What eats HAIR?

mastaJ · 06-24-2001, 11:20 PM

OH NO!... I came home from the weekend and now I've discovered hair algae on one of my pieces of rock!!!

So, what I want to know...WHAT EATS IT? Or, how else should I go about removing it? TIA...

**scubadude** · 06-24-2001, 11:31 PM

I have heard that Emerald crabs will eat hair....not sure though

Bughead · 06-25-2001, 12:04 AM

My lawnmower blenny eats hair, but only if it's short. Once it's waving with the current, forget it.

I had a horrible hair problem in my big tank after a period of overfeeding and deferred maintenance. The rocks that I could remove, I took out and scrubbed with a toothbrush (that's used for tank only) in a bucket of used tank water. The rocks that I couldn't take out of the tank got scrubbed where they were. I scrubbed hair every 2 or 3 days for a couple of weeks. I also got the blenny, but like I said, he won't bother if the hair's too long.

It took 2 or 3 weeks to get it under control. Now I scrub a little before I do a water change, but rarely have to remove any rocks for scrubbing now.

Reinhold · 06-25-2001, 10:09 AM

Every once in a while, I develop an outbreak of hair algae on one of the replica coral skeletons in the tank. The Trochus snails discover it, and literally in one night, will eat every strand.

mastaJ · 06-25-2001, 09:23 PM

Thanks guys, Does anyone know if Black & White Hermits will eat it also? On Premium Aquatics email it says that they will eat hair...any expierences with them?

snoopdog · 06-26-2001, 12:02 AM

I have had both a Lawnmower blenny and Emerald crabs and they did a great job. Unfortunately the Blenny ate himself into starvation. The Emerald crabs seem to eat regular food when they run out of algea. So far after a few months I have nothing negative to say about the Emerald crabs and I have quite a few. They do not seem to mess with the corals and I have seen them eat quite long strands of algea.

jimc · 06-26-2001, 05:27 PM

Watch out for those black and white hermits. I believe that is the same as a Hawiian Hermit. I removed mine when they developed an over active appetite for coraline algae.

jbjints · 06-26-2001, 07:33 PM

Reinhold,
Where can you get those snails from? Should any LFS have them?

Joe

Reinhold · 06-26-2001, 08:04 PM

Joe:

I've ordered snails from both Inland Aquatics and Premium Aquatics with great results. The Trochus snails came from Inland Aquatics.

I've ordered Baha snails, but haven't seen them do much.

**scubadude** · 06-26-2001, 08:10 PM

T. crispata nudibranchs are supposed to be VERY highly acclaimed for eating hair algae

You can get them at the following places

http://www.harboraquatics.com/price.html

http://www.flyingfishexpress.com/cc.htm

snoopdog · 06-26-2001, 09:06 PM

I purchased a Lettuce Nudibranch and the guy told me that it would eat hair algea. Put him in the tank and never saw it again. Thought he looked cool tool, oh well !

Kashi · 06-26-2001, 09:29 PM

I put 4 of the T. crispata nudibranchs . didnt do much of anything and they disapeared one by one. Not impressed and watch out, they will crawl into you overflows!

snoopdog · 06-26-2001, 09:58 PM

Tell you the truth, I am guessing that is what happened.

mastaJ · 06-26-2001, 10:13 PM

Nah, I don't want a nudi...But, I will most likely get some Trochus snails through IPSF and maybe an emerald (i know, most people have probs with them, but, I guess I have to find out for myself

) Did the hermits like, eat all of your corraline or what? I'm curious about that...thanx guys for your help...anyone else?

**Ninong** · 06-26-2001, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mastaJ
Nah, I don't want a nudi...

No worries mate:

They're not nudibranchs. They're photosynthetic sea slugs. They store chloroplasts from the algae they eat.
They're not even T. crispata anymore--haven't been for five years now. Their correct scientific name is Elysia crispata.
They're completely harmless.

Ninong

mastaJ · 06-26-2001, 10:38 PM

I didn't know that...but, thanx...
So, when the algae runs out they just "bathe in the light"...(I didn't know how else to word that) Thats interesting...

**Ninong** · 06-26-2001, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mastaJ

So, when the algae runs out they just "bathe in the light"...(I didn't know how else to word that) Thats interesting...

Not quite!

When the algae runs out, they just die. The stored chloroplasts have to be constantly renewed. The process is known as kleptoplasty. I guess it means they stole the chloroplasts.

(The klept part is from the Greek, kleptes, meaning thief and the plast part is from the Greek, plastos... -plast is biological suffix meaning formed that is added to words like bio-, meso-, chloro-, etc.)

Ninong

Ironreef · 06-26-2001, 10:50 PM

The slugs are NOT very good at eating alga. They usually end up in powerheads or overflows. I wouldn't put them in a tank with heavy current or turnover. Most who have lost them.Including me. They are nice to look at while they live

mastaJ · 06-27-2001, 12:56 AM

Sorry Ninong, Once again I say, "Nah, I don't want a nudi" correction...I don't want a photosenthetic slug...lol...

jimc · 06-27-2001, 08:46 AM

No, they didn't eat all of it. But they cleared a pretty good patch on the rocks that they called home.

