Green Hair Algae

[Riley]

Well...im back..I haven't been on here in like a year..but now I have a big problem..my tank is covered in Green Hair Algae. I know that it is caused by high phosphates and nitrates..but how do I get rid of it or lower my phosphates and nitrates?...its on there very well and I can't even rip it off. some please help me..im starting to lose faith in my tank.

-Riley

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

What are the tank specs and levels?

There are nitrate and phosphate binding materials such as rowaphos which will help.
Are you using RO water? You'll need to give more details before you can get much help

 

[Riley]

no im using tap water..I know R/O is way better and I will get one in the future. im not sure what the levels are cause my test kits ran out...sorry im not much help in that department should I do a water change?

-Riley

 

[SkiFletch]

Ouch. Some nasty strains of hair algae can also use silicates as an energy source which may be a large part of your problem... Silicates are very present in tapwater. Until you find a source of RO water you're probably going to be doomed to hair algae. You MIGHT have a breed that something like a lawnmower blenny, tang, rabbitfish, or lettuce nudibranch might eat, but then again you might not. How big is the tank? What filtration do you use? Have you tested your tapwater for nitrates and phosphates?

 

[Riley]

My tank is a 33gal. My cousin who lives in the same town tested the tap water and said that the nitrates and phosphates in the water were low. Right now im using about 30lbs of live rock and a Whisper PF-60 filter for filtration. I took my live rock out of my tank and put it in a large container with no light trying to kill the green algae off awhile ago and it looks like quite a bit fell off..but it didn't quite do the job completely.

 

[Lynden]

I don't have a test kit for silicates...

But hopefully that lawnmower blenny cleans it up.

Anyone have something that they SAW eating green hair algae?

-Lynden

 

[SkiFletch]

I have seen sea hares in other people's tanks eating it, and I have seen cerit snails in my own tank eating it (even have some pics at home). I can tell you that ceriths really only control the population since they're such small organisms. They eat it, just not quickly

 

[Great Lakes]

The use of RO water will definitely improve your odds.

Short term. Do you have adequate water movement? The hair algae loves to form in the slower or stagnant areas of the tank. Improving water flow will speed up any remedies you choose. "Indepndant studies" have been done that show great concentrations of phosphates accumulate in the zones where the hairy stuff grows. Better circulation will help export the phophates out of the system. You are using a skimmer.....right??

GL