Algae problem

[ktkreegs]

I have a 29 gallon tank, with a 20 gal sump.

- Aqua Medic 250w light
- Octopus 150 skimmer

I have really bad hair algae problem. I keep doing weekly 5 gallon water changes, when i do the water change, i take some of the rock out and scrub the algae off of it, few days later it's back.

I use RO water from Clear Water Systems Store.


My question is what should i put in my tank to start eating this stuff, and how many sould i put in? (snails, crabs, anything)

Appreciate the help, hoping to hear what you all did

 

[wadewood]

What are your phosphate levels?

I would cut back on feeding, or stop completely for a few weeks.

A refugium with brillo algea (cheatomorpha) would steal the same nutrients that is causing the hair algea.

 

[Shooter7]

Putting something in there to eat it is probably not going to solve your problem, particularly when you can scrub it off and it comes right back. Would be the same with any animal you put in there...they'd eat it and it would come right back.

What are your water parameters? Nitrates, temp, alk? What and how much do you feed? How much flow? Is your skimmer working well? Have you ever tested the water you get from your water source before you mix it?

 

[drummereef]

ktkreegs - The RO water you use, is it straight RO or RO/DI? This can make a big difference in the quality of the water you are introducing into the system. I would check the TDS and if it's over 1 then you know the issue.

Also, how old is the tank? If it's new it is going through the normal hair algae cycle. It will go away in time and with help from your cleanup crew. If the tank has been established for some time excess nutrients are to blame. Look into the water source, nitrates, and phospates to fix the issue.

 

[ktkreegs]

Thanks Wadewood & shooter7: Both good questions without me knowing the answers.

- Phostphate levels, i'll get a test kit and check those levels. As for feeding, I have one small fish and feed a small piece of flake food every three to four days or so.

- as for as parameters. Everything is reading good. I'll do another check tonight to make sure. Alk, calcium, nitrate/ite, ammonia, pH, all are good. Don't have a phostphate test kit though.

- Flow: i have one maxi-jet mod in the tank, and then the return pump on a squid.

- i cut back my photoperiod to 6 hours.

 

[Shooter7]

They won't let you get away with "good" around here. Actual numbers please.

I have been reading around here that phosphate test kits aren't all they're cracked up to be. You can show a zero on them and still be cranking out algae...but you know the phosphates have to be there to be fueling the algae. I know...it happened to me that way. If you get a kit, and it shows phosphates, then I would figure that you are very strongly positive for phosphates. Flake food over time could be your culprit, or areas of low flow allowing waste/detritus to collect. Could be leaching out from your rock. You could try a refugium with some macro algae in it, or you could try a good phosphate remover media. My tank started getting a nasty bright green turf type algae late last fall and I am just now getting it to a point where it's mostly gone.

 

[ktkreegs]

what did you do to get rid of the nasty blue green algae?

Phostphate remover? if so what type would you or anyone else suggest?

 

[Shooter7]

I stopped serving flake food and made my own food. I made some adjustments in my flow to try and make sure that all areas were getting good flow. I added a phosphate reactor and started using a phosphate removing media in it. My scopas tang and foxface helped chew away at it in the tank. Like I said, it's taken about 8 months to get it to a point of being mostly gone now.

 

[rafa316]

I have had a really bad hair algee problem, I ussed phosban, and let the tank lights off for a couple of days. when I had turned them on again, the tank looked really clear and clean

 

[rafa316]

oh yeah, and cutting back on the food helps a lot too

 

[Hamish]

Hi All
I'm just reading all this info, I too have a hair algea problem. And you're encouragement goes a long way. I'm just about ready to pack it in. My phosphates are nil but it may be that my tester is not picking it up,No flake food eh,well thats pretty much what I feed, less lighting time sounds good but turn the lights out for a few days. Is this okay? And yes my tank is 4 months new. Thanks to everyone.