Green Hair Algae - need info

[ragc]

Ok, so I'm finally setting out to try eliminate my green hair algae. I know all the standard stuff, like keep phosphates and nitrates down down, keep lighting hours to 8-9 hours/day, etc. I stay within those parameters, but my 10 gallon is, admitedly, a bit overstocked (see my signature). My water parameters as of this AM are:

Tank age: 8-9 months
Temp: 78F
Ph: 8.2
Salinity: 32PPT or 1.02375 SG
Alk: "normal" (Red Sea test, stupid thing has no #s)
KH: 10
NO2: 0
NO3: 0
PO4: 0
CA2+: 370 (raising it to 400)
Iodide: 0
Iodine: 0.10 (too high, lowering to 0.06) - new salt mix in water change
Fe: 0

My questions:
1) I am keeping the iron (Fe) low intentionally to starve the algae, but my plants are suffering because of it. I have read that if I feed the plants they will consume tha algae's nutrients and starve them, but when I've tried this it has not worked...the algae seems to grow at the same rate no matter what, but my plants get very lush and I have to trim them back to keep my corals in the light.
2) I had one red legged hermit and a blue legged hermit that did not do a thing about green hair. In fact, I suspect they starved to death in a tank full of the stuff most websites say they like to eat! Red-legged Mexican hermits are reputed to be herviborous, yet one of my books claims this is not true, just a ploy to sell them. In a tank as small as mine I don't want them competing/killing my nassarius snails, who are hardworking and valuable cuc members. Are red-legged Mexican hermits effective against green hair algae or not?
3) I need to let my Yellow-tailed Blue Damsel rule his 10 gal tank. As aggressive as he is, introducing a Lawnmower Blennie or any other fish would be bad, plus I don't want the bio-load. Other than fish, is there anything beyond a red-legged hermit I could introduce that eats green hair?

I know that eventually I will move up to a larger tank. I am not ready to do it now, even though I understand that most of my problems would be more easily cured with additional capacity. In fact, it is these challenges with a small tank that make the hobby interesting to me, including the one I'm asking about here. Although you may be tempted to suggest I go larger, that is not something I want to do at this time (I started with a 1 gal nano - and I still have the same fish, my only SW fish ever, in the 10!). Any help is appreciated.

 

[mogurnda]

I can't remember if I have posted my experiences with hair algae to you before, so excuse me if I repeat myself. When I dealt with a long, ugly battle with hair algae, it became clear to me that most people giving advice had never actually defeated a hair algae problem. Ignore those people right off. There were other threads in which people got rid of the hair algae, and never really knew what did it. That was my case.

During the bloom, my water parameters were fantastic, but the Derbesia was still everywhere. That contrasted with the previous tank, where the nitrate and phosphate were always present, but I never had a breakout of algae.

Here are the things that may have ultimately helped:
-Changing the circulation to completely eliminate dead spots
-Maintaining the skimmer to extract as much as fast as possible
-Adding a DI unit to my RO system

I suspect, though, that it was in large part due to waiting for the tank to mature and for whatever was feeding the algae to be exhausted. In the end, the algae simply seemed to turn light and die, so it was not the herbivores that did it in. I have an urchin that did its part, by eating pathways through the algae, but I would not suggest one in a 10. The snails and hermits were happy to mop up the dying stuff, and keep things tidy now.

The tank size is irrelevant. I never had hair algae in my 20, and only started to have a problem when I moved to a 90.

 

[ragc]

Dave:

As usual I can count on you to review my newbie questions and give me a complete, thought-out answer. I know you must spend a considerable amount of time answering the same questions over and over again. I for one appreciate your effort to keep information flowing. You do a great service to the hobby. Thank you very much!

You had not shared the information on your experience with hair algae with me before, or in any other post on the subject I have read. I will try change my circulation a bit. My rotating powerhead is in the back of the tank, and your assumption is probably correct, since most, if not all, of my hair algae is in the "shadow" of my central pillar of LR. Because I don't want to/can't change the layout of the tank, the only true possibility would be to add a fixed power head towards the front. I worry that this may create too much turbulence...it will have to be carefully thought out!

I have an urchin that did its part, by eating pathways through the algae, but I would not suggest one in a 10.

Too late! I have had a small pencil urchin for at least 6 months! You can see him inside the "crook" of the clam shell in the same photo that shows my saddle coral and damselfish in the post I sarted this thread with. I wish he would mow a path through the algae, but he seems to enjoy the shorter stuff and the detritus on my rocks. Maybe that's why I only have hair algae in a few spots! I know he eats well because I have seen him poop several times, and it is a lot! He has not grown in the time I've had him in the tank...maybe he won't? I also have a Mithrax crab (Emerald Crab) that has been very useful in controlling bubble algae. He is also a service to the damsel in that every day he moves into the damsel's "cave" and cleans it up (the damsel does NOT appreciate this!). He also eats the fleshy, short stuff, and the bubbles.

Should I supplement Iron for the plants, or should I keep it low to deny it to the algae? I have not observed this to make any difference before, but would like to know your opinion. The same question goes for Iodine, another algae nutrient that helps corals along. I have also started adding Kent's Marine C and Coral Accel and it has made a big difference in the growth and reproduction of my corals, especially the star polyps and zooanthids. Could this be benefiting the algae?

Again, thanks for your constant attention. Amongst many friends, you have one in Atlanta.

Rafael

 

[mogurnda]

Thanks for the nice words, I appreciate it.

I haven't had pencil urchins, but have read that they are more carnivorous than other species. If you haven't seen it cause trouble, and it has enough to eat, it should be fine.

Personally, I think supplementing iron is a bad idea. If algae growth is limited by iron, then you will simply fuel the flames.

As far as the other additives, the only things I put into my tanks are food, calcium and carbonate. Are the Kent additives causing trouble? I don't know, but I don't like adding things when I am not sure if the tank needs them.

I guess what I was trying to say in the previous post is that most hair algae problems come under control when the nutrient input that feeds algae is balanced by export (skimming and plants) and grazing. Often a tank will be out of whack, and it takes a few months of careful husbandry to bring it back.

If you want some amusement, do searches on hair algae here, on reef central, reefs.org, or wherever, and look at the threads. Check out the wildly different advice and the things people try. Then look for the people who have been successful at eradicating the problem. It's almost as if there's no logic to it.

 

[ragc]

It's a very delicate balance indeed....my tank, being 10 gallons, has no protein skimmer. Even without one I am able to get good water quality tests, so I'm not very concerned on that end. I believe the detritus accumulating in dead spots may be the key here. I will keep you posted on what I find works for me. Yes, I have read some of the hair algae posts...

Thanks again!

Rafael