What's going on...please help

[nemo79]

I have been fighting green hair algae. I have 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates. I do water changes every two weeks, clean my media regularly, feed every other day once, vacuum my substrate, bulbs are only 7 mnths old, skimmer is collecting alot, good flow but I still am getting green hair algae. It's now growing on my heater, filter intake, and I noticed a small piece on my leather. I think I am in trouble.

I am using black diamond carbon, which I clean regularly and change every few weeks. Phosguard and nitrate sponge.

[Reef Man]

I had the same problem and IMO you will always battle GHA. I moved all my fish to my hospital tank. Got each rock and brushed off the GHA. Then, I left my lights off for 2 months. After this, my rocks were white rocks with no algae on them. RO/DI is the way to go and make sure you get all the phosphate out of the tank. I use Phos-ban (Used with a phosban reactor) to get rid of Phosphates. Lawnmower Blennys do a great job eating GHA, but they can only eat so much. Also, a Sea hare slug can eat a great load of GHA.

[MDeth]

I'd look into a phosphate reactor. If you want, I can put you in touch with a guy that made his own (not too hard)!

But a fuge, or some reactor is almost a must

[Tangster]

How many snails do you have in that tank ?? Not hermits but snails and what types do you keep in there ?

[lunatik_69]

Hey Nemo, by any chance, does your tank get any direct sun light at all? I also have hair algae, but it is only in the over flow channel and the sun hits that area 1 or 2 hrs a day.

[nemo79]

Well I have my sig updated with the amount of snails I have...could be more. I have nerites, xl turbos, black turbos, conch's, I want cerith and astrea but they are hard to come by.

My tank does get a little bit of sunlight during the day, not direct but now that you mentioned it I am closing all my blinds from now on.

[Jason McKenzie]

It's not that uncommon for a tank that is your age to get a bloom of this type. It sounds like you are doing a lot to get it under control.
Astra snails are a real pain as they can not right themselves. but they are excellent turf algae eaters. Margaritas are very good also but I have found they like the glass more that the rocks. There are also some great turbo snails out there that eat hair algae. But they get so big.

The only real solution I have ever found is to pick it out by hand. Then the snails clean up the 'roots'
I think it was Curt that taught me to get 2 pails of fresh RO water. Pick the algae off the rock out put it in one pail. Then rinse your fingers in the other pail and get some more. It takes a really long time but works and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

J

[Tangster]

Nemo get yourself about 150 Astra snails in there there will be some that will die and fall and can't get up (: But as a rule all of mine tend to find away to right themselves I knock them off of the glass and rim all the time and I never worried about them getting up.. They have to if not I'd have a ton of shells with not meat in them. I try to maintain about 3 to 4 per gallon on average.. sometimes more sometimes less I order them by the 100's .. At the shop I just got in 4,000 for the systems there 3 five gallon buckets full almost they will clean the tank. I'm lazy (: They are the best grazers I ever found and will knock over corals and bulldoze the tank like the Huge Turbos will The Bumble bee snails do some good work . But you can never have to many snails I think..

[nemo79]

I'm going to the big city this weekend and hopefully someone will have stock on snails since I have been looking for a month now with zero results.

[Otty]

eBay - snails items on eBay.com
Look on ebay, I order them like Tangster by the 100's and they have all done well. I bought 100 nassariuos and 100 margaretta's off ebay and they all are doing great. Heck with the LFS that will charge you an arm and a leg for them.