sea hair

[fiveboys]

I have a 20 gallon reef tank that is about 1 year old. I started to have a major algae problem and my pet store sold me a sea hair. Has anyone had any luck with these? Also, he is putting out ALOT of waste should I be worried about this?

[wildreef]

well Ive seen these sea hairs, there very useful and they will eat algae like a fat kid chasing a cup-cake (joke) .
But there are the additional things you can do such as reducing your phosphates,etc.

Tell me your set up , readings, and live stock etc.
Also include tpye of lighting.'
And we'll see if i can help ya get rid of that stuff.

Please also include a total tank photo if you can, that will help alot.

[baugherb]

A sea hare will clean your tank in no time.. Most likely starve when finished.. But like wildreef said there's alot of causes of hair algae...

[fiveboys]

ok, i do not know my parameters because i have a man that services my tank and checks everything for me. he says everything checks out great. i have a clown, 3 green chromis, and one coral beauty fish. i also have several corals, all which are doing great except for my spaghetti leather. i believe my lighting is actinics and metal halides (very expensive and highly recommended by the pet store for corals). i also have one powerhead.

[baugherb]

Ask your guy what the parameters are when you talk to him.. How old are your bulbs??

[wildreef]

Originally Posted by fiveboys

ok, i do not know my parameters because i have a man that services my tank and checks everything for me. he says everything checks out great. i have a clown, 3 green chromis, and one coral beauty fish. i also have several corals, all which are doing great except for my spaghetti leather. i believe my lighting is actinics and metal halides (very expensive and highly recommended by the pet store for corals). i also have one powerhead.

1st off YOU need to test and learn your self ( if the water parameters were all fine and dandy then you wouldint have a hair algae problem )

You need to purchase the basic things, such as amonia/nitrate/calcuim/phosphate/nitrite/PH/ALK, test kits.
Then you need additional test kits such as >
stronium/mag/iodine.
Here's one of my corals ( green spaghetti leather roughly 12 inches tall now and bout 8 to 10 inches wide after only 4 months )


You need to tel me how often you feed and do you have a "sump" or "refugium" ?
Do you have or run a phosphate reducer ?
Do you have a skimmer ?
tell me how "much lighting" ? MH ? what size ? how many bulbs ? how old are the actinics, and MH bulbs ?

[missionsix66]

Originally Posted by baugherb

Ask your guy what the parameters are when you talk to him.. How old are your bulbs??

And then ask him for a refund. If you are paying someone to take care of your tank, that means doing water changes when necessary and keeping up on parameters. And like baugherb said, it will clean your tank in no time. Will need to be returned when gha is gone.

[kylekin]

i went into a local pet store, and they were selling nudibranchs as sea hares, i laughed in their face, and they had a spanish dancer one of the most deadly... the lettuce sea hare seems to do best for hair algae.... your astrea snails should plow through it and not starve

[wildreef]

Originally Posted by missionsix66

And then ask him for a refund. If you are paying someone to take care of your tank, that means doing water changes when necessary and keeping up on parameters. And like baugherb said, it will clean your tank in no time. Will need to be returned when gha is gone.

I second that brother. LOL

[vegasfish]

Like everyone has said just get your own chem kits and start testing and learning your tank. I just started out in marine aquariums 3 months ago. I have read several books and read many of the threads here on 3reef.com. Once you take the step out to take care of your own tank you will wonder why you never took the chance in the past. If you need any help just use the search thread and ask this board everyone here has been a wealth of FREE info.