I got super hair algae:eek:

[Craig Lambert]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9314263#post9314263 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ricks
Instead of buying animals to control an algae problem... Why not look into the reason the algae is taking over your tank in the first place??? If you correct the issues with the algae. You will not need to add animals to your tank, for reasons of algae control....

Happy Reefing

Agree. Animals don't remove the cause. What's your Alkalinity level. In 95% of hair algae threads the answer to this question is "I don't have an Alkalinity test kit". Alkalinity at the high end of the recommended range (9-11dKH) will make it more difficult for algae to grow. How many, and what type of fish do you have. How much, how often, and what do you feed? Do you use RODI water? These are the questions to ask yourself, rather than looking for algae eater.

You either have a nutrient import, or export problem. (or both). You have a decent skimmer and if it is properly adjusted then I would suspect too many nutrients going into the tank.

 

[2639]

i increased my alk to 11 and added a phosBan reactor filled with SeaGel. My HA is all brown and floating away now.

Regarding the original question...that appears to be some sort of calcerious algae I've seen before. I can't think of the name of exactly. It was like outdoor carpet: very rough and hard/impossible to scrib off.

 

[jheath]

awesome thread....great info

 

[kzooreefer]

my alkalinity was at 11 and I had an HA out break like you've never seen. algae need nutirents to grow, nitrates and phosphates, eliminate the nutirents and the problem will go away regardless of the alkalinity. use some gfo to reduce the phosphates and do weekly 10% water changes and you should be fine. good skimming will also reduce some of the nitrates. i don't run a refugium or sump but a lot of people do to raise macroalgae for phosphate and nitrate control.

 

[Craig Lambert]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9316244#post9316244 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kzooreefer
my alkalinity was at 11 and I had an HA out break like you've never seen. algae need nutirents to grow, nitrates and phosphates, eliminate the nutirents and the problem will go away regardless of the alkalinity. use some gfo to reduce the phosphates and do weekly 10% water changes and you should be fine. good skimming will also reduce some of the nitrates. i don't run a refugium or sump but a lot of people do to raise macroalgae for phosphate and nitrate control.

Low Alkalinity reduces coral, and coraline algae growth leaving additional nutrients to be taken up by micro algae. It is not a cause of algae, but rather an enabler of algal growth.

 

[650-IS350]

oops sorry thinking of the differeny nudi, but for the meantime I've used SEAHARE's and they mowed down tons of HA for me..

 

[kzooreefer]

its all good information but irregardless, without addressing the nitrate and/or phosphate issues right now the problem will not go away by just increasing the alkalinity.

 

[Craig Lambert]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9316736#post9316736 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kzooreefer
its all good information but irregardless, without addressing the nitrate and/or phosphate issues right now the problem will not go away by just increasing the alkalinity.

Nobody said it would...........

 

[kzooreefer]

whatever

 

[benray4fun]

Yeah! "Whatever Craig"... :wildone: :jester:

 

[j_beau_13]

as i stated at first...i do weekly wc wit ro/di water, oversized skimmer, and cheato growing in the fuge

could my tank still be cycling since its only been 4 months??

just recently purchased 2 true peculas and a yellow tang which brings my fish count to 7 with 2 chromis, wrasse, and lawnmower blenny

i think my major problem is not enough snails...buts its hard finding snails around here and when i do theyre around 2.99 a piece!! and i need around 30 or 40 of them

alk - 10
cal - 400
pH - 8.4
nitrates - 0-10 ppm
nitrites - 0

 

[benray4fun]

Your parameters look good, now how's your phosphates?...

Also, you can get a clean up crew(snails/hermits) for a dollar a piece by
garf www.garf.org check'm out and that will help immensely...good luck

 

[j_beau_13]

haven't tested for phosphates but i figured it wouldn't show up bc the algae's using it...and where would it be coming from? i feed once a day and my skimmer is huge for the size tank...

and heres the tank..but with a yellow tank, and 2 true perculas

 

[benray4fun]

You'll never deal with a problem if you don't know you have one..."check the phosphates." You should always know...

 

[j_beau_13]

i just dont get where the phosphates are coming from in the first place?

 

[2639]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9332173#post9332173 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by j_beau_13
i just dont get where the phosphates are coming from in the first place?

Flake food, frozen food, tap water ( even if you simply rinse off something and that gets in the tank ), some additives, even some salt mixes.

Comes from a lot of places. I'm sure that's just a tiny part of the list