Solved my hair algae problem!

[Carpentersreef]

A couple of months ago, I was battling Bryopsis or Derbesia algae, (otherwise known as hair algae) to the tune of a softball size wad being yanked every week out of my 180g. It was starting to encroach on some of my corals, and I was losing the battle.
EmilyB suggested that I literally scrub my rocks clean with a toothbrush. So I did. All 250 lbs. Took me 3 full days to get 95%. The other 5% held my 5 BTA's, so I left them alone, with some hair algae left on it. That hair algae has since died. As I was scrubbing, I rinsed all LR with new SW, and needless to say, a TON of detritus came off!

I previously thought that if I kept my turnover rate LOW in my main tank, all the good stuff that made up plankton would stay in the water column longer and benefit my corals.
While that may have actually happened, a bad side effect was that detritus was accumulating in and under my LR, and was also being processed incompletely in a cc sand bed that I had, that was about 3 inches deep. (I removed the sandbed at the same time.
In the process of trying to solve my hair algae problem, I tested, tested and then re-tested, never finding anything wrong with my test results. I shut off my CA reactor, thinking I was overdriving it and pushing excess CO2 into my system, I stopped adding MG, Iodine, HUFA vitamins, freeze dried phytoplankton, and cut my feeding routine by 75%.
None of that had ANY effect.

BUT, since I cleaned my LR and now do weekly blasting of my whole system with a maxijet 1200 powerhead, (again EmilyB's idea) no new hair algae has grown and the stuff that was left behind has actually died off!

My theory about this whole situation is that the detritus that was accumulating was not being consumed by the proper anaerobic bacteria and was leaching nutrients that none of my test kits (NH3 - N, PH, Sr, PO4, KH/ALK, MG, Ca, NO3 - N) identified as being out of acceptable levels, and due to the low turnover rate I had going in my main tank, my skimmer did not have a chance to pull the DOM's and DOC's out, as they settled out in the main tank before they got to the sump.
The hair algae was feeding off of those leached nutrients.

I'm super happy with the results of the weekly blastings, and my corals love it too. (the polyps open up) I now siphon out the detritus that still settles with my 2X/month water changes. (10% each time)

If I've missed an important point, please point it out.
Otherwise, learn from my mistake and keep your water TURNOVER high!

Also - always test for whatever it is that you want to add to your system BEFORE you add it.

Mitch

 

[liquid]

Interesting...I've found the same thing with my tank. Instead of doing waterchanges, tho, I took a canister filter (DIY) and started it running good in the tank. I then took a Rio800 and blew out all the rock work real well till I had a virtual snowstorm going in the tank. Detritus was flying everywhere. I just kept blowing out the rockwork with the Rio until the water cleared up with the help of the canister filter. I think storming your tank is definitely a good maintenance practice.

Shane
liquid on #reefs

 

[dukecola]

Yup, in the old days we used Turkey Basters. A gentle blasting of the rocks does work. I would recommend using a mech filter for a short time after blasting.

 

[Anthony1]

Mitch, I also have had similar problems with hair algae. In my case, I had previously scrubbed the rock to get rid of it, but, it just kept coming back. It wasn't until I blasted the rock with a small powerhead (after a scrubbing the rock first) that the hair algae stopped growing on the rock. I know regularly use a small powerhead to clean my rock of detritus.

 

[SteveP]

I blast my rocks...um...my live rocks that is...with a turkey baster once or twice a week. It removes all of that brown waste material that accumlates, and provides some extra goodies for the suspension feeders. My tube worms will reach plague proportions soon!

I have no mechanical filtration in my system. Stuff either settles out in the sump or gets yanked out with the skimmer.

I prefer the baster because it's easier to control where the blasting occurs and the force of the blast.

Steve
8{I

 

[M.E.Milz]

I like the canister filter idea. A hang-on unit might be a good investment for my FOWLR tanks. Based upon your approach, I could see: 1) shutting down the main pumps, 2) blasting the rocks with a power head, and 3) removing the detrius from the water column with a hang-on filter. Of course, the hang-on filter would only be used during this routine.

 

[SPC]

Glad to hear about your success Mitch. I also use a turkey baster about once a week on my L/R.
Steve

 

[somethings fishy]

I was just wonsering if there were any side effects to scrubbing your rock with a toothbrush. wouldn't that kill off some of the life in it that you want. Maybe rinsing away valuable pods and thing of that nature. Just a thought. I too am ready to declare war with hair algae.

 

[MATTT]

Blast your rock to clean the algae ??? Algae still coming back, that didn't solve it. So once a week, you would do that to some of your rocks ? Does that tell you anything ? Didn't work !!!!! Why don't you just buy a yellow tang, it will clean up those algae in no time.

 

[Bodine]

I also try to remove detritus and an occasional flatworm

but with a different approach. Instead of blasting it around, I use a
Magnum HOT cannister with a gravel vac attactment to "vacuum" the rock and every now and then any matter on the DSB

 

[SPC]

Bodine, I also use the Hot Magnum at times with the vac attach, great tool to have around.
Steve

 

[fishfarmer]

Turkey baster = reefkeeper's third hand.

I'm starting to win the war on hair algae in my 120 gal FOWLR. My two tangs don't touch the algae high up near the water surface, so blasting, pruning, and powerhead positioning help. A better skimmer, more powerheads, and complete removal of the bioballs is next on the list.

 

[jasonrog]

I tried my shop vac. It sucked that algae out like nothing! However I nolonger have any fish!
Just Kidding

 

[Rich-n-poor]

I blast my rocks with a turkey baster now and then too.

Hey mitch:

do you have any hermits or are you a hermit bigot like tangirl ?

Now that we settled the hair algea ordeal how do I get hair to stop growing out of my ears ?

_________________
Honda CL125

 

[Mouse]

KIIIILLLLLLLL THE HERMITS

BURN THEM, BURN THEM, BUUUURRRRNNNNN THEMMMM

 

[Carpentersreef]

Rich, I'm an equal oppurtunity reefer. I've got hermits of both denominations.

Mouse...hehe...How do you tell if hermits are witches?
Build a bridge out of them?
(Python rules!)

Mitch

 

[Anonymous]

I blast my rocks clean when i do a waterchange. I have a 5' piece of tubing attatched to my rio 600 that came with my bakpak. I just drop the rio into my water bucket, and use the other end of the tube to clean off my rocks.

Mitch,
They float. just like churches and very small rocks.

B

 

[Scottis24]

I had a huge issue with it as well. My solution was to wash all of the rocks with toothbrush and change my SS from crushed Oyster shell to Aragonite. This coupled with a extremly hungry Yellow Tang has cured my problems. All I have now is purple coraline alge and bright green alge that the tang munches on.

 

[scuba_steve]

so you're saying a yellow tang will eat hair algae?

After reading this, I'll almost guarantee you that settled detrious is the cause of my hair algae problem. I've never considered it even though I wondered why my sand and rocks looked dirty. I've moved some rocks around in order to prune the algae and noticed the huge sediment storm that resulted. So I figure if I blow the rocks off before the water change, I think my algae problem might go away.

 

[Anonymous]

Some tangs will eat hair algae. Some yellows will and some will not. Some eat caulerpa and some do not. A mixture of a yellow tang and a mixture of snails(astrea, trochus, and turbos) will usually help as long as you are using proper makeup water. The turkey baster is a valuable asset as well.