Phosphate removers?

[SeeDemTails]

I am having a major hair algae problem....it comes and goes, as soon as my snails have it all cleaned up, it suddenly grow back in a couple days.

I have no no3 in my tank, so I am convinced it has to be phospahtes.

What is the best method for phosphate removal?

 

[roka64]

Ideal would be PWCs. Does your top off water have phosphates? You have any sponges in the filter/tank?

 

[SeeDemTails]

I do 10 % pwcs once a week with RO/DI....it is a 10 gal nano. I dont know if the water has any PO4, but it is from the LFS and their tanks have no algae, so I doubt it.

I have extremly high light, 9.6 WPG. The algae problems started a 3 months ago with the addition of the light.

My params are as follows.....NO3-0, NO2-0, NH3/4-0, PH-8.4, Alk-2.5...I need a phospate test kit...I might just take it to the LFS and have them check it.

My tank is about 11 months old, and is extrmely stable....I have one neon dottyback, a peppermint shrimp, and some hermits and snails, and a couple little serpent stars.

I have been battleing a flatworm problem latley by syphoning them out, but I have added no chemicals.

Other than that all is well in tank land.

 

[roka64]

I dont know if the water has any PO4, but it is from the LFS and their tanks have no algae

They also probably have a rather large amount of water and filtration. I would check their water.
They sell you their water, right out of their tanks?
How long do you run your lights?

 

[SeeDemTails]

I have a ton of filtration, and flow. I have a modified skilter that works extremly well, It has a limewood airstone.

They have nanos all over their store, they have 2 10 gal nanos, a 5 gal nano, and none of them have algae.....

And the water isnt out of the tank, it is from their RO/DI system, and then I mix it with my own salt.

 

[roka64]

And the water isnt out of the tank, it is from their RO/DI system, and then I mix it with my own salt.

Oh, ok, I was hoping they didn't just give you water from their tanks! Sorry for the misunderstanding! LOL!
Alright, let's go back to your lighting cycle. How long do you run your lights?

 

[angelscrx]

Get a Phosphate test kit and check that first. How often do you feed and how much?

 

[JaxReef]

if you test 0 for phosphates it does not mean you do not have any. The phosphates can be in the sandbed and liverocks and leaching out. The Hair algae will use the phosphates before they can reach the water column therefore phosphates will not come up on the test. I just had a bad hair algae problem and I used Rowa-phos in a phosban reactor. I put the rowa in a micron bag and the whole bag in the phosban reactor. It worked for me but don't just take my word, read up on the stuff its great

 

[steve r]

a phosban reactor works great. but you should find the source of your phosphates. what do you feed? how often? do you rinse your food ( if it is frozen )? how old are the lights?
there is one brand of frozen food that i get cyano with no matter how i rinse it.

steve r

 

[JaxReef]

which brand? if i feed formula 1 i get it

 

[choupic]

Phosban reactor by two little fishies works great I had a bad algea/bacteria problem and now there gone now took about 3 weeks.

 

[angelscrx]

Get a turkey baster and suck up some water close to where the hair algae is growing and test it. You may not have enough flow to dissipate it and it collects in dead spots. Iread somewhere that this is the cause of many a headaches.

 

[abnmojo]

I have read a lot of good and a lot of bad about phosphate removers. Since you seem to be doing a lot of the right things, I would look at your new lights and possible overfeeding as a source for the explosion.

My personal approach to 99% of problems like you have is to get something that eats it.

Emerald crabs love this stuff. I also had a rainford's goby that just tore up hair in my nano. With a 10 gallon nano, one emerald crab should do the trick, and he will eat other stuff once the hair is gone. Reef safe crab, better than a hermit for hair algae.

PS if you have flatworms, get a nudibranch. a velvet nudibranch will suck them up in no time. They only live for a few months, so it will die shortly but it will be one happy, fat nudibranch and will wipe out the flatworms.

 

[SeeDemTails]

I am going to try an emerald crab...see how well he works....I prefer the natural method.

 

[angelscrx]

Emerald crabs ate all the green bubble algae in my tank. The snails ate all the hair algae. I am so happy right now

 

[steve r]

i dont fully trust the emerald crabs. although none of mine ever gave me problems. i dont have any right now and i have bubble algae i never had before

steve

 

[Squado]

I've seen some emeralds really wipe out a tank full of hair algae. I would recommend getting one if your looking to get rid of the algae. Wouldn't a lawnmower blenny also be good for hair algae?

 

[SeeDemTails]

I plan on trying an emerald....I have in excess of 20 snails in a 10 gal tank, so they are munching well, but they still cant keep up.

 

[i have crabs]

i also had a huge green algae / cyano problem so i hooked up 2 phosban reactors up to a maxijet 1200 1 full of phosguard and the other full of carbon and its working well.

 

[SeeDemTails]

My tank is only 10 gal, im not sure how easy it would be to hook up a reactor to it.