Red Hair Algea is TAKING OVER THE WORLD!

[Dirt4dinner]

Ok, maybe not the world, but definatly a few rocks in my tank. Here are some pictures, anyone know what eats this crap? It's annoying. The parameters are all excellent, salinity is good, current is strong. Any advice would be welcome...unless it's from PERPETUAL and involves copper, or stupid pictures! :p

[perpetual98]

http://www.perpetualproducts.com/images/funny/Love-This_much.jpg

[Whoyah]

I bet a Tang or an emerald crab would eat it but I suggest you go a different route. The algae is feeding off the extra nutrients in the water. If you remove the nutrients the algae will melt away. I would suggest maybe turning up your skimmer, feeding less, increasing the amount of macro in your fug, or reducing the lighting cycle. All of this will help to some degree. As your system matures you will be able to increase the nutrients without seeing the micro algae outbreaks.

[unleashed]

I can say you paremeter may apear excellent but they most certainly are not. hair algae needs 2 things to thrive nitrates and phosphates.the algae itself is keeping your paremeters in lower levels by eating it. unfortunatly in the proccess of smothering your LR and corals. first qustion is how old are your bulbs ,(old bulbs can be a contributing factor to eccess algae growth).filter media should be changed on a weekly basis to inhibit ecces nitrates in your tank to feed the algae.ie the use of nitrate sponges can be usefull in the effect of starving the algae(change weekly so leaching of the toxins does not accure) phosphate removers rowaphos is a very effective product that does not leach it back into the system for phosphate removal. fish that eat this is always a hit and miss where ones fish may eat it another ones may not I have always had large tangs that eat them but you need to be certain your tank is large enough to keep them.

[Dirt4dinner]

Lights are only about 1 month old, and I don't run any type of filter media. It might just be that my tank is still pretty new, only about 2 months at the most.

I am heading down to the fish store today, and I will talk to them about some crabs. I don't have any in there right now, but it is about time to start stocking up on them. Thanks.

[Fatman]

Search for a phosban reactor, i used this when I had a red algea explosion and it tamed it and controlled it , in under a week.

[unleashed]

Lights are only about 1 month old, and I don't run any type of filter media. It might just be that my tank is still pretty new, only about 2 months at the most.

I am heading down to the fish store today, and I will talk to them about some crabs. I don't have any in there right now, but it is about time to start stocking up on them. Thanks. best to go with scarlet hermits turbo snails and nas snails these are the best clean up.emerald crabs and some other crabs have a bad tendancy later down the road to become coral munchers.you may want o do some research on a sea hair they will do the job but your tank may be too new for them as of yet.i do reccomend running a type of filtration with filter media IE carbons ect this will keep your water quality much better

[perpetual98]

While you're asking about crabs, make sure that you get some drawn butter for them. Mmmmm crabs....

[perpetual98]

You could try this too....

http://backyardgardener.com/gp/Gardening_Products/Gardener_Gifts/Gifts/Specialty/Home_D_cor/Copper_Crab.html

(Sweet, that was a double whammy! I'm on a roll today....)

[perpetual98]

These are especially good at snarfing up algae too...

http://www.whimsie.com/crabx1.jpg

[perpetual98]

This baby would be good too, but you need a really big tank....

http://www.whimsie.com/crabsculpture.jpg

[Dirt4dinner]

I think I need a copper boot to kick your *** with.

[perpetual98]

Like this?

http://i17.ebayimg.com/02/i/06/f9/52/11_1.JPG

[Dirt4dinner]

You hit the nail right on the (copper) head.

[lReef lKeeper]

if you want a good chemical to use on red hair algae ... i use a powder called "chemi - clean" when i have some getting out of hand. the rest of the time my emerald crabs eat it up, but i only have two of them and sometimes they cant keep up.

[RWalston]

If it looks like cotton candy and is red turbo snails are the only thing that will eat it. I had some growing in my fuge so I asked Scott and Michael at Aqua Touch about it. They had the same growing in their tanks and did a lot of experimenting with what will eat it and the Turbo snail was the only thing.

Rich

[Dirt4dinner]

Thanks RW. I didn't realize you were from Arizona! I was in About the Reef and Aquarium Arts today picking up a cleaning crew...I didn't get turbos. But I am going back tomorrow to get a new fish (my wife is helping me pick it out) so I will get a few turbos and set them in the bad spots...hopefully it works.

It looks exactly like cotton candy (underwater). Thanks man! The advice has been great...


EXCEPT FOR ERIC! PUNK!

[chrisl1]

The problem is the tank is new, it will go on and cycle for a while. 2 months is still an infant, adding chemicals and phosphate pads etc is just a bandage on the problem. You need to cut the feedings to a minimum. do a few water changes and get the params in check. Addings crabs is always a tricky thing, they feed on one thing that they enjoy (algae) when it's gone then what do they eat? They find something else, it may be something you don't care about or it may be you zoo's or fish etc. If you want to add something to the tank that will help nutrient control, use a refugium and some macro algae, even if it's a cpr hang on it will help. And oyu may want to take it easy on adding livestock that will furthur throw off your tanks balance, more nutrients!

[PurpleAardvark]

Try adjusting your current and I agree with the chemi clean. It is not red hair algea however, but is red slime more of a bacteria. Tthe mexican turbos will just push it around and not eat it. Margareta snails might touch it. With the chemi clean don't fallow the directions instead tread per dosage on back waut 48 hours dose again wait 24 hurs and the do a 25% water change and add a good carbon such as pura complete or chemi pure. I like the pura complete better because it has a pospate remover. hope that helps you out some.

[Dirt4dinner]

Thanks guys. I added some turbos, it's not totally out of control yet. It is just really bad in 2 spots. I am going to watch it and try to cut back the nutrients. I set my skimmer for a little more of a wet skim, and I am cutting feeding back. I will keep you posted! Thanks for all the advice.

[Dirt4dinner]

Just did a water test to make sure things are ok. Here is what I ended up finding.

Temp- 77.3
Salinity - 1.026
Cal- 475
Alk- 6.7
Ammo- <.25
Nitrate- .2
Nitrite- 0

Things look pretty good. Alk is a little low. I will add some buffer to see if I can bring it up a bit.

[PurpleAardvark]

eric missed one

[chrisl1]

I have used that chemi clean, the problem is it destroys beneficial bacteria as well. My tank went through a nasty cycle after using that stuff.