Still fighting the hair algae

jjboods

jjboods

Member
Still haven't changed lightbulbs. I did add a phosphate/silicate remover even though I use RO/DI water. Now I am thinking of dismantling the tank, removing the DSB, going bare bottom, and scrubbing the LR before putting it back.
Opinions?
 
sergeant

sergeant

Member
I added two thing to my tank and it started to kill it.
1. a phosban reactor 150.
2. a skilter 250 (filter/skimmer).
After two weeks I havent seen no new growth, just old skeleton hanging on the glass so I took a old credit card and scrubed up the glass with it. Is been two weeks since and no evidence of new growth yet. HTH
 
spline9

spline9

Member
Refugiums with macro algae help remove excess nutrients suffocating out the "bad" algae. Might be something to look into. I just got a fuge myself. Trying to fend off a potential hair algae explosion.
 
jjboods

jjboods

Member
I have a fuge, I have a skimmer, I added an urchin, and I added a phosphate remover in a media bag in the sump. And I use RO/DI water. I am pretty sure the bulbs are contributing to the problem but was also wondering people's opinions on the DSB. The DSB is only 2 years old.
 
baytran7

baytran7

Member
what's so bad about hair algae? besides it being ugly, isn't it an algae form that removes excess nutrients out of the water?
 
baytran7

baytran7

Member
i have a tank that i was very happy to see hair algae grow, it looks beautiful the way it sways in the current. my eel likes to hide in it.
 
latino277

latino277

Member
not sure if this will help or not but I had this problem when I was doing my WC only once a month. now I do a 5% WC every week had have seen less Hiar??? :notsure:
may....
may not help:thinking:
 
debbie g

debbie g

Member
I had the hair algae and the brown mossy junk just like you. I did water changes every day and replaced the carbon every week and it is gone! (Doing the water changes every day really stunk, but it was worth it) Mind you it took quite a while...prob 3 weeks, but my tank is a 175. If your tank is smaller than that, it will be even quicker. Try doing that before breaking down the whole tank. Good Luck and let us know what you decided to do and the outcome!
 
jjboods

jjboods

Member
I don't run carbon. Just DSB, LR, a fuge, and a sump with a protein skimmer. The daily water changes could help, but when I go back to the normal schedule, I still will not have found the original source of the problem and it may start up again. I appreciate all the input and when I have the money, I will replace the bulbs as I think they are part of the problem.
What I would really like to know is if anyone has an opinion on the DSB being part of the problem.
 
debbie g

debbie g

Member
Mine does have about 3-5 inches of sandbed. I never attributed the algae to the sand though. Only thing I noticed was that I had put in a load of empty shells on the sand bed, and the hair algae LOVED them. Would stick on to them really bad. But I never heard of the dsb having anything to do with hair algae problem.
 
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