Need Some Help Now!!! Green Hair Algae and Protein Skimmer.

[charles1]

I wanted to get a RedSea Berlin Classic Turbo but have not heard any good things after reading further into it. I need to know what the best skimmer for my tank would be.

Specs:
:?
1 mandarin goby
some mushrooms
80 lbs of live rock
50 gallon tank reef tank
2 rio 600 pumps


Whenever I get snails and hermit crabs they die with a few months. I can't keep any of the clean up crew alive to eat my green hair algae. Any Ideas would be greatly appreciated.


Battling green hair algae problem
I use RO water and do regular water changes

 

[MarkO1]

They are not known as being very effective. I have one and am not too impressed with it's performance. I guess I'd like to know more specifics about your tank. What size tank, chemical parameters, bioload, etc...
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Headaches / Migraines Forum

 

[godblesswtc]

I have a few patches of hair algae popping around my tank so I ordered a couple of critters to help. I've heard that sally lightfoot crabs help and that a lettuce nudibranch eats hair algae. I also have a couple of long spined urchins that have passed over some hair algae patches and ate them all up. Hope this helps.

 

[Reef Guy11]

Hello there I have a Berlin Venture and it work good and i like it if you want a different kind then there is a Euro Reef Protein skimmer that are good but also cost a good grip of money. and I would need to know more about your tank like readind ETC. to know what is causing your clean up crew to die off.

 

[charles1]

What is readind ETC?

Nitrates are about 40 and on there way down. Ammonia levels are 0. I have my pump to flush any detritus off of the live rock.

 

[Reef Guy11]

Well that is good you don't want them that high and you can get rid of that by doing 5% water changes once a week till the nitrates drop or use a nitrate sponge. That will get you nitrates down and thn you can have living Critter is your tank. Okay Well hope that helps a little.

 

[charles1]

:?

 

[wombat1]

Charles,
Like I said, take everyone's advice with a grain of salt. The reason you have hair algae is because excess nutrients are allowing it to grow. Fix the problem. You don't have to buy new animals.

 

[Garry thomas]

You seem to be missing the point? buying a clean up crew straight away, and then dying probally adding to the problem? you have high nitrates without a dought, but you dont mention phosphates primerily caused by overfeeding and lack of maintenance. In britain there is a fantastic product called ROWAPHOSS its made in germany, bang some in and watch your po4 fall.Nitrates do regular water changes, you say you use r/o is it an old one possibly? pods need changing? Take the nutriants away and the algy cant and wont survive, i also cant understand why you have these high levels with so little fish, or have they all died?
Back to the skimmer, BERLIN TURBO........crap...... well the pumps are anyway. I had a new one when they come on the market a year and a half ago, like i said the pump is the culprit not the skimmer,it had a strong appetite for impellers at an alarming rate
The one to get without a bad word is the TURBOFLOTOR 1000 multi....fantastic....... i now have had the full range, and now have there flagship the 5000twin brilliant...... hope to have helped

GT s wales

 

[charles1]

I use Glacier water from an industrial size RO system with 0 ppm. I have been actively removing the green hair algae and removed the biowheel, filter floss and activated carbon. I have kent phosphate sponge so I will also give that a try. Thanks wombat for everything. We will hook up later. Kelly and I will buy you dinner.

 

[Djm9288]

RO doesnt remove phosphates, only RO/DI, so thatll still have phosphates in it

 

[charles1]

I put the phosphate sponge in. We will see if it helps at all. :? I also added some phytoplankton for the mandarin goby. I heard that may contribute to algae outbreaks. I use DT's phytoplankton.

 

[tazdevil]

Aquac ev120 gets my vote. I've had mine for almost six months, and it's a great performer. Took 3 months for it to settle down-1 week after startup, was producing COPIUS amounts of yellow-tinged foam. This went on for about 3 mths, then turned very dark green, and dry. Has been doing that ever since. Here's a link to them:

http://www.proteinskimmer.com/products/EV120.htm