Reef tank owners with Green Hair Algae please read

[jackri]

More info will be posted later but if you own a reef and have green hair algae I want to know
1) how bad of a hair algae problem
2) What is your alkalinity at? (use the 5-12 dKH scale please or whatever it's at)
3) what test kit are you using?
I'll be testing mine after supper on both tanks and let you know after I get some input too of why I'm asking.

 

[geoj]

Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/3207192
More info will be posted later but if you own a reef and have green hair algae I want to know
1) how bad of a hair algae problem
2) What is your alkalinity at? (use the 5-12 dKH scale please or whatever it's at)
3) what test kit are you using?
I'll be testing mine after supper on both tanks and let you know after I get some input too of why I'm asking.
1) One little string on a rock and a snail with a 1–2 inch hair algae Mohawk
2) Alkalinity 8-12
3) API

 

[the_bandit]

1.) Few patches here and there. Was really bad until I took appropriate action.
2.) Between 8-9
3.) API

 

[chrisnif]

I've got a few quarter size patches, I just had some water tested at petsmart because the only thing i have left is pH in my kits now. They used a dip strip and told me my alk was between 180 and 300 dKH but i think it must be some other form of measure or something. Maybe you can tell me? The strips were Eco Check 5-in-1. Ha, just did some checking its in ppm CaCO2 which 300 is about 16 dkh and 180 is 10 dkh (i was closer to the 180 so figure 10-12).

 

[jackri]

For the second post 8-12 isn't helpful
I didn't get a chance to test mine tonight but I'll explain more tomorrow and test mine as well. It's tough being a chef, maid, handyman, etc all in one night.

 

[trouble93]

Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/3207192
More info will be posted later but if you own a reef and have green hair algae I want to know
1) how bad of a hair algae problem
2) What is your alkalinity at? (use the 5-12 dKH scale please or whatever it's at)
3) what test kit are you using?
I'll be testing mine after supper on both tanks and let you know after I get some input too of why I'm asking.
1).Not bad a few spots but in the wildest places like inside of one power head(tang can't get to it). And another spot in the tubing of my phos-ban reactor.
2).7.4 DKH = 2.63 meg/L
3).Salifert
I would like to see where this is going because I always thought hair algae was a indicator of a phosphate problem.

 

[jackri]

It is an indicator of hair algae and I've been talking with a fellow reefer whos been in it for 20+ years.
GHA grows being having bad/too much/incorrect lighting, nutrients, phospates, etc.
I've had GHA outbreaks in my frag tank and main tank although the stuff in my frag tank is about gone. I was adding phosphates through my kalk drip using pickling lime -- and lagging behind on my water changes over the course of about 3 months on a bad shift.
My main tank has some problem spots of the hair algae. Not "everywhere" but not necessarily a little either.
My readings:
Frag tank --
GHA almost completley gone
alk 4 -5 dKH
Test Kit - API
Main tank --
GHA covering 1/3 or less of my live rock that is in directlight.
Alk 5-6 dKh
Test kit - API again.
Now my reason for wanting to know people's alk is while having a lengthy conversation I told him of my problem and when he heard about my alk levels he brought a new idea up (to me anyways).
While he said the phosphates and everything else obviously need to be taken care of, keeping alk 9+ dKh will affect the GHA in a negative way. I can't remember how he worded it but it's almost like the GHA can't handle those levels and will start to die off.
I haven't tested my levels in those bad 3 months but working on getting all levels in check, added my GFO/Carbon reactors and have been good on my water changes and been pulling at it -- hence my Frag Tank about 100% free and my main tank showing positive signs but alk of 9+ sounds like another weapon in the fight (which ideally I want about 10-11 anyways).
Just some interesting thoughts I thought may or may not be useful out there. If anyone has more comments on this I'd love to hear.

 

[spanko]

IMO the maintenance of natural sea water parameters is a given. You alk is too low.
Alkalinity (meq/L)
Natural Seawater Value: 2.5 meq/L (7 dKH)
Acceptable Range: 2.5 to 5.0 meq/L (7 - 14 dKH)
Maintaining an appropriate alkalinity is crucial to maintaining a healthy aquarium. A fluctuating alkalinity will lead to serious problems in maintaining an appropriate pH, as well as problems keeping calcium and magnesium levels within required ranges.
That said the more important thing in dealing with any nuisance alage is find the source of the PO4/NO3. It is there and must be minimized or eliminated to control algae growth.
JMO

 

[bang guy]

Since we're on an information gathering thread I have one more question to add to Jackri's:
4 - If the hair algae is on a rock, was the rock ever exposed to ammonia levels higher than 1.0ppm during the cycle?

 

[jackri]

The tank has been set up for over 2 years -- I was just lazy over the course of the last 3 months and I added phosphates through the previous kalk dosing.
The idea of hair algae being exposed to alk over 9 and hating it is new to me and since my alk is being raised and running media reactors and water changes and what not it'll be hard to prove that any one was more effective to attacking it from all sides. Just some interesting ideas though on it.
My nitrates and ammonia have always been undetectable using API kits.
My pH is steady at 8.1-8.3 and calcium in one tank is 440ppm and the other 360-380ppm. Getting a salifert mag test soon and will soon remedy any defiency there.

 

[spanko]

Along the lines of info gathering I would throw out there too that if you are using egg crate in the frag tank it has been shown that certain brands actually leech phosphates fueling hair algae growth. Especially on the egg crate itself. At some point the phosphate is "used up" and the problem with the algae can be taken care of with some clean up.
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=White+Egg+crate...p+if+you+can!+ go to first link.

 

[jackri]

Yeah I've heard that too... the same guy will only use black egg crate -- and of course I have white. Just interesting how there is always more to it than it seems at first glance

 

[geoj]

I have read that coralline algae will compete for growing space with other nuisance algae. And supplementing calcium will also help lower phosphate by making calcium-phosphate. So sps tanks with high calcium high alk and low phosphate should not have much GHA. And I believe this is right from my own tanks. When my sps and lps are growing rapidly I don’t have GHA. When I neglect the tank the GHA comes back.

 

[trouble93]

Originally Posted by GeoJ
http:///forum/post/3209439
I have read that coralline algae will compete for growing space with other nuisance algae. And supplementing calcium will also help lower phosphate by making calcium-phosphate. So sps tanks with high calcium high alk and low phosphate should not have much GHA. And I believe this is right from my own tanks. When my sps and lps are growing rapidly I don’t have GHA. When I neglect the tank the GHA comes back.
I have to agree here I've notice that as well.

 

[jackri]

Yeah working on getting my calcium levels up. Right now the big for read as:
calcium 360
alk 7-8 dKh
pH 8.3
Mag 1300