7 Month Wild Algae Battle

Ok Great stuff guys just tested my brute ro/di container and it tested 0.11 so then I tested my ro/di unit itself it tested 0.00 and finally tested my saltwater brute and that tested 0.00 all with hanna meter. What i dont understand is why phos. leaching affects the ro/di container but it dosent affect the saltwater brute thats mixed with the same ro/di water. Somebody posted above they still make a good saltwater storage bin?
But seems to be accurate according to the tests i just did. Hopefully this just solved my 6 month battle with algea!!!!
 
I would guess it is because of water's solvent abilities. Water that is too clean likes to soak up anything it can.
 
mdbbears34 said:
Ok Great stuff guys just tested my brute ro/di container and it tested 0.11 so then I tested my ro/di unit itself it tested 0.00 and finally tested my saltwater brute and that tested 0.00 all with hanna meter. What i dont understand is why phos. leaching affects the ro/di container but it dosent affect the saltwater brute thats mixed with the same ro/di water. Somebody posted above they still make a good saltwater storage bin?
But seems to be accurate according to the tests i just did. Hopefully this just solved my 6 month battle with algea!!!!
Click to expand...

RO is considered "hungry water" where it will attract whatever element it touches. There are many different types of plastic and that's why an inert plastic is necessary for storing RODI and not necessarily saltwater.
 
your algaes i believe are grape cherlupa and halimeada in the first pic and bubble algae in the second...emerald crabs sometimes eat bubble algae
 
mdbbears34 said:
Ok Great stuff guys just tested my brute ro/di container and it tested 0.11 so then I tested my ro/di unit itself it tested 0.00 and finally tested my saltwater brute and that tested 0.00 all with hanna meter. What i dont understand is why phos. leaching affects the ro/di container but it dosent affect the saltwater brute thats mixed with the same ro/di water. Somebody posted above they still make a good saltwater storage bin?
But seems to be accurate according to the tests i just did. Hopefully this just solved my 6 month battle with algea!!!!
Click to expand...

You puzzled me here... How come phosphates were in the RO/DI container then you've used this water for your salt mix and it's not there anymore. Can someone with chemistry degree explain this effect? Could it be just our test kits not being design for RO/DI water and those results are faulty one?
 
Sounds like an error, phosphate doesn't disappear once salt is added to water. Maybe the RODI that was used for the saltwater wasn't in the RO container long enough for the phosphates to leach.
 
Currently the phosphate in the tank is .04 ppm. Now that is a serious accomplishment for us. The amount of money I spent on this issue could have taken us on a weekend vacation. Moral of the story: check your brutes, some leach more than others and you never know what end of the spectrum yours is on.

The purple stylophora lightened significantly during the 1800 range, so I've haulted the Kent Mag dosing. Since the phosphate is lower these days I am hoping the remaining algae will starve.
 
The purple stylo is returning to full color and while there is still some nuisance algae, we enjoy our tank again.

935386_10151557095758114_216607756_n.jpg
 
* water source - sounds like you are sure it's not that
* nutrient load / skimmer capability - looks / sounds ok based on what you have said
* GFO - should only need replacement monthly, the BRS units do not come with a sufficient pump. I finally got a Reef Octopus media chamger with a Mag7... could never get the BRS ones to work with a MJ pump.
* Sand bed - could be the source - Tell us more about your nitrates - what are levels usually at before and after a water change? How do you keep buildup of nutrients in your sand bed?
* any other place where nutrients would collect.

Some of those aren't new but my general list of possibilities of sources of Phosphates
 
Nator said:
* water source - sounds like you are sure it's not that
* nutrient load / skimmer capability - looks / sounds ok based on what you have said
* GFO - should only need replacement monthly, the BRS units do not come with a sufficient pump. I finally got a Reef Octopus media chamger with a Mag7... could never get the BRS ones to work with a MJ pump.
* Sand bed - could be the source - Tell us more about your nitrates - what are levels usually at before and after a water change? How do you keep buildup of nutrients in your sand bed?
* any other place where nutrients would collect.

Some of those aren't new but my general list of possibilities of sources of Phosphates
Click to expand...

We purchased a new Vertex Skimmer sort of for the hell of it and we can't recommend it enough, and that's replacing a Reef Octopus XP2000.

Our nitrates are very low and always have been, almost undetectable. We siphon the top of the sand during water changes, stir up the sand bed occasionally and turkey baste the rock frequently.

I replaced the GFO when the phosphates in the output water were too high, which is roughly 2 weeks. Would like to do it less often now, and learn to regenerate the granules.
 
Phosphate in the tank is currently .03 ppm!

Maybe I'll pick up something on Diver's Den to celebrate. I would enjoy a purple staghorn.

Cheers!
 
I too am convinced that evil lurks in my Rubbermaid rodi holding garbage can. I never had HA till I bought a rodi filter and holding can. Battled it for over a year. Found that peroxide did kill it but it grew back. Went to just using my water out of the flaucet (I have great well water) and though the HA is still there an grows slowly, I no longer come home after work and can see how much grew in the last 8 hours. If I get vigalent on peroxciding and harvesting I could probably really push it back. I need to find a good rodi storage container now.
 
Crush Coral said:
I too am convinced that evil lurks in my Rubbermaid rodi holding garbage can. I never had HA till I bought a rodi filter and holding can. Battled it for over a year. Found that peroxide did kill it but it grew back. Went to just using my water out of the flaucet (I have great well water) and though the HA is still there an grows slowly, I no longer come home after work and can see how much grew in the last 8 hours. If I get vigalent on peroxciding and harvesting I could probably really push it back. I need to find a good rodi storage container now.
Click to expand...

We went to Northern Tool and bought a 55 gal sprayer tank. For top off we went to a brewing store and bought a 10 gal food grade container. Both containers and HDPE, high density polyethylene.
 
Good job. I too am looking for new containers for RODI storage and saltwater mixing.
 
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