1 year old tank, fighting hair Algae/ Cyno Algae/High PH

[fltekdiver]

I have a Reefer 250 that's been running just about a year now, and started fighting hair algae from the first month, because I bought live rock off Craigslist that was loaded with it.

I have a Apex which I run the powerheads through, as well as the Kessils, and everything else.

I'm running GFO Phosban and do weekly water changes of 15% ( my sump Volume )

I'm also now having a Cyno Algae breakout

I'm also using the BRS ALK/ Calcium that lowers PH, but my PH is always 8.5 to 8.7 on my Apex. When I open the windows in the house, it climbs to 8.9

I'm also using a GHL2 dosing pump using BRS 2 part Alk / Calk , and my levels are as of today:

ALK = 10.0 ppm
Calcium = 450ppm
Mag = 1340ppm
Nitrate = Under 5ppm
Nitrite = O
Ammonia = 0
Hanna Checker Marine ULR = 13 on the Hanna Checker which I came up with
0.04 PPM converted over.

The HA is inbeded in the sand, and the Cyno now has a patch in the sand, but is growing all over the back wall and rocks. I'm not sure if everything in the sand bed is GHA, or Cyno. It's spreading throughout the sand bed

I added a 3rd powerhead and am running 3x Jebao PP4's , which 2 of them are controlled through the Apex, and are running at 25%

Tank is mixed SPS with LPS, with 3 bubble tips etc

Any thoughts? I thought about cutting the lights for 3 days, but not sure how the bubble tips and SPS will do.

I been dosing API Marine Algaefix now for 2 weeks, but doesn't seem to be working.

I store the RO water in 55 Gallon food grade drums, and use one for mixing and one for RO water. Under the tank it's stored in a 5GAL Food Grade container, which last me 7 days with evaporation

 

[Sk8r]

How often are you changing the GFO? It can saturate really quickly in a bad situtation and then just sit there holding what it's got, but doing no further good, while more phosphate continues to leach out of the source, whatever it be.
checkpoints:
TDS of ro water?
Origin of rock? Some dense limestone does contain phosphate that takes a while to soak out.
Your alk is high: 9 to 7.9 low is better.
I can only say---I sympathize: I had some rock deliver me a load of phosphate that was a bear to overcome.

I'd change the GFO media out, and change it every month until you do see improvement.

Lights-out won't help your phosphate (green hair) but it wouldn't hurt your corals, and would (with a good!!! skimmer) take out the cyano over several months. One lights-out a month, followed by one day of reduced light. Note that lights-out means only 'go on room lights only and draw the drapes.'

 

[fltekdiver]

Thanks for the help

I changed the cartridges in my Spectra Pure last month, I may have changed them to late.
So your saying to run the Alk around 8.0 to 9.0 ? I can lower the dose on the pump, I thought 10.0 on the ALK was the target range.

Do you mean lights off for a month? Can the bubble tips, and SPS last that long with no light?