Hair Algue

obring · 02-02-2003, 02:12 PM

Okay... i havent been around now for a long time... busy working and taking care of mom and dad! (okay okay,,,i will get to the point...)

Today i stopped at my LFS and she told me something that kinda shocked me.... she said that someone was coming up wiht an additive to get rid of hair algue... i figure somoene in here should know somehting about it if it is in effect a fact! Let me know....

By the way... hope everyone had a great holiday season and an even greater valentine's day!!

Jose

tendar · 02-02-2003, 09:11 PM

I have not seen or heard anything about it but I suppose it is possible.

SomeHairyOldGuy · 02-03-2003, 11:01 AM

Yeah, It's called Elbow Grease!

SHOG

obring · 02-03-2003, 06:52 PM

LOL... i fgured that! Now... i wonder if i could post this question here... what is the best way to get rid of the dang thing?????

dattack · 02-03-2003, 07:41 PM

hehe. Elbow grease.

You might want to check to see why you have hair algae. Could be excess nutrients.
I would try to experiment with the water chemistry/nutrient levels first before considering a herbivore. With herbivores such as tangs and lawnmower blennies, it's a hit and miss and you might have a hard time getting it out of your tank if it doesn't do the job you want and you want to experiment with another fish.

1. Use RO/DI water and check your levels of nutrients including phosphates.
2. Get a better skimmer.
3. Use caluerpa/refugium as a form of nutrient export.
4. Manually remove it or siphon it out.
5. Cut down on feeding.
6. May need to cut down on lighting hours.
7. Add some herbivores, snails/hermits/lawnmower blenny/tangs/urchins/rabbit fish (foxface) if all else fails.

I tried a yellow tang, lawnmower blenny, hermits but the hair algae was pretty bad and none of the herbivores really even touched it. THe rabbit fish did nibble a little but it really didn't make a dent. I eventually got a good RO/DI unit, better skimmer, and added a refugium and my problems disappeared within a few weeks.

**scubadude** · 02-03-2003, 10:32 PM

There are many products on the market that will break down phosphates that generally feed/bloom hair algae but this is not eliminating them from your system. Like mentioned below you need to find the source but if you want your shot at it I would try something like KENT's Phosphate sponge, FWIW there are other phosphate removers out there on the market. HTH

r8tdr · 12-03-2003, 09:55 PM

I just added a blue tang and a wrasse (cleaner) yesterday. i've heard and spoken to my LFS tech that you are allowed to introduce 1 or 2 species per week or per month.

Would it be possible to add a lawnmower blennie today? What will be the consequence if I did or should i wait next month and just do less of feeding and less lighting?

Wind · 12-03-2003, 10:28 PM

do u think it could be teh stages in algae??

what are teh stages?? i just setup and seem to be having a diatom stage..

r8tdr · 12-04-2003, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wind

do u think it could be teh stages in algae??

what are teh stages?? i just setup and seem to be having a diatom stage..

I don't know if it is. a lot attached to a couple of rocks. they seem harmless, i think.

Stages? Don't know yet what are the stages, but will soon find out.

Guzz64 · 01-10-2004, 01:04 PM

I found a product at a lfs that eliminated hair algae in about 6 days. It is a liquid algaecide called "Vanish". Following the instructions on the label it completely killed all traces of the stuff in less than a week. Once dead, a 25% water change is required. I have not had a single strand in over 6 weeks.

It did not hurt or even phase any of the corals. Mushrooms, leather, and open brain. Fish are all fine. I lost corals by the hair algae strangling them prior to the use of this product.

At the end of the treatment you have to thouroughly clean the dead algae from the rock and sand. I did this with the vac attachment to a magnum 350.
So far so good. My outbreak of HA completely covered the sandbed, and all rock. It covered everything in the tank.

I had given up and not done anything to this tank for several months when I saw this product. I had to scoop surface algae just to apply the drops. My tank was a disaster. Now everything is nice and all inhabitants seem happy.
I am reducing my feeding and trying to identify what caused the initial outbreak, but at least doing it with a visually pleasing tank.

I don't know if anyone else has used this product, but I highly recomend it. I was only able to find it at one lfs within a 50 mile radius. No one else had heard of it. The trademark is its name. I cant even find it on the internet.

