crumbletop
New member
Even if it were safe, it doesn't get rid of the phosphate -- which means the algae will likely return. The best bet, IMO, would be to cook the rock and skim the phosphate out of the water column.
Killing live rock
- Thread starter KeepOnReefin
- Start date
Even if it were safe, it doesn't get rid of the phosphate -- which means the algae will likely return. The best bet, IMO, would be to cook the rock and skim the phosphate out of the water column.
JetCat USA
In Memoriam
and you have what to back that up?? have you chlorinated a tank and proved otherwise??
mamagoose45
Member
KeepOnReefin,
I'm no expert as I've never done this before, but it looks as if a bunch of other folks on RC have tried to figure out the best option as well. Some agree, some don't.
Here are a few threads I found that may or may not be of any use to you. The one is LOOOOOOOOOONG, so best of luck weeding through all of it! Maybe they'll have at least a few tidbits of info you can use.
Cooking Live Rock - Exact Process?
A rock 'cooking' question?
HTH at least a little bit...
I'm no expert as I've never done this before, but it looks as if a bunch of other folks on RC have tried to figure out the best option as well. Some agree, some don't.
Here are a few threads I found that may or may not be of any use to you. The one is LOOOOOOOOOONG, so best of luck weeding through all of it! Maybe they'll have at least a few tidbits of info you can use.
Cooking Live Rock - Exact Process?
A rock 'cooking' question?
HTH at least a little bit...
Lint_Licker
In Memoriam
why not figure out what the problem is and fix it? makes more sense to do that instead of potential causing more problems later. not to mention a lot less work.
green hair algae feeds on nitrates and phosphates.
overstocked tanks, over fed tanks, normal fluorescent lighting, tap water and I think Im leaving something's out, but all of that causes green hair algae. you will NEVER totally get rid of it. thats what tangs/hermits/snails are for, they will help keep it in check, but if you dont find the problem, you may have the same thing happen again.
dump a small bottle of amquel and add carbon filtration and see what happens.
green hair algae feeds on nitrates and phosphates.
overstocked tanks, over fed tanks, normal fluorescent lighting, tap water and I think Im leaving something's out, but all of that causes green hair algae. you will NEVER totally get rid of it. thats what tangs/hermits/snails are for, they will help keep it in check, but if you dont find the problem, you may have the same thing happen again.
dump a small bottle of amquel and add carbon filtration and see what happens.
crumbletop
New member
Great point, Lint. Whatever the problem with the rock, the habits that created the problem need to be adjusted. Phosphates are always being added to the tank and will need to introduced in moderation (food, bioload) and exported (skimming, fuge, regular water changes, phosban) to keep things in check.
Lint_Licker
In Memoriam
Nitrates have more to do with green hair algae then phosphates. high phosphates=cyanobacteria (red slime).
Alot of people dont think about food being a problem, but excess food rots, turns into ammonia thus starting the nitrogen cycle which feeds green hair algae along with all other kinds of macroalgaes.
Alot of people dont think about food being a problem, but excess food rots, turns into ammonia thus starting the nitrogen cycle which feeds green hair algae along with all other kinds of macroalgaes.
JetCat USA
In Memoriam
That's not so. in the 180g mentioned above by fishdoc from the GFO thread, that tank had GHA prolifically, it had 23ppm NO3 and 2.94ppm PO4, not a bit of Cyano was in the system at all.
Lint_Licker
In Memoriam
If there is a lot of green hair, then it probally beat the cyano to the phosphates. Green hair will always be in your tank. there is no way around it. Controlling is the key to success.
Cooking liverock over green hair algae is a waste of time IMO. As I said before, find the cause of it, fix the cause, and have something in place to help manage it and you won't have any problems with it.
Cooking liverock over green hair algae is a waste of time IMO. As I said before, find the cause of it, fix the cause, and have something in place to help manage it and you won't have any problems with it.
JetCat USA
In Memoriam
Again I'll have to disagree with your opinion, I've had plenty of reef setups that were completely free of GHA.
Siffy
New member
Adding Chlorine to a tank just to remove hair algae is extreme. There's no reason to kill everything else living on or in the rock and tank. Why not just turn the lights off for a week. Skim like crazy and run gfo to remove the nutrients. The stuff will die and your crabs and snails will process it letting it be skimmed more easily.
"cooking" your rock can be expensive and time consuming. 10 100% water changes over 2 1/2 months. It'll remove built up nutrients and leave bacterial life intact. Literal cooking of the rock will break PO4 bonds and release it and kill everything, but then you'll be curing the rock again for a couple months.
"cooking" your rock can be expensive and time consuming. 10 100% water changes over 2 1/2 months. It'll remove built up nutrients and leave bacterial life intact. Literal cooking of the rock will break PO4 bonds and release it and kill everything, but then you'll be curing the rock again for a couple months.
