Greenish brown Hair Algae

[lee]

Got this problem for a long time already. Probably because of my tank

not so good parameter; .ie. NO3>40, PO>0.03, etc and poor skimming.

My weekly maintenance is using a toothbrush to brush those ever growing

hair algae ?? but it will grow back as quickly. On sandbed red brown slimy cyno I guessed always creep up the next day after I cleared them. One thing to note is that 90% of what I cleared off go back to the tank, i.e seldom phyiscally remove from the tank.

To reduce these problem I intend to :-

- change to a better skimmer

- introduce Reefsafe Fish & Invert to eat the algae

Any good workable suggestion for Reefsafe Fish or Invert ?

I have only 4 small fishes & LPS in my current 2.5' tank.

Will not be using any RI/RO or any PO reducing equipment .. too ex.

Thanks,

Wee Kiong

[weileong]

If you brush the hair algae then the spores will be floating around in your tank and then later they will grow back again.

If you can... remove your corals and do a black out for a week followed by water change should be able to get rid of them.

But they will come back again if the root cause is not solved.

[Eric]

Got this problem for a long time already. Probably because of my tank

not so good parameter; .ie. NO3>40, PO>0.03, etc and poor skimming.

My weekly maintenance is using a toothbrush to brush those ever growing

hair algae ?? but it will grow back as quickly. On sandbed red brown slimy cyno I guessed always creep up the next day after I cleared them. One thing to note is that 90% of what I cleared off go back to the tank, i.e  seldom phyiscally remove from the tank.

To reduce these problem I intend to :-

- change to a better skimmer

- introduce Reefsafe Fish & Invert to eat the algae

Any good workable suggestion for Reefsafe Fish or Invert ?

I have only 4 small fishes & LPS in my current 2.5' tank.

Will not be using any RI/RO or any PO reducing equipment .. too ex.

Thanks,

Wee Kiong

To top with the introduction of a better skimmer, & algae eating LS you might want to Reduce feeding and photoperiod in your main tank, if possible add a refugium in your sump with 24/7 lightings for macroalgaes to grow so they will bring down your nutrients.

Small algae blenny will help you feed on the greens

p/s: I love that red prata on the bottom left, can sell me?

Eric

[lee]

Small algae blenny will help you feed on the greens

Eric

How does this algae eating benny look like ?

What about Yellow Tang or Hermit crab?

[thioeh]

Keep some tang, and they will clean up all the algae for you. Mine is the same as you, so I keep 2 tang hoping it to clear my algae, but they seem to like prepare food than algae on the liverock, however i like tangs very much, so i introduce slower one by one and now total of 6 tangs in my tank. This is what it happen, all six tang compete for food and they clear all algae on the LR

The only setback is your bi-load will increase and you need to have a good skimmer.

[Eric]

How does this algae eating benny look like ?

What about Yellow Tang or Hermit crab?

This is algae blenny..........

Eric

[lee]

Keep some tang, and they will clean up all the algae for you. Mine is the same as you, so I keep 2 tang hoping it to clear my algae, but they seem to like prepare food than algae on the liverock, however i like tangs very much, so i introduce slower one by one and now total of 6 tangs in my tank. This is what it happen, all six tang compete for food and they clear all algae on the LR

The only setback is your bi-load will increase and you need to have a good skimmer.

Can you recommend a good algae eating , small and not so ex Tang ?

What about the Yellow or Blue Tang

[lee]

This is algae blenny..........

Eric

Thanks Eric, anymore nicer algae eating small benny ?

P/S: Sorry, only Red prata I have.

[Eric]

Thanks Eric, anymore nicer algae eating small benny ?

P/S: Sorry, only Red prata I have.

Nicer one no use leh.......not as effective as this lawnmover/algae blenny leh. Can pm me where you bought this red prata from & how much? Maybe I place order with the LFS.

Eric

[weileong]

Can you recommend a good algae eating , small and not so ex Tang ?

What about the Yellow or Blue Tang

Get some bristletooth.. eg like the kole tang or chevron

Or you can get a small fox face too, this is very hardy and got character, fun to watch

[Kaf]

Nicer one no use leh.......not as effective as this lawnmover/algae blenny leh. Can pm me where you bought this red prata from & how much? Maybe I place order with the LFS.

Eric

Sorry

Eric PM me when you know which LFS please.

[]v[edia]

Try black benny it look nice to me =P

click link to see the photo n details http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di...=69&TopCatId=23

[clownman]

My bristletooth not doing much work on clearing the algae.

Only initially when first introduced.

Now basically "bo chap".

Only eat minced shrimp + seaweed.

But got a blue tang recently.

Cleared my algae by 70% in 1 week.

Now hoping the algae can grow fast enough to keep it going.

Cos it only eats the algae.

Excellent chap.

[weileong]

prepared food always taste better than those algae If you want the fish to eat the algae then don't feed them

[lee]

Thanks for all the advise.

Will most likely buy 1-2 benny & blue/yellow Tang to try out.

Plus less food & lighting.

[Gouldian]

Thanks for all the advise.

Will most likely buy 1-2 benny & blue/yellow Tang to try out.

Plus less food & lighting.

For the tang, try those from the zebrasoma family which is the purple tang or the yellow tang. They are hardier and also will not grow too big for your 2.5ft.

[dradttg]

I have of this algae in my tank too as well as Algae Benny and Bi Colour Benny. I never seen any of them eating the algae. I dont think they will have any effect against this algae.

As for tang, I heard that Convict tang (though not that pretty) wacks all sort of algae.

[Gouldian]

I have of this algae in my tank too as well as Algae Benny and Bi Colour Benny. I never seen any of them eating the algae. I dont think they will have any effect against this algae.

As for tang, I heard that Convict tang (though not that pretty) wacks all sort of algae.

Wa, you managed to have algae blenny and bi-color in the same tank?! So lucky.

The last I done that, my tank became a war zone. At the end have to remove the AB to restore peace.

Some says sailfins are good too. But I will stick to Bob Fenner's advise of Yellow & Purple Tang.

[thioeh]

Can you recommend a good algae eating , small and not so ex Tang ?

What about the Yellow or Blue Tang

I use to keep 3 tangs, yellow, purple and brown tangs, only brown tangs glazing on algae, the two dont even look and just feed on seaweed and mysis shrimp. Only when in add in sailfin, powder blue and sohal, now all 6 tangs compete for all the aglae on LR. I dont keep any aglae blenny, look cute when small, once grow bigger ...

If u want to keep tangs, I suggest you try brown tangs or kole tang, yellow tang and sailfin tangs. These 4 are quite hardy.

[Eric]

Controlling Problem Algae in the Reef Aquarium

https://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_marine...x.asp?ast=&key=

Eric

[Gouldian]

Controlling Problem Algae in the Reef Aquarium

https://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_marine...x.asp?ast=&key=

Eric

Superb read! Thank Eric.