06-24-2001, 11:20 PM	#1
mastaJ Council Join Date: May 2001 Location: Lakeville, MN Posts: 294	What eats HAIR? OH NO!... I came home from the weekend and now I've discovered hair algae on one of my pieces of rock!!! So, what I want to know...WHAT EATS IT? Or, how else should I go about removing it? TIA... __________________ -mastaJ

06-24-2001, 11:31 PM	#2
scubadude Moderator Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wichita, Kansas Posts: 5,315	I have heard that Emerald crabs will eat hair....not sure though __________________ Rocky

06-25-2001, 12:04 AM	#3
Bughead Governor Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA Posts: 1,152	My lawnmower blenny eats hair, but only if it's short. Once it's waving with the current, forget it. I had a horrible hair problem in my big tank after a period of overfeeding and deferred maintenance. The rocks that I could remove, I took out and scrubbed with a toothbrush (that's used for tank only) in a bucket of used tank water. The rocks that I couldn't take out of the tank got scrubbed where they were. I scrubbed hair every 2 or 3 days for a couple of weeks. I also got the blenny, but like I said, he won't bother if the hair's too long. It took 2 or 3 weeks to get it under control. Now I scrub a little before I do a water change, but rarely have to remove any rocks for scrubbing now. __________________ The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but it's the thought that counts.

06-25-2001, 09:23 PM	#5
mastaJ Council Join Date: May 2001 Location: Lakeville, MN Posts: 294	Thanks guys, Does anyone know if Black & White Hermits will eat it also? On Premium Aquatics email it says that they will eat hair...any expierences with them? __________________ -mastaJ

06-26-2001, 12:02 AM	#6
snoopdog Mayor Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Mobile,AL Posts: 584	I have had both a Lawnmower blenny and Emerald crabs and they did a great job. Unfortunately the Blenny ate himself into starvation. The Emerald crabs seem to eat regular food when they run out of algea. So far after a few months I have nothing negative to say about the Emerald crabs and I have quite a few. They do not seem to mess with the corals and I have seen them eat quite long strands of algea. __________________ Come check out my web site. http://www.reefcrazed.com

06-25-2001, 10:09 AM	#4
Reinhold Mayor Join Date: May 2001 Location: USA Posts: 941	Every once in a while, I develop an outbreak of hair algae on one of the replica coral skeletons in the tank. The Trochus snails discover it, and literally in one night, will eat every strand.

06-26-2001, 05:27 PM	#7
jimc Just Moved In Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Ontario, NY Posts: 13	Watch out for those black and white hermits. I believe that is the same as a Hawiian Hermit. I removed mine when they developed an over active appetite for coraline algae.

06-26-2001, 07:33 PM	#8
jbjints Just Moved In Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: New York Posts: 44	Reinhold, Where can you get those snails from? Should any LFS have them? Joe

06-26-2001, 08:04 PM	#9
Reinhold Mayor Join Date: May 2001 Location: USA Posts: 941	Joe: I've ordered snails from both Inland Aquatics and Premium Aquatics with great results. The Trochus snails came from Inland Aquatics. I've ordered Baha snails, but haven't seen them do much.

06-26-2001, 08:10 PM	#10
scubadude Moderator Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wichita, Kansas Posts: 5,315	T. crispata nudibranchs are supposed to be VERY highly acclaimed for eating hair algae You can get them at the following places http://www.harboraquatics.com/price.html http://www.flyingfishexpress.com/cc.htm __________________ Rocky Last edited by scubadude; 06-26-2001 at 08:12 PM.

06-26-2001, 09:06 PM	#11
snoopdog Mayor Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Mobile,AL Posts: 584	I purchased a Lettuce Nudibranch and the guy told me that it would eat hair algea. Put him in the tank and never saw it again. Thought he looked cool tool, oh well ! __________________ Come check out my web site. http://www.reefcrazed.com

06-26-2001, 09:29 PM	#12
Kashi Just Moved In Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Tucson Posts: 44	I put 4 of the T. crispata nudibranchs . didnt do much of anything and they disapeared one by one. Not impressed and watch out, they will crawl into you overflows!

06-26-2001, 09:58 PM	#13
snoopdog Mayor Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Mobile,AL Posts: 584	Tell you the truth, I am guessing that is what happened. __________________ Come check out my web site. http://www.reefcrazed.com

06-26-2001, 10:13 PM	#14
mastaJ Council Join Date: May 2001 Location: Lakeville, MN Posts: 294	Nah, I don't want a nudi...But, I will most likely get some Trochus snails through IPSF and maybe an emerald (i know, most people have probs with them, but, I guess I have to find out for myself ) Did the hermits like, eat all of your corraline or what? I'm curious about that...thanx guys for your help...anyone else? __________________ -mastaJ

06-26-2001, 10:38 PM	#16
mastaJ Council Join Date: May 2001 Location: Lakeville, MN Posts: 294	OH really? I didn't know that...but, thanx... So, when the algae runs out they just "bathe in the light"...(I didn't know how else to word that) Thats interesting... __________________ -mastaJ

06-26-2001, 10:50 PM	#18
Ironreef Governor Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Pacific WA Posts: 1,220	The slugs are NOT very good at eating alga. They usually end up in powerheads or overflows. I wouldn't put them in a tank with heavy current or turnover. Most who have lost them.Including me. They are nice to look at while they live

06-27-2001, 12:56 AM	#19
mastaJ Council Join Date: May 2001 Location: Lakeville, MN Posts: 294	Sorry Ninong, Once again I say, "Nah, I don't want a nudi" correction...I don't want a photosenthetic slug...lol... __________________ -mastaJ

06-27-2001, 08:46 AM	#20
jimc Just Moved In Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Ontario, NY Posts: 13	No, they didn't eat all of it. But they cleared a pretty good patch on the rocks that they called home.

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