I have merged the thread "need help with lighting and hair algae" into the main thread we have on this topic and made the thread sticky. This will keep all the information in one place.
this may sound silly, but i have added snails, crabs (emerald, sally golightly and hermit) and a phosphate absorbant pad. The hair algae is gone. Now do I have to worry about how well my snails and crabs will survive, or will there always be sufficient levels of (less apparent) algae for them to eat?
I did several things, added 1 turbo snail, added iron filter pad, reduced photoperiod to 8 hrs per day and it took about a week. 15 astreas, 2 sally golightlies, 1 emerald and 1 turbo, plus the pad in 45 gal. Ready to add some coral next week!
Cool, I have about 3 snails, 4 or 5 blue legs, the phospate,nitrite sponge, and the photoperiod is about 7 or 8 hours. I havent seen much if any imporvmenet with the hair algae.
I did several things, added 1 turbo snail, added iron filter pad, reduced photoperiod to 8 hrs per day and it took about a week. 15 astreas, 2 sally golightlies, 1 emerald and 1 turbo, plus the pad in 45 gal. Ready to add some coral next week!
Rex
Sounds like you got the algae under control. Yes, you should be able to add some corals. I would recommend you add easy to care for, undemanding livestock like soft corals, mushrooms, and zoos. Once you are sure of those, then try some LPS and/or SPS.
I had a terrible cyano and hair problem for about six months. I upgraded my skimmer, added a refugium, and increased waterflow to 40x tank volume and all traces have died off. I no longer have any power filter. The only filters in my system are the ones on the powerheads / pumps.
Thread hasn't been updated in a while. So I thought I would add some thing. I've seen and heard of people adding a fuge/refugium to their systems. I don't understand how this would help with an algae problem. I would think it make it worse, giving it a place to bloom and flurish. I've seen this hair algea jump from place to place. Wouldn't it jump from the fuge to your main tank with that much flow?
Thread hasn't been updated in a while. So I thought I would add some thing. I've seen and heard of people adding a fuge/refugium to their systems. I don't understand how this would help with an algae problem. I would think it make it worse, giving it a place to bloom and flurish. I've seen this hair algea jump from place to place. Wouldn't it jump from the fuge to your main tank with that much flow?
Nope, I had or maybe still have some hair algae in my sump/refugium and cannot find a trace in my display tank. I've never had hair algae in my display since the 1st day. I got hair algae in my sump/refugium after using some liquid life products, once I stopped using them no more hair algae. I also had cyano, again in the sump/refugium and no trace in the main tank.
That seems a fair question Ratkiller. I have often wondered about this same thing but as Alex says it just doesn't spread. I still have some hair algae in my refugium and a bit of Cyano but none in the display tank. The only explanation I can think of is maybe the cleanup crew in the display tank off set the balance every so slightly and there is only enough nutrients in the water for the algae to grow in one area. Naturally, since you have your cleanup crew munching on the stuff in the display tank the only place it can take hold is in the refugium. Once there it constantly consumes the nutrients that would eventually feed a bloom in the main tank. Any other thoughts???
Linear Mode
