Hair Algae

[sparkchaser]

I've been battling Hair algae or Cyno for a few months now, At least that s what I think it is. It forms a crust on my sand bed, and every few days I have to stir, and break it up. I'm using RO water from the LFS. When I talked to them in Jan, about the problem, they said it was due to poor water movement, So I got 2 Peguin 550's. Now thats where I have the most hair algae, Right on the live rock, in the path of the power heads. I've added a PO4 remover, and still no luck.

This is what my setup has. 55 Gal, 50lbs LR, Mag 350 canister filter, bak Pak 2 skimmer w/ surface skimmer, and bubble trap, 2 550 power heads, 260 watt aqualight retrofit, and a 4 inch sandbed (sugar size). The tank stays around 80 degrees.
I feed a variety of foods, pro salts, pro pops, Ocean nutrition Formula 2 pellets, and sea weed selects. I feed every other day, and vary what I give the fish. I change 10 Gallons every 2 weeks with only RO water and Coral life salt

Here are my test results from today
Red Sea Test Kit
PH 8.0
Alk Normal
NO2 0
NO3 0
Ammo 0
Sea Test Kit
Cal 315
po4 0

I just bought the Sea test kit the other day, and I need to do something about the Cal being low, any recommendations?

I would like to start adding some corals, but I need to take control of the algae first. My tank has been setup since Oct 2003, so thats 7-8 months. I hope all this info can help someone get me in the right direction.

 

[jackdp]

My first suggestion would be to switch salt mixes. I've not use Coralife, but I've not heard good things about it. A better salt mix will help with the Ca and Alk levels...try Kent, Tropic Marin or people have been having good success with the new Oceanic salt. Do you have any algae eating inverts in there ie snails, hermits, crabs etc. You can try adding some macroalgae that will take up the excess nutrients that must be there and then harvesting it to remove them. I'm guessing that there may be a phosphate problem even though your test kit isn't detecting it. Try testing a batch of your freshly mixed SW to see if anything in it is out of parameters. HTH

 

[cj10488]

If you want to defeat it I would since you have no corals or anything that depends on light to turn off the light for a few days or just run it for a few hours.. Algae needs light and nutrients.. If you remove the light it will eventually die.. I am having the same problem with Hair algae but I am pretty close to Defeating it... Killing the light will remove it.. If you dont have any Po4 then it should not come back..

Might want to look at something like rowaphos or Phosban to run constantly as well.. I have found that running phosban with an entire 10g fuge full of macro you will soon defeat the Hair stuff LOL..

HTH,
James

 

[sparkchaser]

Today before I changed my 10 gal's of water, I tested the PO4 from my new water. It was .6 mg/l My take reads 0, but I has phosban in it. The water I'm using is ro/di water from my LFS. I then tested the water from my house, although it was freshwater straight out of the pipe, it tested at 0. I guess I need to stop using the water from the LFS, and find it somewhere else.

 

[24 hours? NE!]

Any problems with your cc starfish? Things have come up missing in my tank since I added mine. I don't have an open and shut case against him, but he's still going to be shipped out.