What Causes Hair Algae?

[reefguy]

What causes hair algae blooms? Also, how do you get rid of it once you have one? Anything helps!

[Andrew]

If it's actually hair algae, tangs, algae blenny, some angels, rabbitfish, snails, hermits should eat it.

I would definitely test nutrient levels - nitrate and maybe phosphate, go easy on feeding and stocking levels (especially if you have a small tank).

You may want to consider adding a skimmer to remove excess organics if you don't already employ one.

If it's maidens hair algae, nothing i am aware of will eat it.

HTH

Andrew

[reefguy]

What is the difference between the two?

[Andrew]

maidens' hair ususally looks like groupings of green (pine) needles (straight), while "hair" algae is often bunched or creeping and is mushy when you take it out of the water, kinda slimy and/or soft.

Andrew

[reefguy]

I definitely have "hair" algae, so how do I get rid of it? None of my snails will eat it, I've got some hermits that will kind of tug at it sometimes, but not get rid of it. I tried taking out all of my rock before and scrubbing it really good and then putting it in a container with a powerhead and no lights thinking that not having any lights would get rid of it, but there is still some there.

[DeletedAccount]

Many people get hair algae from using tap water or purified water that comes from a "bad" source. The excess nutrients in the water cause the algae to grow.

First, test your water and make sure that you are very close to a 0 reading on your TDS meter (if you do not have a TDS meter, bring a fresh water sample from your source to the meeting and I will test it for you.) If that is an issue, get a purer source of water. If the water is store bought it may not be as good as it apprears to be from reading the label. I was using water from a grocery store that ended up having a higher TDS reading than my tap water!

As Andrew said, watch excess feeding. Multiple smaller feedings are better for the tank and the tank inhabitants than 1 large feeding a day. With 1 large feeding a day the food settles to the bottom of the tank, uneaten, and the fish digest it quicker and pass more waste than if you feed small meals. Small meals allow the fish to absorb more nutrients than stuffing them once a day.

I do not know what you have populating your tank, but as Andrew said, tangs usually LOVE the hair algae, as do lawnmower blennies. Turbo snails eat it quite well, also. My abalone seems to sit on a hair outbreak for days consuming everything.

If you get rid of the algae you must also treat the problem. So, if you take out the rock and scrub it you need to make sure that you get rid of excess nutrients that feed it or it will comeback.

Another great way to prevent it from returning is a rufugium (or growing macro in the main tank). The macro competes for the nutrients.

Good luck!

[reefguy]

Thanks for all the info. I've been using some store bought RO water lately but I've also been busy and just been feeding one big meal a day instead of the normal two a day like I normally do. I'll have to start going back to Aqua Tek to buy my RO water. I'm having the problem in my 20 gallon tank right now and I have a bunch of the razor seaweed in it and I have some Grape Calerpa that just popped out of no where and I have two branches of some kind of macro algae that I have no idea what it is. It has a really bright neon green hue to it. If any one knows what it is, please let me know. Rallard has some growing in his fuge also and doesn't know what it is.