Ok, it's another hair algae thread!!!

DebsSisterFlo · 11-09-2006, 09:15 PM

you know you love it! I did go into the archives, but wow, info overload. Here's what's up:
38g tank
2 HOB filters
skimmer running good, but pretty dry skimmate atm.
hair algae is not crazy, yet, I spent an hour over the weekend pulling it by hand, but that gets tiring.

I don't have an RO, and I'm not getting one anytime soon. A club member has RO and his display tank was recently totally overrun with hair algae, so I no longer buy it when people say that RO will solve all your problems.
I have a bi color blenny but have never seen him eat algae.
I have softies, shrooms, zoos, gsp, etc. What is the shortest photo period that I can have without killing my corals? I'm thinking of running minimal light, once I know what that is.
I am going to put a phosphate sponge into the tank and run the skim a bit more wet.
Is there an algae eating fish that I could add, if only temporarily, to get rid of this? It's a 38g so I know a tang is out, but what about a little bitty foxface?
It's hard to remove the rock and scrub it with the corals growing on the rock like they do, and these are the big main rocks.
I have one turbo snail, should I get more?
Or, should I keep plucking it out by hand?

sometimes I consider just giving this up... it gets to be more work than it's worth...

ChrisPrusha · 11-09-2006, 09:21 PM

RO's are a good thing to have. If the water you put in during water changes has a TDS of zero, it will definitely help. It's not the get-all, end-all answer, but it is important, ime.

No giving up, either...that's not an option.

Phosphate sponge, skim wet, get a few more turbos.

If I was closer and could net him, I would give you my yellow for a few hours. Hair algae cowers in fear of him

dobejazz · 11-09-2006, 09:26 PM

You can't give up Jess ! listen to Chris!

mdcorcoran · 11-09-2006, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebsSisterFlo

you know you love it! I did go into the archives, but wow, info overload. Here's what's up:
38g tank
2 HOB filters
skimmer running good, but pretty dry skimmate atm.
hair algae is not crazy, yet, I spent an hour over the weekend pulling it by hand, but that gets tiring.

I don't have an RO, and I'm not getting one anytime soon. A club member has RO and his display tank was recently totally overrun with hair algae, so I no longer buy it when people say that RO will solve all your problems.

>>>I buy my RO water at Super Wal-Mart for 25 cents a gallon. Try that rather than buying an RO unit.

I have a bi color blenny but have never seen him eat algae.
I have softies, shrooms, zoos, gsp, etc. What is the shortest photo period that I can have without killing my corals? I'm thinking of running minimal light, once I know what that is.
>>>Lighting is not the limiting factor in controlling algae, it's nutrients. Leave your lights up around 8-10 hours a day.

I am going to put a phosphate sponge into the tank and run the skim a bit more wet.
Is there an algae eating fish that I could add, if only temporarily, to get rid of this? It's a 38g so I know a tang is out, but what about a little bitty foxface?
>>>Honestly, IMHO, you could handle a yellow tang. I've kept them successfully in smaller tanks. Just pick a little one.
It's hard to remove the rock and scrub it with the corals growing on the rock like they do, and these are the big main rocks.
I have one turbo snail, should I get more?
Or, should I keep plucking it out by hand?
>>>Keep pulling out algae, get more snails. There isn't one right solution. Don't give up, skim really wet (like green tea) and do lots of water changes.

sometimes I consider just giving this up... it gets to be more work than it's worth...

tdwyatt · 11-09-2006, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebsSisterFlo

I don't have an RO, and I'm not getting one anytime soon. A club member has RO and his display tank was recently totally overrun with hair algae, so I no longer buy it when people say that RO will solve all your problems.

A well-maintained RO with DI is the key. I have many many requests for info from folks that have told me..."I have had my RO for 3 years, and I have a TON of algae..." When questioned on their maintenance, it turns out that not only do they not have the DI coumn (which wjen installed and maintained pushes the filtration to the final level for TDS), but that the filters have never been changed. We are fortunate here in Upstate SC that the mains water is between 35 and 40 TDS, but even with such good water, by the time 6 months have gone by, the sediment prefilter begins to turn ruddy brown from the amounts of trash JUST THE PARTICULATE FILTER picks up. Here, with really good starting water, the prefilter and DI cartridges last aout 9 to 12 months before the TDW for the final effluent reaches occasional 3 TDS levels... Remember that as the water evaporates from the tank, it leaves ALL the dissolved substances represented by TDS behind, so they begin to concentrate almost immediately...

All algal blooms are multi-causal, so it most likely is not just the use of tap water that drives your blooms. These dissolved nutrients become much like the volume knob on a radio: although there my be an on/off switch for the radio, the volume knob determines how loud the music will be, possibly even if you can hear it at all. In your tank, if there is a bloom due to other reasons, these substances will act to increase the intensity of the bloom.

I'm sorry to say that without some means of removing the TDS for your topoff waters, it is unlikely that your system will ever be totally algae bloom-free. It is possible, but it will require a committment to regular water changes with efficient export and strict limitations of imports that contribute to the nutrient load in the system. In the long run, it just makes your job as an aquarist much easier to use good top-off for your system.

Sorry Jessica, I know it's just one more financial straw on the proverbial camel.

jenajet · 11-10-2006, 06:40 AM

Would a lawn mover and the bicolor fight? Problem with foxface is they dont stay small. My foxface is about 5 inches and should max out at 9. Not sure how fast they grow but love him.

zxcv123 · 11-10-2006, 06:49 AM

as Tom said, There are other factors of that alge besides water source.......... Im guessing his nutrient expot is poor,(water changes)...... and he is not removing enough detridus, also he could be Importing two much nutrients (overfeeding). Trust me, a properly maintained ro unit is key.

I respectivly disagree with adding a yellow tang........Ive experienced this......... the tang will be stressed no matter what size it is.......And it will be erodic and nervous. Tangs swim hundreds of miles in a day to graze. They should be kept in a 75 gallon at least , IMO

Geoff · 11-10-2006, 06:59 AM

do you the time to do some major reworking of the tank? nothing difficult, just time consuming.

simple things like possibly replacing the SB. while doing this raise the LR up off the SB using PVC or Fly Guys lifts. while doing this doing a major detrital cleanup of the tank. during all of this keep the HOB filters going. after 24 hours remove all of the internals to the HOB filters and leave them on the tank for flow.

crank up the skimmer to remove more detritus. it sounds like you have a nutrient export problem. skimming wet will help a lot.

do not give up.

G~

DebsSisterFlo · 11-10-2006, 11:00 AM

yeah, poor export, remember this setup was for seahorses. I am blasting the rock twice a day now and turned up the skimmer. One of these days I'll be moving into the 45g that is drilled... that is, once I figure out a sump and get it all plumbed together! Still trying to get someone to just come do it for me...