hair algae and high nitrates and phoshates

supernatureal

Reefing newb
Ok I need some help I have some high nitrates (at least 100) and phosphates (between 1 and 2) both on liquid test kit. My tank is 95 gallons plus sump. I have about 1 month ago I started an algae scrubber. I don't get great growth on the scrubber. My scrubber is set up with a screen that is 10 1/2 by 11 inches run by a mag 5 pump and two clamp on cfl bulbs.

What am I doing wrong and what can I do to lower the nitrates and phosphates faster right now?

So far the only things I have lost were my peppermint shrimp that ate my aptasia? I would like to get some more as I am starting to get aptasia again.
 
Well part of the problem is that you already have a scrubber growing in your tank. Try and remove as much algae as you can by hand every week while you do your water changes.

In the mean time i would looking into getting a GFO (?) reactor to deal with the phosphates.

Also, have you tried to address why you are getting such high trates and stuff? That will make a huge difference in treating your issues.
 
I think it was some of the food I tried feeding that was the problem with the rise in nitrates I have since switch back to the froozen that I was using before the spikes and hair algae.

I have been pulling out some of the hair algae out and still don't get good growth except back in the tank.

The phosphate have been coming down faster that the nitrates. If GFO works on the phosphate what works on the nitrates.
 
I don't think it is recommended to run carbon with a scrubber. Don't quote me on that tho.
Also what kind of light are you using for your scrubber?
 
I think you should buy a second nitrate test kit and double check your results, or bring a sample to your LFS to have them double check it.
 
I was using a Rio that was rated at 560 something gph and that was not enough flow.

Now I am using one that is double that and it is growing better algae. The bright green stuff.
 
The recommended for a screen my lenght of 11 inches would be 385 gph and my mag 5 is running around 500 gph. right now I am only getting some thin brown crap build up on my screen, and at that It takes half the week before it even showes up after a cleaning. The only way to double would to be using a mag 9.
 
The recommended for a screen my lenght of 11 inches would be 385 gph and my mag 5 is running around 500 gph. right now I am only getting some thin brown crap build up on my screen, and at that It takes half the week before it even showes up after a cleaning. The only way to double would to be using a mag 9.



Yeah Thats fine if its only 11' long. Do you have blubs on both sides of the screen?

It has taken me several months to get good green growth on my screen. But everything is at 0
 
Yes lights on both sides. This is what the screen looks like after 3 to 4 days. It is starting to cover faster. Two days ago there was nothing on it just like I just cleaned it all but sa 5%. I did just go threw and pull alot of hair algae out of the tank. About as much as most of you pull off of your screens like in the thread about algae scrubbers.
 
Ok trying this again just singed up for photobucket. Had to move light out of the way to get a good picture.
P2010216.jpg
 
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