# Hair algae on rocks?



## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

So I have a small (10gallon) nano set up. I've just noticed that there seems to be some hair algae growing on the live rock (which was dead rock for 2 years). The only thing in the aquarium is a small pink tipped anemone, it's doing very well and has never seemed to decline in health since I got it 2 months ago.

The tanks about 6 months old so I'm unsure as to what this hair algae is, is it a macro algae? Or is it something worthless that I should remove?


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

If is sways easily in the water current, it's hair algae. Better get it under control ASAP before it becomes a PITA problem. Trochus sp snails worked best for me.

If it feels stiff and bristly, it's a type of turf macro algae and will grow to look like a tight mass of Java Moss. You have to take out the affected piece of LR and scrub it off with a wire brush. Rinse well in a bucket of NSW before putting it back in the DT.

HTH


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

Awesome, so either way it should go? I'll do this tonight. Thanks.


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## Flexin5 (Nov 12, 2011)

Ryan.Wilton said:


> Awesome, so either way it should go? I'll do this tonight. Thanks.


I had bad gha when I started my 10gal, to get rid if it, lower your light cycle, make sure your doing everything possible to rid phosphates, and start to pluck out what you can. Come bigger hermit crabs will help, and if all of that doesn't work (like me) take the rock out and scrub it down with a hard bristled brush and hydrogen peroxide. Never cave back after that.


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## Tim (Dec 11, 2011)

Flexin5 said:


> I had bad gha when I started my 10gal, to get rid if it, lower your light cycle, make sure your doing everything possible to rid phosphates, and start to pluck out what you can. Come bigger hermit crabs will help, and if all of that doesn't work (like me) take the rock out and scrub it down with a hard bristled brush and hydrogen peroxide. Never cave back after that.


emmy the crab didn't help?  She kept our tank spotless.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

I have turf algae in my tank kind of like the looks of it very slow growing and my yellow tang picks at it. If you can put up a pic we can tell you for sure


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

CUC are opportunistic eaters. If you get a trochus or turbo snail they'll eat it. Same thing with hermits or emerald crabs. If they don't have anything to eat, they start looking for easty stuff to eat and the first thing they'll find is the GHA

Good luck with the minor problem


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