Could my mix tank be causing algae?

[meegwell]

I have been having an unusual hair algae breakout on my 5+ yo tank. My water is all good And I dose a less-than suggested amount of nopox. Near zero nitrates and phos. Everything else steady with the exception of two salinity issues lately - both understood and corrected through water changes (for example my filter sock was stuck above the rim of the sump and spilling water out which was replenished by Rodi).

I use rodi for ato and mix - TDS is 000 in a clean glass. However, rodi reads 200+ in my mix tank before I add salt. Sure, there is dried up salt residue on the inside of the brute 20gallon....but with 10-15 gallons of known 00tds rodi should it be as high as 200?

I am connecting a lot of water changes with an unusual algae breakout and discovering the 200 tds in the mix tank has me wondering. There is no visible algae in the mix tank. Could there be something else going on there that would cause algae?

 

[outssider]

should it be as high as 200?

yes....if you spit in there it will go up.... try checking it right after it comes out of your di resin before anything comes in contact with it.

 

[meegwell]

yes....if you spit in there it will go up.... try checking it right after it comes out of your di resin before anything comes in contact with it.

Did that - that is the 000 tds in clean glass I mentioned.

 

[jda]

Do you have sand? If so, it is original?

What did you test your phosphate with? Was it a hannah ultra low?

The bottom line is that you do have nitrate and phosphate or else the algae would not be growing. It might test low because the algae is gobbling most of it up, but it is in there. To fix this, we need to know if your aragonite is bound up in phosphate - age will do this... and what the real number is on a Hannah Ultra Low.

 

[meegwell]

yes....if you spit in there it will go up.... try checking it right after it comes out of your di resin before anything comes in contact with it.

Do you have sand? If so, it is original?

What did you test your phosphate with? Was it a hannah ultra low?

The bottom line is that you do have nitrate and phosphate or else the algae would not be growing. It might test low because the algae is gobbling most of it up, but it is in there. To fix this, we need to know if your aragonite is bound up in phosphate - age will do this... and what the real number is on a Hannah Ultra Low.

I have the same minimalist sand bed (ultra shallow part bare) I have had for many years.

I am actually not sure which Hanna I have...but it is the same Hanna I have been using for years and has always correlated well with algae issues...for example, I changed food and had a skimmer problem at the same time about 8 months a year ago...the Hanna showed high phos and when I got it all cleared up and back to normal it showed near or at zero.

I guess my point is I understand that algae needs to be feeding off something...and after 5-6 years running this aquarium and actively engaged here at RC I have been through many algae conversations and some of them were me getting through my own tanks issues.

My question was really around the mix tank (because that I have not experienced before and am not sure if it can be a source) and the specifics to my original post.

 

[Lsufan]

I really don't think u should have 200 tds for your storage water. If that's the case then u may as well be using 200 tds rodi. I would think about eighther a good cleaning of your container or getting a new one.

Now u have me wanting to check my brute mixing container. All I have is a inline tds meter so I will have to get a handheld.

 

[jda]

If you have 0 TDS coming out of the line, then the rest is residue from the container. This is nothing to worry about. Look for your issue elsewhere.

 

[meegwell]

I really don't think u should have 200 tds for your storage water. If that's the case then u may as well be using 200 tds rodi. I would think about eighther a good cleaning of your container or getting a new one.

Now u have me wanting to check my brute mixing container. All I have is a inline tds meter so I will have to get a handheld.

If you have 0 TDS coming out of the line, then the rest is residue from the container. This is nothing to worry about. Look for your issue elsewhere.

Thanks - I got a new Brute today anyway...

 

[jewlz]

I really don't think u should have 200 tds for your storage water. If that's the case then u may as well be using 200 tds rodi.

This logic isn't sound. If you have 000 coming out of your RODI, and you put it into a mix tank that has only ever had clean water and salt in it, and then you mix the new salt water to the correct salinity, then you definitely might NOT as well be using 200 tds RODI.

200 tds RODI = all kinds of unknown crap from your tap water.

200 tds from salt residue in the mix tank = a bit of salt, the same salt you're about to add by the cupful to your mix.