What's the cause of hair algae???

[stoneriff]

Hello folks;
Hopefully someone can help me. I have a Tech 120 mixed reef. I run Radion LED's. I've been having random patches of hair algae popping up. I do weekly
15 gallon water changes. I run Phosban and carbon. I change my filter socks every other day. I empty my skimmer and rinse out the cup every other day.
My parameters are great.
Salinity 1.025
Calcium 450
Mg 1450
Alk 8.24
Nitrates 0.5
Temp 78.6
Phosphates at 0. Tested with brand new Salifert kit.

What could be causing the hair algae? Should I feed less.
Will decreasing my lights help?
Your advice is appreciated.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Phosphates. Our test kits wo t pick up trace amounts. Only lab grade that we can't get do as well as a Hannah photometer.

Even though they test 0 they're lurking around.

I would change out your gfo more frequently and step up the water changes. It won't remedy the cause if you do it now but if you get it to where its going away noticeably then I'd go a few days with no lights to kill of the remaining and then you should have it licked.

Good luck man.

 

[stoneriff]

Thank you for your advice. I have two clams, SPS, LPS in the tank. Will cutting my lights for a couple of days hurt them?

 

[JimmyR1rider]

I've done it before and all my corals were fine after. I didn't have a lot of sps but all that I had were good to go.

I have never had any clams though. Hopefully someone that has and has done a few days with no lights will chime in.

If you're worried just do the heavier water changes and frequent gfo changes. If it starts to solve the issue for you just keep doing it and it should vanish, will just take longer. I've also raised my mag up to basically off the charts and it killed it off for me. Truthfully though I wasn't the most comfortable with doing it lol. I did that with a tank I was nursing nems back in not my DT.


Either way best wishes with it.

 

[andylee]

Do you have a lot fish and how much do you feed. It's probably easier to try to limit the nutrients (phosphate, nitrates) going in than try to pull them out afterwards.

 

[KathyC]

Thank you for your advice. I have two clams, SPS, LPS in the tank. Will cutting my lights for a couple of days hurt them?

Before you do this, can you tell us what your lighting cycle is?

Also - what foods do you feed and how often do you change your GFO (what brand as well)?

 

[James]

What is the total water volume of your system? Unless your sump is too small, 15 gallons a week is probably not removing enough nutrients. I would also invest in a solid clean up crew. Lastly, what type of rock do you have and where did you get it. I know marco rock has had phosphate issues in the past and they can leech out over time causing algae spikes.

 

[stoneriff]

Before you do this, can you tell us what your lighting cycle is?

Also - what foods do you feed and how often do you change your GFO (what brand as well)?

I use two Ecotech Radion units. My light cycle starts at the 18K preset, before ramping up to their 14K preset by mid cycle. It starts at noon, slowly ramping up to 45% intensity by 2pm. Then slowly ramping up to 65% intensity by 5pm. Then slowly ramping down to 45% by 8pm. Then slowly going off by 9pm. My lights are 1 foot over the tank. The tank is 48"x24"x24".
I change my GFO and carbon once a month.

Thank you,
Jesse.

 

[stoneriff]

What is the total water volume of your system? Unless your sump is too small, 15 gallons a week is probably not removing enough nutrients. I would also invest in a solid clean up crew. Lastly, what type of rock do you have and where did you get it. I know marco rock has had phosphate issues in the past and they can leech out over time causing algae spikes.

I started with 80lbs. of clean, dry pukani rock from BRS, and 120 lbs. sand bed. My tank is 1 year old. I would say that the water volume is approximately 90 gallons. I try to keep a big clean up crew, but my Melanarus Wrasse loves to eat them. I find myself buying crabs and snails every two months, since it seems that I'd never be able to catch him without wrecking the tank.

 

[James]

Sump volume? Your wrasse sleeps in the sand, it is super easy to catch it. Just scoop up the area where it sleeps and you will catch it easier than any other fish in your tank.

 

[stoneriff]

Sump volume? Your wrasse sleeps in the sand, it is super easy to catch it. Just scoop up the area where it sleeps and you will catch it easier than any other fish in your tank.

My sump is approximately 30 gallons. My wrasse sleeps behind a lot of live rock that would wreck a lot of coral if moved. I'd rather not move it.

 

[stoneriff]

Before you do this, can you tell us what your lighting cycle is?

Also - what foods do you feed and how often do you change your GFO (what brand as well)?

I feed a varying diet of Mysis, Cyklopeeze, Brine,Rod's foods, and reef roids. I alternate it every day. I may have a heavy hand at times. I will be cutting my feeding in half and see the results.

 

[stoneriff]

Any other advice folks?

Thank you.

 

[Keyman]

In what type of container do you mix your water before do a water change?