Hair Algea Vac

Hair Algae Vac

Now that I have declared open war fare on my hair algae I decide to really give it hell. Reefer madness STILL hasn't sent me my Sea Hare (3 weeks). Those guys are suppose to be real hair algae eating machine and if it ever gets here I am looking froward to it. Some people have said that they don't know why some people consider hair algae a problem. Here is why. For a brainless plant it is pretty cunning. At some point the algae starts winning. Algae grows=>traps detris=>more algae grows=>more detris. It is a visous cycle. Clumps of it float around the tank clogging equipment. It clogs my skimmer so I come home to realize that the skimmer has not been do anything all day. That is a problem. Well anyway I need to get rid of this crap. I ran the hose from the main tank to the sump started a siphon. I then rigged up the hose with two old filter bags and rubberbanded it to the end of the hose. This ended up working real good because the return pump would pump the water back into the main tank and I could siphon for as long as I wanted. After about 45 min check out my handy work.
Before

 

After

 

After 45 min check out all this algae! I was like a pound.

 

I kinda of got a bear paw so I thought i would give so reference to how big the klump of algae is.

 

I knocked down all the big fluffy stuff so maybe my snails might take a run at it now.

 

I feel for you I have been battling the same problem in my 50. I have been very busy lately so my maintence has been the best. I liked the Idea of filtering your water and reusing it.

 

I was sucking little bits of it out with my water changes but had to come up with a way of working on it longer.

 

wow that is kind of gross but looks extreamly effictive. BTW do you have any picture if the way you put the filter on the hose I have had a simmular hair algae proble and even though I just read your very informitive post about how to beat hair algae, I had the same idea to somehow mace a vaccuum just dident not know how the best way was. and the how to beat was very informative. I have gone through those step and figures it out its just now getting to a point where things are getting good looking in the tank again.

 

Great idea covey! I modified this diatom filter when I battled the dreaded Hair;

I added the tooth brush and scraper stick so I could scrub it off. Never thought about your idea, although the diatom is more powerful.