RobbyG
Active member
Tanks been going for 3.5 years and was very enjoyable until recently when I started to get hair algae. Now for the last 8 months I have been battling hair Algae and to be honest hair Algae has just sucked the enjoyment out of owning a Reef Tank, it's like having a Super model Girl Friend and finding out she has Herpes.
So for 8 months I have been pulling it out, cleaning it off with a toothbrush, vacuuming the Sand, cutting down on the feeding to an absolute minimum, changing Di resin (even though Ro TDS is Zero), cutting back on lighting, changing the Sand, increased water changes and testing all parameters and still I only make some progress, I am able to slow it down, but every 2 months it starts to take over my rocks again.
So I went to Exotic Aquariums in Miami and had a talk with my friend Javier. We discussed using the chemicals that kill hair Algae but we both knew that was only going to be a temporary band aid that most likely was not good for the Macro life in the Tank and it was not going to get rid of what was the root problem, which we both suspected was phosphates and silicates. So we discussed Phosphate reactors and I decided to buy one along with all the trimmings and a bottle of the Algae killer (just in case).
So I hooked up the "Two Little Fishes 150 gal" reactor and added the German Red phosphate Media (forgot the name but it costs a bundle). hooked up a 200 gal pump, cleaned out the media with some Ro water and then let the reactor do its work.
Well one week later and about 95% of the Hair Algae is Gone and the rest is dying
This thing is like a Miracle. My Corals are looking much better and the water is almost Gin Clear, im happy again and my zest for the Aquarium has been renewed.
I post this because I know many people are battling hair Algae, almost everyone does at some point so I just wanted to let those who may not have thought about getting a Phosphate reactor that in my experience they work great. Worth every penny
So for 8 months I have been pulling it out, cleaning it off with a toothbrush, vacuuming the Sand, cutting down on the feeding to an absolute minimum, changing Di resin (even though Ro TDS is Zero), cutting back on lighting, changing the Sand, increased water changes and testing all parameters and still I only make some progress, I am able to slow it down, but every 2 months it starts to take over my rocks again.
So I went to Exotic Aquariums in Miami and had a talk with my friend Javier. We discussed using the chemicals that kill hair Algae but we both knew that was only going to be a temporary band aid that most likely was not good for the Macro life in the Tank and it was not going to get rid of what was the root problem, which we both suspected was phosphates and silicates. So we discussed Phosphate reactors and I decided to buy one along with all the trimmings and a bottle of the Algae killer (just in case).
So I hooked up the "Two Little Fishes 150 gal" reactor and added the German Red phosphate Media (forgot the name but it costs a bundle). hooked up a 200 gal pump, cleaned out the media with some Ro water and then let the reactor do its work.
Well one week later and about 95% of the Hair Algae is Gone and the rest is dying
This thing is like a Miracle. My Corals are looking much better and the water is almost Gin Clear, im happy again and my zest for the Aquarium has been renewed. I post this because I know many people are battling hair Algae, almost everyone does at some point so I just wanted to let those who may not have thought about getting a Phosphate reactor that in my experience they work great. Worth every penny
I would look at the cause. Is the SB depleted? Is the LR loaded? Are you effectively removing detritus or is it settling in the rocks and sand? 
