From Diatoms to Hair
- Purifire
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 188
- Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf Puffers (C. Travancoricus) , 1 male 1 female.
Saddled Toby (C. Vallintini)
Have kept GSPs - Location (country): United States, Lompoc CA
From Diatoms to Hair
Well folks... My 29g Marine tank finished off it's post-cycle shebang with a nice Diatom bloom, then when that died off ( whew thank gawd ) and I started to relax, I noticed hair algae on SOME of the LR. It only seems to be cultivating on certain surfaces. At on point I took a large-ish chunk out and scrubbed it off, but the problem is starting to affect some pieces with Spaghetti Worm colonies too, and I don't wanna wipe out my neat little filter-feeders.
Any suggestions on how to keep this problem from becoming acute? Thanks
29 Gallon Marine tank, with refugium, skimmer. Base rock, coral skeletons. Stock: Baby Ocellaurus Clown, young Saddled Toby, 3 Hermit crabs,one 2 inch Bristle Worm, hitch hiking starfish.
10g Biotope. 3 C. Travancoricus (Dwarf Puffer) Some Ghost shrimp, gravel/sand substrate, heavily planted with Swords and Java Moss.
10g LR Culture Tank. 10+ pounds fiji LR / base rock. Assorted hitch hiking inverts
Some FW tanks.
In My Experience, Fishkeeping is like Cooking. Five or ten basics will keep anyone from getting sick. But to be truly magnificent... You have to know the right Recipies.
10g Biotope. 3 C. Travancoricus (Dwarf Puffer) Some Ghost shrimp, gravel/sand substrate, heavily planted with Swords and Java Moss.
10g LR Culture Tank. 10+ pounds fiji LR / base rock. Assorted hitch hiking inverts
Some FW tanks.
In My Experience, Fishkeeping is like Cooking. Five or ten basics will keep anyone from getting sick. But to be truly magnificent... You have to know the right Recipies.
- sevenyearnight
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1894
- Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:41 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: T. nigroviridis
Balki Bartokomous - Location (country): USA
- Location: South Carolina
Re: From Diatoms to Hair
Hey I hear you on swapping out algae!
The only thing I've found that worked for me is to check phosphates and nitrates, make sure they are at the acceptable levels, but also make sure your calcium and alkalinity is also at the right levels. That way the coraline algae will be able to establish itself and take over and hopefully push out the hair algae.
Good luck
The only thing I've found that worked for me is to check phosphates and nitrates, make sure they are at the acceptable levels, but also make sure your calcium and alkalinity is also at the right levels. That way the coraline algae will be able to establish itself and take over and hopefully push out the hair algae.
Good luck

- Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: From Diatoms to Hair
This is all the natural progression of a SW tank. Do your best to manually remove as much algae as possible, even using a toothbrush to get it off.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"