neuroslicer
Old School Reefer
A few of you have mentioned problems with phosphates in your tank. In addition to nitrates acting as fertilizer for your hair algae, phosphates can do the same. If you've got your nitrates under control but are still battling with hair algae, you might want to get a phosphate test kit and have a look (I recommend the SeaChem kit but haven't had much experience with other kits).
High levels of phosphates (>0.1 ppm) can also reduce calcification of your corals, slowing their growth rate. I've been using small amounts (2 tsp) of Phosphan, which is a granular ferric oxide (GFO), a substance that binds to phosphates. This will take phosphates out of the water, and when you change the media you effectively export it out of your tank. I put it in a phosphate reactor chamber along with a cup of activated carbon, and I change it once a month. I also grow chaetomorpha algae, which takes up phosphates as well as nitrates. You should try to get your phosphates down to 0.03 ppm, and your nitrates ideally less than 0.2 ppm.
Not only will hair algae be deprived of nutrients, but the phytoplankton that builds up on your tank surface also be deprived. When I notice that I have to scrape my tank with greater frequency, it's usually time to check my phosphate levels and change my GFO.
Recently Blue Life has begun to market a phosphate control solution. This is a liquid, lanthanum chloride, which binds to phosphate ions and forms a precipitate, lanthanam phosphate. The only potential problem I see with this product is that the precipitate then settles down in the bottom of your tank, and there's no way to remove it. The GFO and chaeto solution seems to work for me, and at least that can be removed from the tank. Has anyone tried Blue Life Phosphate Control?
Jay
Here's a link to a recent discussion of Blue Life Phosphate Control:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=972723&highlight=blue+life
High levels of phosphates (>0.1 ppm) can also reduce calcification of your corals, slowing their growth rate. I've been using small amounts (2 tsp) of Phosphan, which is a granular ferric oxide (GFO), a substance that binds to phosphates. This will take phosphates out of the water, and when you change the media you effectively export it out of your tank. I put it in a phosphate reactor chamber along with a cup of activated carbon, and I change it once a month. I also grow chaetomorpha algae, which takes up phosphates as well as nitrates. You should try to get your phosphates down to 0.03 ppm, and your nitrates ideally less than 0.2 ppm.
Not only will hair algae be deprived of nutrients, but the phytoplankton that builds up on your tank surface also be deprived. When I notice that I have to scrape my tank with greater frequency, it's usually time to check my phosphate levels and change my GFO.
Recently Blue Life has begun to market a phosphate control solution. This is a liquid, lanthanum chloride, which binds to phosphate ions and forms a precipitate, lanthanam phosphate. The only potential problem I see with this product is that the precipitate then settles down in the bottom of your tank, and there's no way to remove it. The GFO and chaeto solution seems to work for me, and at least that can be removed from the tank. Has anyone tried Blue Life Phosphate Control?
Jay
Here's a link to a recent discussion of Blue Life Phosphate Control:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=972723&highlight=blue+life
