Signs of Green Hair Algae - Need Solution

[Arun]

Mine is recently established tank, running for last 2 months. I could see some green spots on rocks, possibly Green Hair algae. How to get rid of it at earliest stage itself, before getting worse? i do have clean up crew hermit crab and cerith snails. 

[DrDeGuzman]

I had this problem too. It's due to phosphates.  I used chemi pure elite, phosphate rx and other stuff but it only worked for a while. I ended up using food grade hydrogen peroxide and scrubbing it with a toothbrush the next day and 20% water change once a week. So far so good

[Clown79]

On 5/15/2020 at 12:26 PM, Arun said:

Mine is recently established tank, running for last 2 months. I could see some green spots on rocks, possibly Green Hair algae. How to get rid of it at earliest stage itself, before getting worse? i do have clean up crew hermit crab and cerith snails. 

We need a pic to confirm what algae you have.

 

You also need to test your nutrients because using products that reduce phos or nitrates requires constant monitoring as you can easily strip your tank leading to more issues.

 

What water do you use? Rodi, distilled, tap? 

 

The tank is new and will go through various stages of algae. The more natural methods of removal are far better to do as any products you add can have effects.

 

The best method

 

Test nutrients

Manually remove it

Place snails directly on the algae

[Garf]

It could simply be the algae that precedes coralline algae. I wouldn't do anything to remove it until you know for sure what it is.  Like Clown has said, test  and let the tank mature.  The goal here is to get the right things to out compete the bad things. Chemipure and phosphate removers only treat the symptoms, not the disease, and can cause further problems. Every tank is different, the amount of bio filtration, the sand, the bio diversity and pod populations, the frequency of water changes, the quality of your water source and salt mix. It is hard to give specific advice that is guaranteed to work, the best thing to do is to observe the tank, monitor and test params, and above all, keep things stable and don't chase numbers. 

 

 

[mcarroll]

On 5/15/2020 at 12:26 PM, Arun said:

Mine is recently established tank, running for last 2 months. I could see some green spots on rocks, possibly Green Hair algae. How to get rid of it at earliest stage itself, before getting worse?

Step one:  Don't panic.  Algae is not a disease.  Algae is not a problem.  You do not get rid of it.

Step two:  Let your snails do their job.

 

That's it, really.

 

If there are enough snails, they will keep the growth down to nubs so you can't see it.

 

But if there aren't enough snails, it'll outgrow their efforts and you'll see hair algae.  

 

Seeing hair algae is your signal to pull out that patch of algae and add a small number of new herbivores like your Cerith snails.  Consider using some larger snails, even up to Turbo size....but be judicious with the number you add at once....a single large snail or 1-2 medium snails or 3-5 small snails would be my suggested limit.

 

(FYI, green patches on the rock are unlikely to be hair algae IMO....be patient and let your tank develop.  Just keep paying attention and keep asking questions. 👍)