02-02-2003, 02:12 PM	#1
obring Tenant Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Winter Haven, Florida, USA Posts: 62	Hair Algue Okay... i havent been around now for a long time... busy working and taking care of mom and dad! (okay okay,,,i will get to the point...) Today i stopped at my LFS and she told me something that kinda shocked me.... she said that someone was coming up wiht an additive to get rid of hair algue... i figure somoene in here should know somehting about it if it is in effect a fact! Let me know.... By the way... hope everyone had a great holiday season and an even greater valentine's day!! Jose __________________ It all comes home in the evening tide!http://hometown.aol.com/obring/myhomepagesaltwatertank.html

02-03-2003, 11:01 AM	#3
SomeHairyOldGuy Mayor Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: OU Posts: 736	Yeah, It's called Elbow Grease! SHOG __________________ BOOMER SOONER!!!!

02-03-2003, 06:52 PM	#4
obring Tenant Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Winter Haven, Florida, USA Posts: 62	LOL... i fgured that! Now... i wonder if i could post this question here... what is the best way to get rid of the dang thing????? __________________ It all comes home in the evening tide!http://hometown.aol.com/obring/myhomepagesaltwatertank.html

12-03-2003, 09:55 PM	#7
r8tdr Just Moved In Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 37	Help My Tank Too! I just added a blue tang and a wrasse (cleaner) yesterday. i've heard and spoken to my LFS tech that you are allowed to introduce 1 or 2 species per week or per month. Would it be possible to add a lawnmower blennie today? What will be the consequence if I did or should i wait next month and just do less of feeding and less lighting?

01-10-2004, 01:04 PM	#10
Guzz64 New in Town Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chicago burbs Posts: 1	Hair Algae Killer I found a product at a lfs that eliminated hair algae in about 6 days. It is a liquid algaecide called "Vanish". Following the instructions on the label it completely killed all traces of the stuff in less than a week. Once dead, a 25% water change is required. I have not had a single strand in over 6 weeks. It did not hurt or even phase any of the corals. Mushrooms, leather, and open brain. Fish are all fine. I lost corals by the hair algae strangling them prior to the use of this product. At the end of the treatment you have to thouroughly clean the dead algae from the rock and sand. I did this with the vac attachment to a magnum 350. So far so good. My outbreak of HA completely covered the sandbed, and all rock. It covered everything in the tank. I had given up and not done anything to this tank for several months when I saw this product. I had to scoop surface algae just to apply the drops. My tank was a disaster. Now everything is nice and all inhabitants seem happy. I am reducing my feeding and trying to identify what caused the initial outbreak, but at least doing it with a visually pleasing tank. I don't know if anyone else has used this product, but I highly recomend it. I was only able to find it at one lfs within a 50 mile radius. No one else had heard of it. The trademark is its name. I cant even find it on the internet.

02-02-2003, 09:11 PM	#2
tendar Governor Join Date: May 2000 Location: tempe,AZ Posts: 1,114	I have not seen or heard anything about it but I suppose it is possible.

02-03-2003, 07:41 PM	#5
dattack Council Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: anaheim, CA Posts: 347	hehe. Elbow grease. You might want to check to see why you have hair algae. Could be excess nutrients. I would try to experiment with the water chemistry/nutrient levels first before considering a herbivore. With herbivores such as tangs and lawnmower blennies, it's a hit and miss and you might have a hard time getting it out of your tank if it doesn't do the job you want and you want to experiment with another fish. 1. Use RO/DI water and check your levels of nutrients including phosphates. 2. Get a better skimmer. 3. Use caluerpa/refugium as a form of nutrient export. 4. Manually remove it or siphon it out. 5. Cut down on feeding. 6. May need to cut down on lighting hours. 7. Add some herbivores, snails/hermits/lawnmower blenny/tangs/urchins/rabbit fish (foxface) if all else fails. I tried a yellow tang, lawnmower blenny, hermits but the hair algae was pretty bad and none of the herbivores really even touched it. THe rabbit fish did nibble a little but it really didn't make a dent. I eventually got a good RO/DI unit, better skimmer, and added a refugium and my problems disappeared within a few weeks.

02-03-2003, 10:32 PM	#6
scubadude Moderator Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wichita, Kansas Posts: 5,315	There are many products on the market that will break down phosphates that generally feed/bloom hair algae but this is not eliminating them from your system. Like mentioned below you need to find the source but if you want your shot at it I would try something like KENT's Phosphate sponge, FWIW there are other phosphate removers out there on the market. HTH

12-03-2003, 10:28 PM	#8
Wind Council Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: 90 Gallon (setting up) Posts: 330	do u think it could be teh stages in algae?? what are teh stages?? i just setup and seem to be having a diatom stage..

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