RO/DI and water quality? Algae

[Anonymous]

AS many of you know I have been battling hair algae for 2 years. Went as far as yanking the DSB and ading starboard, Changing skimmers, etc. etc.

All of my fish died over a month ago so I am no longer even feeding the tank. I am only adding RO/DI for top off through a Kalk reactor.

The algae continues to grow at an astonishing rate.

I use RO/DI/DI @ 0 TDS.

Could there be something the RO/DI is missing creating the fuel for algae?
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BMW 328

 

[Anonymous]

Obviously the nutrients are still there feeding the algae. Untill you remove those with a 100% nutrient -free water change, insure there is no possible "contanminents" (fish food, nitrogen in the air, houshold dust, and all other sources of any possible things feeding the tank) you will continue to have a self substaining algae culture.

If you do a 100% water change and get the tank 100% sterile, then you must insure nothing comes in contact with the water to maintain that.

You could kill the algae by keeping the tank in total darkness. the then when the lights come back on some from of plant life will return.

Or you can add things to the system to comsume the nutrients currently being used by the algae.

Those are some options.

 

[Anonymous]

As far as air quality I dont know abotu that. Then lots of people would have algae problems. You cannot make the tank a sealed system where no air will get to the tank.

If nothing were added to the tank beside the RO/DI then that has to be the source. A 100% water change of bad water will have the same reults.

I have not gone the new LR route because my SPS corals have now attached themselves to the LR and are growing well now. Just have to look through the forest to see them.
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gremlin seeds

 

[Anonymous]

Have you tested the RO/DI water for phosphates/nitrates and other nutrients? I'm not sure a TDS meter will measure these?

 

[Anonymous]

Actually sound like you are doing pretty well. Maybe you should just leave well enough alone. Or at most just some cleaners aimed at the plant life you don't like.

 

[Anonymous]

Or at most just some cleaners aimed at the plant life you don't like.

Such as? I really dont want to add more snails to see them die in the tank.

I dont have a PO4 kit anymore - Waste of money for the tank. Algae = PO4 so its there. Now that I threw it out I need to find someone that can test my water with a Good test kit.
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Honda SMX

 

[Anonymous]

>...nitrogen in the air,

PLB, do yo have any study citing the role of nitrogen gas in the air and how it affect the ocean? Or you thought Rob was planting some soybean in his reef tank?

>...Could there be something the RO/DI is missing creating the fuel for algae?

No Rob. The nutrient is locked up in the biomass of the algae, not in the water. If you test the tank water, I am sure it will be pretty low in A/N/N. Same for your top off water. The only way (I know you hate to hear this) is to remove the algea and get it out of the system. Puting hermit crab or snail in the tank will just recycle the nutrient, not remove it out. Unfortunately, for every gram of nutrient, you will have several pounds of hair algae.

 

[Anonymous]

Another thing to look into is to make sure your TDS meter is doing it job. Get a calibration fluid and make sure it give you good reading. Most TDS meter used in this hobby are pretty much useless for RO/DI.

 

[Anonymous]

How to remove ALL of the algae and its fuel?

If its siphoned out during a WC and it comes right back

The only additions are topoff or a WC's.

If its not the RO/DI water then it can only be the LR that is saturated with something.

The tank tests 0 for Nitrate.
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economic stimulus package

 

[Anonymous]

LR is fine, it is the hair algae on it. There is always some nutrient on the salt that all of us use. Again, check your topoff water with a decent meter, not the cheapo TDS meter that meant for the hydroponics and tap water.

You don't have to remove all the algae at once. Did you see a gradual reduction in algae since, say about a year ago when you started the battle?

 

[Anonymous]

Its gotten allot worse now. Every inch of LR is covered as well as the starboard bottom and some patches on the glass.

Where can I get a decent meter?
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blue moonshine plants

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear that, Rob.

Anyone in your local reef club with a resistivity meter that you can borrow? It is not cheap, and you will use it maybe once or twice, so there is no justification to buy one.

To be fair to PLB, I will quote the following:

Certain fundamental limits on elemental composition
in organisms are set by phosphate requirements for
nucleotides, nucleic acids and membranes, the nitrogen
requirements of proteins and varying iron requirements
as a factor in specific enzymes of metabolism
(Falkowski, 2000). However, there are many ways that
organisms can make use of nutrient resources to grow
and reproduce, even in the face of what appear at first
to be exogenous limits. Thus some prokaryotic organisms
can satisfy their need for one of the basic nutrients
by fixing nitrogen from the nearly inexhaustible supply
of dissolved N2 gas.

http://www.tos.org/oceanography/issues/ ... _et_al.pdf

 

[Anonymous]

thank you seven. Cyano bacteria is a good example of what can take nitrogen out of the air.

Rob how is the corraline doing? that takes time to take off because it is slower growing. so perhaps eventually corraline and corals will lock up all the nutrients and starve out the hair.


And I do agree that some nutrients are locked up in the existing hair.

Just don't expect this to be corrected quickly with the methods you are using. Corals do require nutrients. As to hair, corraline and other plant life. Whatever you to for the hair may also adversly affect the sps you have. As long as the sps are fine I would just let it ride.

 

[Anonymous]

The corlaine has turned white and is dying off. The corlaine will NOT grow on the LR.
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Satanism, The Church of Satan Forum

 

[WRASSER]

SEVEN I think you have something there, about something on the salt. I stopped making my own salt water to do water changes. iI have a guy come out and change the water with ocean water and have not had a problem since. Maybe you are on to something there. 8)

 

[Anonymous]

>...The corlaine will NOT grow on the LR.

That usually means that the light is too strong

 

[Anonymous]

even on the bottom of the tank?

Its only a 250W HQI and 2 95W VHO actinics over a 58 (36x18x21).

I think its excess nutrients and PO$ that is causing this mess. Just got to find the source.
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Honda Zest

 

[Anonymous]

IMO your live rock is probably the source. Was it harvested new or was it acquired from a fellow hobbiest?

If it were me I would try tackling it from multiple fronts. A couple Sea Hares, Gammarus amphipods, Head-Shield Snails, an algae scrubber, let the hair grow long so you can pull it out manually.

Do you know why your fish died? Are you maintaining your other water parameters close to sea water levels?

 

[Anonymous]

Gee Rob It's almost sounding like killing your lights for a couple of days would help. then trying a shorter duration to see of the corraline comes back.

 

[Anonymous]

CA - 400
Alk - 8 DKH
Mag - 1400
Nitrate - 0
Sal 1.025
Temp 79-80
PH 8.1-8.4

I am thinking its the rock but it grows so fast with only the addition of RO/DI/DI through Kalk for topoff.

Fish died - I have no clue. All died one day in a matter of 4 hours.
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Mercedes Benz 300SL