Re: [AGA Member] Hair algae

["Rachel Sandage" <rachelsor@hotmail.com>]

I agree with Roger that hair algae may just be part of the "algae cycle" 
that new tanks go through, but we also weren't given a whole lot of 
information about this new tank other than it had alot of light.

In my own experience, hair algae was a result of a nutrient imbalance. Algae 
eating fish, such as the Ameca splendens and Flagfish that have been 
suggested, may indeed be able to keep it under control, but chances are if 
the nutrients in the tank aren't right then plant growth will not be as good 
as it could be and disappointemnt, as well as other types of algae, will set 
in.

Hair algae is one of the algaes that is completely wipe-outable by a 
blackout. Do a major water change/ manual algae removal thing. Turn off CO2 
(if present), cover the tank with a thick blanket, and leave it alone for 
four days. When you take the blanket off, the fish will be fine, the plants 
will be fine, although a little leggy in some cases, and the hair algae will 
be gone.

Once it is gone, you need to keep your nutrients in shape. For me, adding 
KNO3 to keep nitrates around 10 ppm put an end to hair algae once and for 
all. If only I could say the same for BBA and green dust algae...

-Rachel

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