Green hair all over...

[hedghog]

So I tried to post in the ELOS section but so far no replyes so I try if maybe I will get some supporting tips from here.



I have a bad situation with green hair algies taking over in the tank. The tank has been up since september 2009 ad the problems started about 4 from now, and I have just been to lazy to even try to defeat it. I pick it off manually but it just keeps coming back, so I assume I have not got rid of the actual problem. So now I officially start the battle agains the green hair... period! Here is my action plan, please help me if I am on the right track:


Bold = already done.

• Cut down light from todays 8h to 6h.
• Add more CUC. Total of about 8 hermits and 8 different snails in total.
• Feed only every other day. (will this be enought: 1 clown, 1 gobie, 2 peppermints and 1 pistol)
• 10% waterchange 3 days in a row and after this 2 times / week. (Until now 1 time / week)
• Added silikat filter to RO-unit.
• As a test I put one of the most attacked rocks in the sump that are completly dark inside the cabinet just to see how it will do.
• Connect UV-light.
• Put filter-sock on drain hose to sump and clean every waterchange. (I have been without this until now).
• Blow of all rocks with streamer just before water-changes. (I have not done this earlier).
• Scrub most attacked stone with brush (I did this 1 month ago but after about 2 weeks all the same again)
• Keep tear off hair manually just before water changes.

Here is a terrifying picture of what I am at war with. All imput are welcome. I am gonna need it.

 

[Tuscaquatics]

What kind of hermits do you have? The red legs are usually better at eating the hair algae than the blue.

Also I noticed you said you have no light in your sump. So does that mean you don't have a refugium or at least some macroalgae in there? If not then I suggest trying some chaetomorpha or something similar with a small light on it to control phosphates, which are truly the cause of HA.

Do you have a phosphate test kit? If so, what are your parameters for that and everything else? Turning lights off and adding crabs will only control the problem, not solve it.

 

[Lemeshianos]

probably excess nutrients.

did you test TDS on your RO output?
how much do you feed?


You could also run GFO and GAC as a start. This could drop phosphates that feed the algae. Or you could add macroalgea to consume it before the hair algae.

 

[hedghog]

I try to add some info and params.


I am using strictly RO water. (I have not tested it though).
I Have no refugium or light in sump.
I use Fosphate remover in filter sock in sump.
Fosphate is non readable with Saliferts test. (Could this be because of algie consumes it right away?)
I have about 3-4 red legged hermits, and I also notice they are the only one picking at the hair.
Live stock is only, 1 clown, 1 gobie and 3 shrimps so I feed very little. I do not feed corals at all.

Params as of february when I did the last test:

Salt: 1,026
MG: 1280
CA: 440
KH: 6,5
Nitrit: 0
Nitrat: 2
PH: 8,3 (Right before light goes out)


I will update params tonight after testing them all.

 

[stingythingy45]

You need to check that ro water for the TDS level.
Sorry if I missed this,but do you have a DI resin canister on this filter?
You could be introducing fuel for the HA with top-off water and water changes and not even know it.

Side note:

DKH is a little low,should be at least 7.
Also nitrates are probably 20(little high) and not 2 ppm.

 

[dankoos]

I solved my HA problem by doing a 50% water change in my 90 gallon (w/ 55 gal sump). Once I did that (and a few weeks before I had put some cheato in my sump, so that prob helped w/ nutrients), the HA began to die off the next day. Over several days, clumps of it would build up in my overflow. Finally, it all consolidated into one big clump behind all my rocks and I was able to just reach in and pull it all out. Haven't seen it back since (been about a month now) and haven't done another water change. My TDS reading was about 19 at the time on my RO water (that's another story, but RO manufacturer sent me a new membrane for free since it was fairly new). So even w/ the 19 reading, the large water change did the rick for me...maybe with some help from the chaeto.

 

[jbell370]

I had issues with RO only water that I was buying from the local fish store, once i purchased an RO/DI unit and began mixing my own water, it started to fall off on its own and the turbo snails ate it like no tomorrow.

 

[crvz]

you're on the right track, but here are a few thoughts. Nuisance algae needs three things to grow; CO2, light, and nutrients. For the purposes of aquaria, you're not going to limit CO2 or light in most cases, so you want to find ways to eliminate the source of fuel (typically excessive nitrate and phosphate in the water column.

For your above comment, yes; phosphate can read zero on a test kit and still be present for a couple reasons. First, algae is consuming it (presence of algae is test enough that you have excess phosphate), and second, hobby level test kits are terribly inaccurate for po4.

So keep plugging away at the steps you've taken to increase nutrient export from your tank, and you should see the algae slowly fade off. It may take a few months, but if you're persistent you'll have success. I'd also recommend some zebra turbo snails; though they can get quite large (up to 4" as I recall), they are very good at eating hair algae.

 

[sslak]

Getting some macroalgae (chaeto) going in the sump can only help you, and it's an easy cheap thing to try if you already have a sump. Any cheap light will grow it, and local reefers always have extra.

When I had HA I started dosing Tropic Marin BioCalcium and it helped a ton. Your Ca looks good, but maybe others will chime in here: Could increasing the KH help reduce algae growth?

 

[hugecoltsfan]

How old are your bulbs in your light fixture?

 

[DivineStler]

How old are your bulbs in your light fixture?

+1

If you're running GFO and Phosphate readings are good I'd check my bulbs.

 

[hedghog]

So fresh water params:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrit: 0
Nitrat 1 (and yes 1 and not 10)
Fosphate: 0 (By the test kit)
Ca: 400
Alk 6,2
MG: 1170
PH: 8,3
Salt: 1.025
Temp: 26,1 C


I have really noticed increased coral groth the last months so this is probably why Ca & Mg are lower and I have to increase the dosage of balling additives. Will do this.

I really got "interested" in the theory about how / if my RO filter works. I do not have test equipment for this but I will try to go to my LFS for a test.

Oh, and the lighting I use is ELOS own L.E.D. light that has been running since about september from new.