PH and algae growth

[aquanaut]

Will a lower than normal 8.3 PH promote green hair algae growth. I have been fighting it for a while all water params are fine except PH was 7.9 or so.

 

[Guest]

I feel ya brother. I am going through the same thing. My culprit was a pellet calcium additive that I was adding directly to the tank. It cause such an increase in hair algae in my reef. I am scrubbing the rocks up a bit in the tank and then doing a water change. This stuff is nasty.

 

[K Dub]

See my Chia Pet thread in same forum...I'm having same prob, but my PH is 8.4, so I don't think so...It usually is due to Phosphate in your water PO4. I just put PhosBan in my cannister filter this morning...We'll see if it works...You should also make sure there is no phosphate in your water you use for top offs or water changes. RO/DI is best. I'll let ya know how mine goes

 

[seaham358]

Have you checked your nitrates and pohsphates?

 

[aquanaut]

Yes Both are well within limits.. thats what makes it so weird

 

[seaham358]

within limits???? the limit is 0 for phosphates and if you have nitrates then algae has food...
What are the numbers..

 

[aquanaut]

Ammonia 0
Nitraites 0
Nitrates <1
Phos 0
Calcium 420
Alk around 6
Sal. 1.024
Trace Mol. Stron.

 

[seaham358]

I have a few friends who battled the HA monster with water quality like yours.. Any nitrate is food for algaes..
They tried lots of stuff and the only thing that helped them was AZNO3.
They got snails, crabs, new filters for there ro/di units cutting lights back, new bulbs and the list goes on and on. After using azno3 it is now gone and their tanks are running good after using it.
If its not every where a few guys used a seahare and they are HA eating fools... Only problem is when the HA is gone they will starve. Guys in my reef club with some hair algae are passing the SH around to keep him alive with a supply of food.
Do you have any mexican turbos? I had a small amount of HA when I set my tank up a and got a few of these big guys and the mowed it down quick