Chemistry related to hair algae

cent36

Angel Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
So I have been 'fighting" (fighting because it has been slow growing and extremely manageable so far) hair algae for several months and have even gone so far as to get a lawnmower blenny, the three day lights out, uppinng my CUC, feeding less/every two days, weekly water changes and even adding Chemi-Pure Elite with ferric oxide to remove phosphates and silicates (which has clarified my water). I use RODI water and have even tested that water directly. All my params are within tolerances but I have readings of up to 10 on Nitrates and an occasional spike to 20.

Here are my questions:
1- Is there a way to determine WHERE nitrates are coming from?
2- What is the best way to remove phosphates/nitrates (on a budget)?
3- Is there anything else to be aware of?
 

cent36

Angel Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#3
it was probably both. it was dry, not been used in several years and was originally in my fresh water tank. The other came from a friend who had a 120g tank and downsized. It had been sitting out for a while and dried out / might have died.

I was kind of assuming that is where it came from, but there has to be a way to keep/get the phosphates in check.
Also, where would the nitrates be coming from?
 

cent36

Angel Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#4
could i potentially take all my rock out and "bake" it and the livestock be ok for the weeks it would take to do so?
 

Miah2bzy

Nurse Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#5
What kind of food do you use?
How old is the tank?
Are you using sand?
What ur bioload look like?
What percent of ur tank volume is your weekly water change?
Related to ur rock: is it a few pieces that seems to grow it or is it all over your tank?
Before you really stir up the tank with removing rock, you could try adding a bacteria mix to the tank like you are just starting.
Ultimately if all other possibilities are eliminated you'll need to try to outcompete the hair algae with a good macro like red dragon.
 

zombie

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#7
cent36;339176 said:
could i potentially take all my rock out and "bake" it and the livestock be ok for the weeks it would take to do so?
Bad idea. You will cause another cycle by doing that.

If you dont have a refugium add one so you have a good export for nitrated. Remove half of the ball of cheato (or macro of your choice) every week with your water changes. If you do that, within a couple months you will be able to export out the majority of phosphate and nitrate and fully cure the live rock that used to be dry. This is completely normal for a young tank.
 

Miah2bzy

Nurse Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#8
zombie;339186 said:
Bad idea. You will cause another cycle by doing that.

If you dont have a refugium add one so you have a good export for nitrated...This is completely normal for a young tank.
+1 chaeto is easy to get ahold of, red dragon grows slightly faster and is palatable to tangs if you have one.
 

cent36

Angel Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#9
Miah2bzy;339182 said:
What kind of food do you use?
How old is the tank? Almost 1year (april)
Are you using sand? Aragonite and crushed coral 50/50
What ur bioload look like? 1 nem, 3 clowns, 2 wrasse, royal gramma, lawnmower blenny, tux urchin, 10 astreas, 6red hermits
What percent of ur tank volume is your weekly water change? 65g tank with min 10g change. Once a month I do 20-25g change
Related to ur rock: is it a few pieces that seems to grow it or is it all over your tank? Not all over the tank but starting to grow in the sand bed. Out of the 10 or so rocks, only 2-3 don't have it.
Before you really stir up the tank with removing rock, you could try adding a bacteria mix to the tank like you are just starting.
Such as?
Ultimately if all other possibilities are eliminated you'll need to try to outcompete the hair algae with a good macro like red dragon.
Picking some up from muralsreef this week
Answers above
 

cent36

Angel Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#10
zombie;339186 said:
Bad idea. You will cause another cycle by doing that.

If you dont have a refugium add one so you have a good export for nitrated. Remove half of the ball of cheato (or macro of your choice) every week with your water changes. If you do that, within a couple months you will be able to export out the majority of phosphate and nitrate and fully cure the live rock that used to be dry. This is completely normal for a young tank.
I do have a fuge and a skimmer but lost my chaeto
 

Miah2bzy

Nurse Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#11
cent36;339192 said:
I do have a fuge and a skimmer but lost my chaeto
Red dragon was great for my tank, makes a great display algae as well. Don't get it confused with dragons breath though, sethsolomon has a really good write up on it.
I used the biostart that drsfostersmith had.
The one thing I noticed is that you most likely need to up your clean up crew. I never liked hermits, they're hit or miss with corals. I had a 65 w a 20 gallon sump and I had at least 25 Trocus in it, 20 nerites, 20+ ceriths, a bunch of narssissus, a blue tux, and a six line wrasse for bugs. When I was battling hair algae I added two turbos that went to town on anything less than an inch. I added an emerald crab to the refugium with the red dragon.
 

Miah2bzy

Nurse Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#13
cent36;339218 said:
Doh. I'm getting dragons breath
I really like it and it's one of the best display algaes imo, red dragon grows faster than chaeto and doesn't disperse like chaeto does, just doesn't have the Orange tips as dragons breath.
 

jda123

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#14
Baking it will start the process all over again.

The nitrates are coming from the rock too. All of the stuff that was once live in it died and will take some time to decay and get out. It might take a year or two. Unfortunately, nobody tells you this about dry/dead rock. Just wait it out and have some consumers in the tank. Make sure the waterborne N and P stay in check and there isn't much more that you can do.
 

Dr.DiSilicate

Great White Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#15
Water changes, more than 20% a month,to keep it in check. Good skimmer... The rock needs to develop the ability to take care of the N and P. My dry rock took a year before it started to "work" Don't cook it! A bacteria supplement can help but be careful!!!
 
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