I've had a 20 gallon sw set up for two years now. I hadn't had any problems until about three months ago. I started to get these clumps of green algae that look like patches of hair about an inch long growing all over my live rock and inlet/outlet hoses. I tried brushing them off with a fine toothbrush, siphoning the larger clumps out, and using a fine foam over in outlet to catch the left overs. I pull the foam out when it gets covered with the loose algae. I'm running a fluval 305 with everything in it...including phosphate pad, a sea-clone 100 protein skimmer, and two powerheads. I only have a few small fish and several snails and hermits and only feed them two small pinches a day. With out fail, within a week of cleaning and partial water changes (I have a reverse osmosis/DI filter for the water) the clumps just start growing back. What to do?????
Hair algae problem
- Thread starter tedcb5600
- Start date
Hmm, pretty weird. I got some hairy algae on some plants of mine. Dont know where it comes from. I have jsut cleaned my tank and cut off pieces of the affected plants. I even through in a pleco to help out. I think my problem comes from plants in my tank, though it could be other causes too. Is there too much lighting or soemthing else in your tank that might be feeding the algae? Clean as much as you can, do the water changes etc, and that will keep it under control, try throwing in a pleco or siamese algae eater, maybe even an otto or flying fox. Mollies like eating alge too.
As far as whats causing the alage I dont know. Ive never really had ever had algae problems, and just recently it popped up for me as well. I guess try and check everything out and try to find the source of the problem. I really dontr know what you are doibng wrong or whats going on in your tank to cause it. I still dont know 100% why I get it.
As far as whats causing the alage I dont know. Ive never really had ever had algae problems, and just recently it popped up for me as well. I guess try and check everything out and try to find the source of the problem. I really dontr know what you are doibng wrong or whats going on in your tank to cause it. I still dont know 100% why I get it.
I cant put the fish in the tank as they don't do well in salt water. I've never had an algae problem in my freshwater tanks though. The hermit crabs and snails are supposed to help control the algae, but they wont eat this hair algae.
oh, sorry I missed that, didnt see SW tank. Yeah youre right, those would die in SW. Usually its something in the set up that is making the algae grow and live. Lights, suppliments, etc. You can look it up online, but smetimes they dont give you conclusive answers for these problems, and its a bit more difficult when dealing with SW. Just keep removing as much as you can and do water changes, it will keep it under control. But for an ultimate solution, I dont know. Maybe someone else knows on this forum.