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Anonymous

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Besides, the coral going to die before the algae anyway.
 
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Anonymous

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How many think its the LR?

How many think its the source water?

How many think its the glass tank?
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Anonymous

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Why not? Everything else has been no good.

I already changed the skimmer, removed the DSB, lights, salts.

Rock, source water or the glass tank is all thats left.
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sediener

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This may be a little off the wall but I have been in the same boat for over a year with hair algae. I have this theory that the algae sequesters food within its mesh ( DOCs and detritus ) so as it degrades, it can have first grab at it for its growth before the skimmer or other removal mechanisms can take it out of the water. I think this may be the reason that a bad hair algae outbreak perpetuates itself. While removing the algae you are releasing more nutrients into the tank which feeds the next generation.

Have you ever yanked out a large piece of hair algae and squeezed the water back into your tank? There is a definite oily nastyness that comes out.

My solution, which is slowly working for me is...

a) yanking as much out weekly as possible trying not to release the pile of food it has inside into the tank.
b) increasing flow so that the hair algae cannot retain its food and has to get it out of the water column
c) standard other algae controls
-- decreased feeding to 2x a week
-- changed old lights
-- shorter light cycle
-- add phosphate remover
-- get a refugium on line
-- run skimmer wet

Since doing this my hair algae is down to about 5% of what it was at its worst. The algae on my glass has slowed its growth to where I only have to scrape it 1x a week.

These are some ideas I have been kicking around while dealing with it and wanted to see what you guys think.

- Steve
 

zonkers

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Also consider some pH buffers are phosphate based. I had this problem with my freshwater tank & recurring green-water blooms.

Output some of your RO water directly into a glass & test its phosphate levels. Then add it to whatever vessel you prepare your saltwater in & retest it. Then add your salt, allow it to sit for a couple, & retest it. It may be tedious, but if you're adding it yourself somewhere along the line, you'll find it.

My rubbermaid bucket I was aging water in started getting a kinda funky smell to it, & I was finding small amounts of phosphates in the water after I added RO to it but before I added salt. I had to take it outside & scrub the hell out of it with dish detergent, making sure to scrub all the crevices & contours, & then rinse it thoroughly. I figured some mold was getting established & was contaminating the water. Haven't had a recurrance yet.
 
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Good lord Rob.

1) that's not as bad as it looks.

2) add a refugium (you won't)

3) add a single turbo snail and show us a picture in a couple of days.

4) bump up you calcium a little.

Looks to my like there is plenty of corraling underneath all the hair just waiting for the conditions to take off.

It is not the water, or salt or anything else. The tank just has not had the time to settle down with all the changes you have done. So you best bet is just to let it run while encouraging the plant life you like (corals and corraline algae) and discouraging the plant life you don't want.

I single turbo would consume 50% of that hair algae in a day or two.
 
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I tried rowaphos in a phosban reactor - Waste of money

I have 5 turbos in the tank and they dont tough the algae. Thats a 58 gallon tank.

Most of the LR is does not have live coraline on it. It is dead. Those red areas you see are red hair algae.
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Anonymous

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Thanks for the feedback.

If the turbos are not touching it then try reducing the lighting.


I also would put some of it behind say an eggcrate to from an in tank refugium. That would keep it away from the rock and corals. and by lighting up that area, the algae should grow better behind the egg crate. then you can remove the eggcrate and algae later when thing have settled down.

Or you could just let it be or at most just do some housekeeping each week or so.

hope you have the best tank ever.
 
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Rob_Reef_Keeper":37gymn01 said:
I tried rowaphos in a phosban reactor - Waste of money

I have 5 turbos in the tank and they dont tough the algae. Thats a 58 gallon tank.

Most of the LR is does not have live coraline on it. It is dead. Those red areas you see are red hair algae.

What do you mean they won't touch it? Try physically moving the turbo onto the algae. If you walk by and they are someplace else, pick them up and move them again. Make them work for you.
 
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I ordered the Salifert Phosphate and Silicate test kits. We'll see. If its the water after the RO/DI/DI then I guess I cant have a tank.
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Fastmarc

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zonkers":1kkc1f1m said:
My rubbermaid bucket I was aging water in started getting a kinda funky smell to it, & I was finding small amounts of phosphates in the water after I added RO to it but before I added salt.
Interstingly, I saw a thread somewhere with individuals that claimed that some of these containers many of us use releases phosphates.
 

zonkers

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How long have you been running your RO/DI? My understanding is that carbon will absorb phosphates until its saturated with it, & then it not only will it not filter it any more, but release what its already absorbed back into the water. I user the Salifert test Phosphate, Silicate, & Nitrate test kits & they have been reliable for testing my tap & RO water. I would suggest testing your tap for phosphates, & see what you're dealing with to start, & then see how it is coming out of the RO. If you're still getting phosphates in your product water, you may need to replace the carbon block.
 

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