Think I'm starting to get a hair algae problem

[Treezer8]

So it looks like I'm starting to get some hair algae!
It's in about 70% of the substrate, and I can see all the little hairs coming out
It's also on the glass every day, but I use a mag-float to get it off when I can


Here are my water parameters

Phosphate-0
Ammonia-0
Nitrate-0
Nitrite-0
Calcium-440
Alkalinity-6.5 dKH (I believe this is where my problem is)
pH-8.0

So I did some research and a lot of people said that low alkalinity levels can cause some hair algae growth?
I did a 20% water change last night, even added some of that calcium/alkalinity 2 part stuff, and it still hasn't gotten any higher.

Oh, and the aquarium is a 70gal and has been running for about 1 month

What do you guys think?
Thanks

 

[chichimom79]

What kind of fish do you have in your tank? How much, how often and what do you feed them? If you are having algae issues you are probably getting a false negative on your nitrates and phosphates. The algae consumes it fast enough that sometimes the tests wont pick it up. I would up the frequency of your water changes.
That alk is pretty low. Do you have enough live rock in the tank to buffer the water?

 

[Northstar24]

Low alk in and of itself is not going to cause algae growth.

What kind of tests are you using for nitrates and phosphates? If they are the liquid API tests, you're most likely getting a 'false' 0 - the algae are taking the phosphates and nitrates out of the water. For some reason, I believe the Hanna Phosphate checker is more accurate than the liquid tests, and will test for smaller concentrations of phospates that the liquid tests pick up as 0

You may want to see if you can borrow one of those checkers locally and get a second reading

Either way, algae growth really comes down to nutrient export, you are putting more in your tank than you are taking out with water changes

 

[Treezer8]

What kind of fish do you have in your tank? How much, how often and what do you feed them? If you are having algae issues you are probably getting a false negative on your nitrates and phosphates. The algae consumes it fast enough that sometimes the tests wont pick it up. I would up the frequency of your water changes.
That alk is pretty low. Do you have enough live rock in the tank to buffer the water?

I only have 1 royal gamma, hermits, snails, some emerald crabs. Just until im ready to make the full switch from my other tank.
Probably about 40lbs of live rock for now, rest is in other tank.
Feed once a day, mysis mostly.

Low alk in and of itself is not going to cause algae growth.

What kind of tests are you using for nitrates and phosphates? If they are the liquid API tests, you're most likely getting a 'false' 0 - the algae are taking the phosphates and nitrates out of the water. For some reason, I believe the Hanna Phosphate checker is more accurate than the liquid tests, and will test for smaller concentrations of phospates that the liquid tests pick up as 0

You may want to see if you can borrow one of those checkers locally and get a second reading

Either way, algae growth really comes down to nutrient export, you are putting more in your tank than you are taking out with water changes

Yes, I'm using the liquid test, with the test-tube and the drops.
But I don't believe I have any access to one of those phosphate checkers.

 

[Old_Moe]

Feed once a day, mysis mostly.
.

probably not needed to feed every day.

Also, stock lights with new lights are prone to be very short lived

 

[Treezer8]

probably not needed to feed every day.

Also, stock lights with new lights are prone to be very short lived

I only give a tiny bit just for the one fish.
And I'm not understanding what you mean with the lights

 

[Bifferwine]

When you buy a new light fixture and it comes with bulbs, those bulbs are usually pretty cheap and poor quality and lose their luster fast. :)

 

[Old_Moe]

From your first post, you say that your tank is 1month old. I was assuming that your lights are about 1 month. I have read others here stating that their stock lights(T-5) only lasted a short time and needed to be replaced. What kind of lights do you have? A couple of my T-5's needed to be replace after a couple of weeks. I was glad is came with a set of spares.

 

[Treezer8]

When you buy a new light fixture and it comes with bulbs, those bulbs are usually pretty cheap and poor quality and lose their luster fast. :)

From your first post, you say that your tank is 1month old. I was assuming that your lights are about 1 month. I have read others here stating that their stock lights(T-5) only lasted a short time and needed to be replaced. What kind of lights do you have? A couple of my T-5's needed to be replace after a couple of weeks. I was glad is came with a set of spares.

Oh I guess I should have specified.
Both fixtures are both new LED fixtures

 

[FishyReef]

You said your tank has been running for 1 mo - does that include the time it took to cycle the tank? I ask because I had a large hair algae bloom about 1 month in to my tank - but that 1 month included 2-3 weeks cycling and 1 week or so of fish. The addition of fish and food made my algae explode! I added a few turbo snails (which ate through the algae in no time), pulled out what I could by hand, reduced feeding to every other day and I've never had a hair algae problem since.
What do you currently have for a clean-up crew?

 

[Treezer8]

You said your tank has been running for 1 mo - does that include the time it took to cycle the tank? I ask because I had a large hair algae bloom about 1 month in to my tank - but that 1 month included 2-3 weeks cycling and 1 week or so of fish. The addition of fish and food made my algae explode! I added a few turbo snails (which ate through the algae in no time), pulled out what I could by hand, reduced feeding to every other day and I've never had a hair algae problem since.
What do you currently have for a clean-up crew?

Yes, I'm at the week of fish part.(One month includes cycling)
As far as CUC goes, about 10 astrea snails, 10-12 hermits(few of them are big ones),2 emerald crabs, and a few hitch hikers.

 

[Treezer8]

Guess I should have updated this but forgot.

All the hair algae is gone. There are 2 or 3 very very small patches. I added a shit load more snails, hermits, as well as 2 urchins and a nudibranch..though I haven't seen the nudi in a few days..It's gone missing. But yea, were looking good now :D