RO/DI and HairAlgae

[me-n-my-fish]

Got some kinda problem. I had hair algae running wild in my tank. Test source water (tap) and that was the cause. Been using RO/DI from my new machine, and the hair algae is receading at a rapid pace. To tell the truth, its dang near gone. But, now i my tank looks to be going down hill. My rasta leather is not lookin to good, and my button polyps arn't so hot. The thing that has really got me worried is my zenia is no longer pulsing!!
Of couse, went to test my water and my test kits are empty. Gonna get some refills this weekend, and have the LFS test it also. So i figured, i will do a water change. Only had enuf salt for a 5 gal (on a 55 gall with 20 gal sump).
Could the die off of hair algea cause a spike?

 

[eeyrg]

I think I read somewhere that when Xenia stop pulsing its a sure sign that your PH has dropped. You may want to check that, as well as everything else in the tank (phosphates, NO3, NO2, etc.)

 

[overanalyzer]

When you use RO water you need to make sure you aireiate it over night. If you don the PH will be lower. What I do is take filtered water - move it to a smaller bucket with small powerhead. Let it run over night. Then I mix salt over night for at least a day or two.
Xenia stops pumping when PH or alk is screwed up .... my guess is PH is low.
HTH and glad to hear you hair algea is receeding!!

 

[beaslbob]

By controlling you algae you also eliminated plant life that was consuming carbon dioxide. As a result the ph would drop. Could this be why things are not looking as good? Do you have a refug with other plant life? If so hopefully that plant life will spread to make up the loss in carbon dioxide and nutrient consumption of the hair algae.

 

[me-n-my-fish]

When you use RO water you need to make sure you aireiate it over night.
Is this for top off water also? I do have a PowerHead in my buckets when changing water, but i dont do anything for top off.
Add some baking soda. In general I use my xenia as an alk test. No pulse = add baking soda... Works for me.
Would love to do this. But, all my test kits are out. It prolly would not hurt, but i would be to worried, and would not get any sleep until saterday!!! Thanks for the tip tho.
Tank is lookin much better. I even have some coraline growing now. I spotted some on the glass. Of course, its on the front, but i have been complaining for so long, and now i am just happy to get some anywhere!!!!!

 

[me-n-my-fish]

How do you add your bakin soda? Mix with water and add, or just sprinkle it in there?

 

[littleguy]

make sure you are replacing daily trace elements for the ro process definitly take out all form aof bacteria but also calcium iodine and many other elements needed to keep life reef soution daily helps great

 

[me-n-my-fish]

I dose kalk, stronuim (sp) and that m word (stuff from kent). I was dosing iodine, but stopped to see if it is really helping in xenia. But the xenia is starting to pump again, but slow. I did add some SuperDKH Buffer from kent. maybe that helped.