Got some coral on rock with hair algea all over

[SATAN FISH]

I picked up some zooanthids, xenea, leathers, candy canes. Anyways, the rocks that these are on are covered in green hair algae. I fear putting them in my 99.99% algae free tank. I don't want this algae to spread to everything in the tank obviously. I keep my nitrates and phosphates down which is why I have very very little algae now. If I introduce this stuff into my tank, will it spread? Can I eliminate it just by keeping my cheato algae in the refugium and keeping my nitrates and phosphates down? I have read that hair algae should be avoided at all costs.

I really want to save these corals. Am I going to have to cut them off the rocks and glue them to other rocks in my tank? One rock has probably 100 polyps of zoo's on it.

[Fiji Live Rock]

If your main tank is kept properly, your nutrient levels in your DT should be so low that it will just die.

Remember, true reef environments are extremely nutrient poor because everything is used up by corals, phytoplankton, etc.

So if your tank is nutrient dead such as on a reef...then the algae will have nothing to feed off of and should die off. You could always do a QT tank and just keep doing water changes with good water flow and make sure your water is fresh all the time and that will do the same as the above.

Tangs also if wild caught...will graze it off.

[SATAN FISH]

Originally Posted by Fiji Live Rock

If your main tank is kept properly, your nutrient levels in your DT should be so low that it will just die.

Remember, true reef environments are extremely nutrient poor because everything is used up by corals, phytoplankton, etc.

So if your tank is nutrient dead such as on a reef...then the algae will have nothing to feed off of and should die off. You could always do a QT tank and just keep doing water changes with good water flow and make sure your water is fresh all the time and that will do the same as the above.

Tangs also if wild caught...will graze it off.

Cool thank you. I keep Kent nitrate sponge in the wet/dry chaetomorpha algae in the refugium and change 10% weekly. I think I will up to 10% twice a week and go buy some more chaeto

Just freaking out cause everything I have ever read says "STAY AWAY from hair algae!!!"

[Fiji Live Rock]

How big is your tank?

[reeferhead]

Originally Posted by Fiji Live Rock

Tangs also if wild caught...will graze it off.

Only WC tangs will graze on algae? really?!?!

[SATAN FISH]

Originally Posted by Fiji Live Rock

How big is your tank?

Standard 6' 125g with a 25g refugium. bout 135lbs live rock and 90lbs live sand.

[Rickyrooz]

I think my Desjardini is aquacultured, it doesn't eat any algae off the rocks. My Kole tang on the other hand is constantly picking at the rocks.

[chessmanmark]

Originally Posted by Fiji Live Rock

If your main tank is kept properly, your nutrient levels in your DT should be so low that it will just die.

Remember, true reef environments are extremely nutrient poor because everything is used up by corals, phytoplankton, etc.

So if your tank is nutrient dead such as on a reef...then the algae will have nothing to feed off of and should die off. You could always do a QT tank and just keep doing water changes with good water flow and make sure your water is fresh all the time and that will do the same as the above.

Tangs also if wild caught...will graze it off.

Are there captive raised tangs? I've never seen any. At least not yet.

If you have tangs they will make quick work of any algae. You can also try treating with algaefix in a QT tank before placing these items in your tank.

[Rickyrooz]

Originally Posted by chessmanmark

Are there captive raised tangs? I've never seen any. At least not yet.

If you have tangs they will make quick work of any algae. You can also try treating with algaefix in a QT tank before placing these items in your tank.

This is a great breeding forum. So far tangs have bred successfully in captivity but raising the larvae is challenging.
http://www.marinebreeder.org/phpbb/index.php

[Fiji Live Rock]

I have had tangs that would not graze on hair and such that were of aquaculture nature. When I got my two Yellow Eye Tangs from the Indo/Pac. they were machines at eating algae. It took me MONTHS to get them to start eating some enriched brine shrimp as well.