods.

 

[chrissaysyes]

run just not fan. I like my caulp better.

 

[1entra]

Im not too keen on caup as heard it can turn into a weed and spread like mad, I prefer my chaeto!
I had some green hair algae in my main display tank but once CUC was added it soon cleared it all up!

 

[Lynden]

I had a patch of hair algae in my tank a while ago, it wasn't spreading, but unfortunately I rearranged my tank awhile ago and had "no choice" but to put a rock over it. Ah well, can't have it all.

 

[1entra]

Bless ya!

 

[TammyLiz]

I think that green hair algae is likely to be in the system no matter what and likely its already in the display whether you're seeing it or not. The fuge is a much better place for it to grow than your main tank where it could be choking out the corals so you're lucky that conditions are better for it in there. The algae grows because you have excess nutrients and if you get rid of it either more will grow or something else will grow to take its place soaking up those extra nutrients.

IMO its not worth trying to battle something like that in the short term such as pulling it out. Its much more worthy of your time to figure out what is causing it (excess nutrients), and fix the issue so your problem will not return again and again. If you don't like the hair algae do something to make conditions less optimal for it. Add something that will compete with it, such as chaeto if you don't already have it, or some other macro. If you already have something that you'd rather be using the nutrients check out maybe your lighting. Are your lamps old? Is the spectrum on them right for what you're trying to grow? Other things to check would be do you have phosphates in your system? Of so, look into exporting those some other way.

Always look for the cause rather than just fighting a losing battle against something that has optimal conditions to grow.

If you don't want to go into a lot of trouble over it, then it may be in your best interest to just leave it well enough alone since it is growing in your fuge and not your display.