ESV Parts 1 and 2 - CA and AK Buffer

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fishman

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Does anyone use this and if so do you have issues with algea growth? I have been batteling algea for over a year now with little or no trates and very small trace amts from time to time of P04. I have posted other posts (lengthy ones) about all of the preventative things I do to in order to cut out PO4 and trates. This CA and AK buffer is the only additive I use and so Im wondering if this might be the problem.
Also what AK and CA buffer do most of you use?
Thanks
 
I ahve been using the B-ionic from day one and it is great stuff. Any PO4 can help fuel algae or cyno. Even a 0 reading is not assurance its not there.
what type of algae?? Old bulbs can also help some algaes grow, what type of water.
 
Well I think its hair algea. Its green and real soft and flowy. Hard to get ahold of. Bulbs were replaced about 5 months ago but this has been an ongoing battle for over a year. Bulbs were replaced. Using RO water with 2 DI catridges. Change the filters every 2-3 months.
-Skimmer - yes Aqua C Remora Pro
-Fuge yes
-water changes weekly by 20%
-rinse and feed VERY little cube food.
-no other additives added to tank

Did I miss anything?
 
Pics are in my gallery. You can see algea in any of the 3 pics that are posted there. Especially the one with the annenome in it. I will do a PO4 reading tomorrow and post it.
Also forgot to mention I have been running phosban for some 3 months now in a reactor too. I pulled it out recently as I now have a large peice of polyfilter in the reactor now. Trying something different as the phosban has cut the algea back but not out.
 
Cant see in any pic what the algae issue is.. To the right of the anemone I see some green that may be a cyno. Again hard to tell in that pic.

Phosban is good for up too 3 months, if you have high levels you may need to replace it sooner. If it cut the algae back I would add some new PB to the reactor. Again you may have to replace every month or 1.5 months..
When you do a water change i would syphon it out to help control it.
 
Seaham
Look directly below the anenome and you will see a ton of green. This is the algea. (make sure you click on the pic in my gallery to blow it up to see the algea really well).
Its for sure not cyno. I have had cyno before and this is green thick algea that if you let grow long enough, gets really thick and also comes off in big clumps.
Im trying the polyfilter now to see what happens. I have a small trace of trates but nothing over a trace.
On the water change I take the rocks out of the tank and scrub them with a toothbrush...comes right back. Scrubbing it is the only way this stuff comes off for some reason.
 
That type of algae looks like the outbreak I had about a year and a half ago, when my sandbed started crashing. Here are some reasons for this algae (or any) outbreak.

- Your sand bed may be crashing (There are a lot of variables that can lead to this). It could be leeching phosphates or any other funk back into the water which basically negates your work at trying to get rid of it. What's the history on the sand?

- Your rocks may be leeching phosphates into your tank... what is their history?

- How old is your RO/DI system, also why are you using two DI cartridges? Maybe your RO or DI membrane is too old and is lacking at filtering out silicates and what not from your tap water?

- What's the livestock in your tank? Maybe your fish capacity may be a little more than the tank or it's system can handle which causes a threshold of funk levels in your tank more quickly to reach an algae growing point?

On a personal note I don't very much trust PO4 test kits, and if I did I would trust from a higher brand like Salifert or something similar. Anyway I hope this helps out some.
 
My sand has been in the tank for some 3 years. Its the sand that everyone on the forum recommends and looks for.

I have LR from the same time period. However I did add some lava base rock about 3 years ago. I didnt start having algea issues until I had to put all of my fish into QT due to ick. I basically didnt do water changes for some 5-6 weeks. Was feeding the tank but algea took ahold. This is when the problem started.

My RO unit is about 4-5 years old. However I replace all of the filter every 3-4 months with the exception of the High S membrane. I have had the tap water tested as well as the RO water and they all read just a trace if any.

I have 3 fish in a 100 gallon tank. A clown, damsel and regal tang.
 
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