Trying again - Reef-Geeks

ballyhoo · Newbie-Geek

This is my second attempt at setting up a reef tank. 1st one had to totaly be torn down because of

hair algae.Lost 500lbs of live rock.so my question is what is the number one thing you can do to prevent hair algae

estanoche · I <3 the LEFT COAST!

ohhhh theres lots of things you can do - but the #1 think IMO is to make sure it never takes over!!!

- use RO-DI water
- don't overfeed, heck, don't feed unless you have to
- get a good clean-up crew, cuz even if you don't feed, it will grow

haha - HA is kind of a good thing, it allows you to manually remove nitrates from your water that would otherwise be floating around and making all your corals brown!

Kimberlee · Reef-Geek

Go slow and don't over feed and BIG clean up crew.

Pat B · Geektacular

ballyhoo!!!

I have to agree with what has been said, and add a few other things.

Water tests, water tests, water tests.

And put a couple of Lytechinus variegatus urchins in your CUC. They come in many colors, I have them in pink purple and green, I like the purple tipped one the best he has a serious apatite.

rgrking · Spawning

Welcome to the site!!!!

There's a lot of things you can do to help prevent HA. I wish I could take my own advice lol. Lots of flow! Good cleanup crew to include urchins. Tangs. Watch your nitrates and PO4. It will help to feed the HA. You may not even notice levels with the HA sucking them out. Also, you can manually pull it out. Just wait for it to get long enough that you can grab a chunk. Don't let any of it float away.

spinycheek · Insert Custom Title Here

What size tank did you have? 500 lbs is a lot of rock, and too much of it can turn into a detritus trap where it just rots away adding nutrients to the water. The other suggestion of mine is to add a phosphate reactor, either GFO or Phosguard to absorb phosphates. Even tiny amounts of it can be enough for algae to take over. Deep sand beds can be very effective at eliminating nitrate too.

Tizzo · ♥...I'm justa girl...♫ ♪

Well, even when I do everything right, the hair algae comes... So finding critters that will consume it at is the best bet IMO. Blue leg hermits are awesome, as are yellow tangs or dwarf angels (depending on compatibility). At the moment though, I have no fish- and lots of blue legs and no algae!

Just know that they are a disposable creature, they are aggressive toward each other and will kill one another, which is why they are so cheap. For a less aggressive hermit, you may wanna consider scartlets, but around here you can get 30 blues for the price of 1 scarlet.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents

donkey · Big-Geek

Also make sure you fit a good Skimmer and if it does start to grow Add a Sea Hare this is the daddy of all CUC and makes all the other CUC his bitch. You could also try growing some chaeto in your sump,failing that lot then start dosing some Red Sea NO3:PO4-X

.

Barbara · Geekette

Hi Ballyhoo!

lots of great advice given so far.....what size tank are you planning on starting back up? another tip: start with "dead" rock vs. liverock....

chris&barb · Lost

ballyhoo

Have you set anything up yet? Hows it going?

