Add Sump + Cheato = Hair Algae!!! (long)

[bigbris1]

Dom, my PM box is cleared.

Matt, I'd like to believe that those who responded assumed I was on top of my water chemistry . My parameters are as follows:

Temp: Avg 80F
Ca: 450
Alk: 11dKH
Ph: Avg 8.3
Sg: 1.025
PO4: Undetectable (not accounting for the amount used up)
Nitrate <10ppm
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0

I do water changes at a rate of 5-7 gallons weekly, & recently more frequently. I have an ATO connected to my system which uses RO/DO water. Just swiched back to IO from Oceanic, planning to go Reef Crystals on the next trip.

My RO/DI reads 37-40 in, 0 out. System has been up for about 2 years. I dose B-Ionic daily. (Just switched back from Randy's 2-part)

I believe Phosphate will be added with the addition of food no matter what food you use.

 

[meschaefer]

Dom, my PM box is cleared.

Matt, I'd like to believe that those who responded assumed I was on top of my water chemistry . My parameters are as follows:


PO4: Undetectable (not accounting for the amount used up)


I believe Phosphate will be added with the addition of food no matter what food you use.

I am sure that you are diligent in keeping up on your water parameters but the existence of hair algae is big indicator that you have a problem with your water parameters and Nitrate and phosphate are the first place to start looking. No matter how you look at it, you have excess nutrients in your tank as evidenced by the hair algae.

I have slightly more faith in Nitrate test kits than I do with phosphate test kits, so i am willing to accept your nitrate readings- assuming that you are using a quality test kit. I am willing to put money on it that your phosphate is high. The fact that you read phosphate as undetectable, leads me to believe that you are using an inaccurate phosphate test kit - most of them are. As an example, a buddy of mine was reading undetectable on a Salifert test kit, which was tested at 1.4 on a colorimeter. That is exceedingly high.

Yes all food adds phosphate, the trick is not to add excess phosphate. As I stated before, most cubes I tested raised my water parameters by .04 per cube, when the food was rinsed. I tested the water before I feed my fish and 1 hour later. When feeding cyclopesee, mysis shrimp and dry foods, I do not have any detectable rise in phosphate one hour later. That doesn't mean they didn't add phosphate in the system, only that it was bound up in the food and I didn't add phosphate to the system in excess of what was bound up in the food.

 

[Domboski]

Dom, my PM box is cleared.

Matt, I'd like to believe that those who responded assumed I was on top of my water chemistry .

Ok and I am guilty of assuming

 

[Wes]

no assuming here...Fact is if you wouldnt have hair algae if your phosphates are in check...hence my suggestion of using GFO and cleaning out the sump...

i don't like to be limited to what I feed so i am aggressive with removal. IMO limiting the amount of phosphate that enters the tank is much more tedious than removal via GFO media.

 

[bigbris1]

I've had negative reactions in my leathers & some zoos when running GFO, so I try to run it only when necessary. I am currently running the Drs PhosPure.

 

[meschaefer]

I've had negative reactions in my leathers & some zoos when running GFO, so I try to run it only when necessary. I am currently running the Drs PhosPure.

Where you using GFO or an aluminum based phosphate remover. Leathers are known to have a negative reaction to aluminum based phosphater removers but not GFO (iron based).

 

[bigbris1]

I was using PhosPure w/Zeolite from the good Drs.

 

[bigbris1]

Just tested Sally's frozen Plankton. Came in well over 10ppm.

Method of test:

Squeeze-drained thawed plankton using finger method.
Added small amount of tank water.
Fed tank & put the leftovers in fridge. (in teacup)
Filled 5ml vial w/water from cup in fridge. (after it sat in there for hours)
Tested using API Phosphate test kit.

My first thought was to toss the food & start feeding flakes. Then I thought about how this was 5ml of water going into a 40 gal+ system. It's adding phosphate, but a small amount.