need help

[u mike]

I could really use some help with my tank.
I am looking to add somrthing to help with my canister filter. I feel it is not strong enough to keep the tank free of what needs to clean out so all my hair alage will stop growing.I do use my own water, I try to do 20 gal water changes every week,I am always pulling my live rock out and scrubbing it.I just lost my kole tang(he was helping eat some of the alage)I can not find any signs of him so I am sure my nitrates are out of wack.Light are on for 8 hours total.One of the lfs people said to try adding a protien skimmer,that should help the canister out.Tomorrow is another day of scrubbing the rocks.Any one that can help I will take all advice.
tank size is 65 gal
good lighting
plenty of lv
probly need stronger clean up crew.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by u mike
http:///forum/post/3278314
I could really use some help with my tank.
I am looking to add somrthing to help with my canister filter. I feel it is not strong enough to keep the tank free of what needs to clean out so all my hair alage will stop growing.I do use my own water, I try to do 20 gal water changes every week,I am always pulling my live rock out and scrubbing it.I just lost my kole tang(he was helping eat some of the alage)I can not find any signs of him so I am sure my nitrates are out of wack.Light are on for 8 hours total.One of the lfs people said to try adding a protien skimmer,that should help the canister out.Tomorrow is another day of scrubbing the rocks.Any one that can help I will take all advice.
tank size is 65 gal
good lighting
plenty of lv
probly need stronger clean up crew.

What size canister and what type? What kind of media?
How old are the bulbs in your lighting system? Nitrates is not the cause of hair algae, but over feeding and phosphates are. You use your own water..tap or RO?
It won’t do any good to test for phosphates because you will get a false reading, the algae is feeding off of it and it say near 0.

 

[u mike]

Iheem canister all origanal media that came with filter,( over 2 years old)
bulbs are 2 months old
I know nitrates are not the cause of this
I only feed every 3 days (nothing touches the bottom of tank)
i have my own ro /di unit (about 4 months old)
that is why I think I need to edd something to help.

 

[meowzer]

You haven't changed the filter media in 2 years?????? you might want to start there
also what's the cuc?

 

[ajroc31]

Scrubbing won't do much, its a bandaid at this point. No skimmer, that's it. Your dissolved organic waste must be pretty high. Get a skimmer, get a good phosphate sponge, and scrub those rocks once phosphates are gone. Test your water, and then take it somewhere else to be tested. Stop doing 30% water changes weekly, that's border line insanity . Media needs to be changed, depends on what you have there. If you don't want to go with wet/dry or refugium filter, I would suggest two hang-on back filters,easier to clean. But the skimmer is a must. For now, until you get a skimmer, carbon will remove some of the dow from the tank. Another reason for hair algae is ditritus on the rocks, so make sure you have a nice flow on them.
I resently went through the same problem, so you must be patient. It will take time. Nothing in this hobby is over-night, just tank crashes.

 

[shrimpy brains]

Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3278356
You haven't changed the filter media in 2 years?????? you might want to start there
also what's the cuc?
+1000 Cannister filters are good, but you have to keep up the maintainence. Detritous will build up in there and cause many problems!!

 

[u mike]

I have replaced the pads in the canister, have never replaced theceramic tubes or the stones. they get cleaned once a week.
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3278356
You haven't changed the filter media in 2 years?????? you might want to start there
also what's the cuc?

 

[u mike]

what size water change do you recomend?
Originally Posted by ajroc31
http:///forum/post/3278361
Scrubbing won't do much, its a bandaid at this point. No skimmer, that's it. Your dissolved organic waste must be pretty high. Get a skimmer, get a good phosphate sponge, and scrub those rocks once phosphates are gone. Test your water, and then take it somewhere else to be tested. Stop doing 30% water changes weekly, that's border line insanity . Media needs to be changed, depends on what you have there. If you don't want to go with wet/dry or refugium filter, I would suggest two hang-on back filters,easier to clean. But the skimmer is a must. For now, until you get a skimmer, carbon will remove some of the dow from the tank. Another reason for hair algae is ditritus on the rocks, so make sure you have a nice flow on them.
I resently went through the same problem, so you must be patient. It will take time. Nothing in this hobby is over-night, just tank crashes.

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by u mike
http:///forum/post/3278472
I have replaced the pads in the canister, have never replaced theceramic tubes or the stones. they get cleaned once a week.

I have used canister filters for 30+ years. Don’t “clean” the media, rinse it in saltwater and swish it around to release any solid stuff out of it. Squeeze the filter pads in saltwater and swish them around as well. It is okay to replace them but not all at once. ONLY half of the pads at a time, it houses your good bacteria. If you use freshwater on your pads or other media you kill all the good bacteria off, and it must rebuild anew.
While doing maintenance, wash your canister with clear tap water after removing all media. Then after rinsing and swishing your media in saltwater put it back in the canister and you are good for ONE MONTH. I would also add some carbon to clean any toxins from the water and it will give the water a nice clean look , carbon is a water polisher as well as an antitoxin. So remove a little of your tubes and stones, replace that amount with some carbon in a mesh bag or stocking tied off. (stockings are cheaper than those bags.)
I personally do water changes once a month, 3% of 90g is 30g. for my tank, the more often you do a water change the less amount you have to swap out. Some folks swap out a gallon each day. I think 30% each week is too much unless you have some kind of emergency like an ammonia spike, or fish dying.
A skimmer will help for sure. If you don’t have one, get a spray bar for the canister, it helps with gas exchange by agitating the surface water.

 

[ajroc31]

Originally Posted by u mike
http:///forum/post/3278473
what size water change do you recomend?
i do 10 gallons on 125 every week, so about 8%. Some people do 10% biweekly, others 20% monthly. Gallons a week works for me, so I am sticking to it.