OK, I'll ask the first DUMB question as a Newbie

What actually causes hair algae, and what is the best thing to do to get rid of it? I've heard it is caused by phosphates or maybe lack of? I think I may detect the beginning of some in my tank and I want to nip it in the bud right away. Wil the CUC I am ordering help:

Astrea snails
Cerith snails
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Peppermint Shrimp
Nerite snails
Hermit crabs
and a Nudibranch

Hair algea is caused by too many nutrients and phosphates. At least that's whats believed but I've seen a few cases on Reef Central where people are cutting out almost all food and light and still losing the battle. Most of my tanks have broken out in a hair algea phase when first set up, I just leave it alone and it's gone in a month anyways. So don't buy too many algea eaters, I did that when I first started and it seems my tank (the 33 gallon) supports about three astrea/ turbo snails, five or six nass. and about a dozen hermits, everything else dies off due to lack of food but I haven't bought new cleaners in over a year. Watch that nudi, they get caught in powerheads and overflows and cut to ribbons.
I did have a severe problem a couple years ago in the 33 gallon which I battled for months, added a skimmer, cut feeding, cut lights, rinsed frozen foods, scrubbed rocks, bought cleaners. Then I switched out my crushed coral for sand, changing out all the water in the process and it all went away. I also have less fish now due to a couple jumpers so that probably helped.

I got rid of mine by reducing my photo period and feeding my coupla fish only every other or every third day. That was in the 55. I agree that too large of a CUC is just asking for starved, dying critters.

Astrea snails - 10
Cerith snails - 10
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp - 2
Peppermint Shrimp - 2
Nerite snails - 10
Hermit crabs - 15
and a Nudibranch - 1

Is this too much for a 75g? I was always told about 1 snail and 1 hermit per gallon...I'm way light if that is the case.

Like Tiffany siad I would watch out for the nudibranch,other tahn that I think tose numbers would be ok.

Yeah. I didn't look at your numbers. They don't look too high for your tank. I vowed to never again get hermits. I hate that they kill my snails. However, many reefers get them and just assume their going to replenish their snail population every now and again.

I have a few hemits and nerites now - the nerites are doing a number on the brown algae that is growing on the back of the tank and overflows!! It's amazing what those little guys can consume. They just leave cute little clean trails behind themselves...what happens if they overeat!!??!!?? The hermits don't seem to bother the nerites (maybe it's because they are glass dwellers?). Isn't a skimmer suppose to get rid of most of the excess nutrients along with waste products?

For the most part what i have heard. Hair algae causes, tds not being zero because that can dump nutrients in the system, too long of lighting, to little snails, i have heard 2 snails per gallon, 1 blue leg per gallon, nudis and stars for sand bed. Protein skimmers do pull the nutrients out of the water, what kind of NOG is your skimmer producing, are you getting full collection cups every few days?

We were getting a full collection cup twice a day for a while so we turned it down a bit and now I would say the collection cup fills about every third day or so. I only ordered about 45 snails, 25 hermits, 4 shrimp, and a nudi. I wanted to start slow. We also use RO/DI water that has a TDS of 0, so I don't think that is part of the issue. I think we are maybe over feeding right now, and we have cut back to every other day feedings. Hopefully it will all come together in the next few weeks.

I would say you are just experiencing your tank maturing, by all accounts I should have horrible algea, (tap water, no skimmer, overfeeding, low cuc, etc) and have none but always get a bloom when I setup a new tank. Make sure you cover your intake on powerheads with a sponge for that nudi. You should take before and after pics, those critters should get working fast!

I"ll take some pictures tonight of what the 5 nerite snails have accomplished and then what it looks like in a few days. I don't have powerheads, just the closed loop, the intake already has a filter on it, so we should be ok. Unless you think I will need filters on the ones in the overflows? The clown already ended up in the sump once - he's a jumper! I am going to place the nudi on the sand in the calmest part of the tank and let him go from there...I think he will be fine and a nice addition to the tank. I am also hoping that he will consume his fair share of the algae. The tank is already perking up, so I think you are correct that it is just part of the tank maturing. The zoas are opening up again and so are the palys. It's fun to look at the tank again and not e disgusted with it...Have I told you lately that you stink, Postal, for haveing it so easy with tap water, no skimmer, etc....that would just make this hobby so much more wonderful if we didn't have to deal with all of that!!!

Well, Tiff and Garrett you were right (I hate to admit that to you, Garrett....but I WAS MISTAKEN ) I don't know how on earth that little bugger slipped through one of the filters, but the nudibrach got SHREDDED last night!!! I'm so upset - he was an awesome little cleaner!! The slots in the intake and output bulkhead filters are pretty small, and I didn't think that he would slip through one. I realize that he was probably like a blob of jelly, but he was big. Either way...R.I.P. nudibranch

OOPS, well that's why I've never risked anything like that or anemones, I have too many powerheads around. Chopped nudi for supper???

for next time-if there IS a next time- use sponges over the in-takes. You'll have to clean them out once in a while, but it'll keep the bugger from going to its... demise.

I had the apistasia-eating ones once. SO very pretty.