Green Hair Algae!

Melonbob

Reef enthusiast
Well, this is my stats for the week, I posted in my build thread, but figured I'd get more responses here

SG - 1.024
Amm-0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10
Calcium - 520
Phos - 0
Alk - 13 dKH

A few things to note here. I did my samples before I topped off with fresh water, and there was alot of evaporation (about 2.5 gallons to top up) Could this have affected dKH and Calcium. Why does my calcium keep climbing? I stopped dosing it. Is it too high now? What about dKH? 13 too high as well? The reason I'm asking all these questions is because I have freaking Green hair Algae everywhere!!!
 
Yes I would say the Calcium is a little too high, and the Alk is little high too. I could be wrong though. As why this is effecting algae growth I do not know, but would like to know the answer also.
 
they are fine parameters. I keep my tank at your parameters all the time, I believe it is like adding steroids to your SPS corals and LPS corals for them to grow.

How often are you feeing? how long is your light cycle? what is your bioload (number of fishies)? are you using RO water only? Get yourself 2 Mexican turbos and a sea hare (yes, Biff you have converted me). But be prepared to take back the greenish turd to the fish store when it is done eating all your algae. cut back your lights, feedings, and make sure your water is good, increase water changes from 10% to 20% a week for a month and I bet your hair algae will go away.

Biff, you should really buy one that you rent out to all the tanks with hair algae on the forum and have them send it back to you when you are done.

-Doc
 
Yes,your calcium and dKH is a bit high but not dangerously though.My guess is the algae is consuming the nitrate and phosphate.High calcium/dKH doesn't cause hair algae,nutrients does.

Are you using RO/DI water?
 
Also, don't be afraid to use phosguard or phosban to get rid of the nutrients and phosphates in yor tank which the Algae use for food

-Doc
 
Are you using flakes,pellets,or frozen foods to feed with?
If your feeding flakes and pellets,that could be your trouble.
Also get yourself 2 bottles of chemi-pure elite and add to your sump and start dosing Marine SAT.
That should help.
 
you are probably sick of hearing it, but frozen food really is better for the fish and your tank than pellets. I would switch if I were you. they could be contributing to the nutrient build up in your tank.

I would still be more dilligent with more frequent water changes, phosphate remover, blah, blah, blah, like you haven't hear it from me before. Sorry for sounding redundant

-Doc
 
See, actually nobody has told me about food......I just went with what the lfs told us to go with. I believe he told my wife something along the lines of the clowns being tank raised and thats what they were fed. I'll admit, I know nothing about food, and after reading till my eyes bled regarding skimmers, rock, filters etc, I never really gave it much thought.
 
Most folks dont think about the food much.I kinda wandered on by accident.
Ash is phosphate and flakes and pellets both contain ash.
 
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