[1 (permalink)] Posted by ballyhoo 11-09-2011, 11:33 AM	Newbie-Geek
Trying again This is my second attempt at setting up a reef tank. 1st one had to totaly be torn down because of hair algae.Lost 500lbs of live rock.so my question is what is the number one thing you can do to prevent hair algae	Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: jupiter florida Posts: 1 Gameroom cash: $2255 Rep Power: 4
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[2 (permalink)] Posted by estanoche 11-09-2011, 11:36 AM	I <3 the LEFT COAST!
ohhhh theres lots of things you can do - but the #1 think IMO is to make sure it never takes over!!! - use RO-DI water - don't overfeed, heck, don't feed unless you have to - get a good clean-up crew, cuz even if you don't feed, it will grow haha - HA is kind of a good thing, it allows you to manually remove nitrates from your water that would otherwise be floating around and making all your corals brown! __________________ SAY NO TO FISH STICKS!! Put screened and vented lids on your tanks! My 80 Gal. Reef Tank Build: So this is where all my money goes My 25 Gal. QT/Angler Cube: A place for my money to QT/grow out Member/VP of Spokane Coeur d Alene Reef Society Friend me up on FB too!	Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 3,799 Gameroom cash: $1235065 Rep Power: 116
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[3 (permalink)] Posted by Kimberlee 11-09-2011, 11:58 AM	Reef-Geek
Go slow and don't over feed and BIG clean up crew.	Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Salem OR Posts: 270 Gameroom cash: $38755 Rep Power: 8
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[4 (permalink)] Posted by Pat B 11-09-2011, 12:59 PM	Geektacular
ballyhoo!!! I have to agree with what has been said, and add a few other things. Water tests, water tests, water tests. And put a couple of Lytechinus variegatus urchins in your CUC. They come in many colors, I have them in pink purple and green, I like the purple tipped one the best he has a serious apatite. __________________ "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15b "HIS word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." Jeremiah 20:9b *Click on the ticker for the build thread.*	Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Camden, De Posts: 2,560 Gameroom cash: $1240165 Rep Power: 65
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[5 (permalink)] Posted by rgrking 11-09-2011, 03:26 PM	Spawning
Welcome to the site!!!! There's a lot of things you can do to help prevent HA. I wish I could take my own advice lol. Lots of flow! Good cleanup crew to include urchins. Tangs. Watch your nitrates and PO4. It will help to feed the HA. You may not even notice levels with the HA sucking them out. Also, you can manually pull it out. Just wait for it to get long enough that you can grab a chunk. Don't let any of it float away. __________________ RLTW 180 Gallon Mixed Reef Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8 Friend me up on Facebook Glen King	Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Sullivan, Missouri, USA Posts: 10,000 Gameroom cash: $1656070 Rep Power: 164
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[6 (permalink)] Posted by spinycheek 11-09-2011, 08:11 PM	Insert Custom Title Here
What size tank did you have? 500 lbs is a lot of rock, and too much of it can turn into a detritus trap where it just rots away adding nutrients to the water. The other suggestion of mine is to add a phosphate reactor, either GFO or Phosguard to absorb phosphates. Even tiny amounts of it can be enough for algae to take over. Deep sand beds can be very effective at eliminating nitrate too. __________________ All this knowledge is giving me a raging brainer!	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Lakewood, CO Posts: 4,277 Gameroom cash: $1307222 Rep Power: 82
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[7 (permalink)] Posted by Tizzo 11-10-2011, 08:52 AM	♥...I'm justa girl...♫ ♪
Well, even when I do everything right, the hair algae comes... So finding critters that will consume it at is the best bet IMO. Blue leg hermits are awesome, as are yellow tangs or dwarf angels (depending on compatibility). At the moment though, I have no fish- and lots of blue legs and no algae! Just know that they are a disposable creature, they are aggressive toward each other and will kill one another, which is why they are so cheap. For a less aggressive hermit, you may wanna consider scartlets, but around here you can get 30 blues for the price of 1 scarlet. Anyway, that's my 2 cents Last edited by Tizzo; 11-10-2011 at 09:22 AM.	Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Land O' lakes, Florida Posts: 938 Gameroom cash: $296850 Rep Power: 38
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[8 (permalink)] Posted by donkey 11-10-2011, 11:28 AM	Big-Geek
Also make sure you fit a good Skimmer and if it does start to grow Add a Sea Hare this is the daddy of all CUC and makes all the other CUC his bitch. You could also try growing some chaeto in your sump,failing that lot then start dosing some Red Sea NO3:PO4-X . __________________ I Will Not Be Pushed, Filed, Stamped, Indexed, Briefed, Debriefed Or Numbered. My Life Is My Own.	Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: England Posts: 1,061 Gameroom cash: $486800 Rep Power: 49
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[9 (permalink)] Posted by Barbara 11-11-2011, 10:05 AM	Geekette
Hi Ballyhoo! lots of great advice given so far.....what size tank are you planning on starting back up? another tip: start with "dead" rock vs. liverock.... __________________	Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 11,856 Gameroom cash: $4013819 Rep Power: 100
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[10 (permalink)] Posted by chris&barb 12-05-2011, 10:21 AM	Lost
ballyhoo Have you set anything up yet? Hows it going?	Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: De Posts: 12,272 Gameroom cash: $3501040 Rep Power: 100
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