Help me understand

[Jej34]

Okay, I've been battling green hair algae for 2 months now. I scrub it off with a brush 3 days later it comes back. I've been doing 20% water changes every two weeks. Nitrates 0 phosphates zero using a Hanna phosphrus checker.
Also running a gfo reactor with phosguard. Three day blackout Worked temporarily came right back. The tank is not totally over run with it but if I didn't brush it off every 2 days I'm afraid it might. Just replace the four T5 bulbs with ATI last week. I'm sure the hanna checker is showing 0 because the phosphates are probably bound up into the algae that's growing. I hear people say keep up with the water changes, if the water column is truly reading zero and I think it is, to me, changing the water constantly will do nothing, am I missing something. I also am running a refugium with macroalgae. This is taking all the fun out of the Hobby and I'm getting quite frustrated, any help would be appreciated.

 

[jsker]

It could be your lights are one too long or adjust the spectrum and intensity, I am going through the same thing.

 

[Jej34]

Just bought 4 ATI bulbs 3 aqua blue plus and 1 purple plus last week.

Photoperiod has been 6 hours in the past, no direct sunlight

 

[AlexStinson]

It just takes time. Be patient and roll with what you are doing. Maybe increase your cleanup crew. Luckily, all my blue leg hermits love hair algae. I have zero in the tank itself, but my overflow in the refugium gets covered in it from time to time, I pull it off, toss it in the display and they pick it clean in half an hour.

 

[Jej34]

1900 gph turnover in 72 bow also

 

[twilliard]

Your no3 and po4 is not 0 with algae growth present.
Peroxide will kill it but regrowth is possible depending on feeding habits and export methods.

 

[Jej34]

It just takes time. Be patient and roll with what you are doing. Maybe increase your cleanup crew. Luckily, all my blue leg hermits love hair algae. I have zero in the tank itself, but my overflow in the refugium gets covered in it from time to time, I pull it off, toss it in the display and they pick it clean in half an hour.

Just added 20 red legged hermits and a lawnmower blenny Sunday. Hopefully they help!!

 

[jsker]

Just bought 4 ATI bulbs 3 aqua blue plus and 1 purple plus last week.

Photoperiod has been 6 hours in the past, no direct sunlight

@john.m.cole3 could answer more of your ATI questions. We are find that members with a combo of both LED and T5's

 

[Tahoe61]

Got any algae eaters? Uchins, Chitons, Astrea.....

 

[Jej34]

Your no3 and po4 is not 0 with algae growth present.
Peroxide will kill it but regrowth is possible depending on feeding habits and export methods.

Agreed, it's not 0 but man, A Hanna checker is one of the best testers, if that doesn't test well, I'm doomed. I guess the best tester is the visual, no algae, no phosphates.

 

[Jej34]

Got any algae eaters? Uchins, Chitons, Astrea.....

Yes, bought a long spine urchin last week, hopefully all these guys start working overtime

 

[twilliard]

Take out a rock at a time and soak those algae spots for 5 minutes. Put back into the tank and within 72 hours it will be gone.
Check the regrowth rate, it will give you an idea on nutrient level.
A good test for po4 is triton

 

[Jej34]

Take out a rock at a time and soak those algae spots for 5 minutes. Put back into the tank and within 72 hours it will be gone.
Check the regrowth rate, it will give you an idea on nutrient level.
A good test for po4 is triton

Perroxide hurt the frags?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

how old is the tank? How well is the fuge growing?

1900 gph turnover in 72 bow also

is that the return? thats way to fast.

72 + 20?sump = 92 x 5(return rate) = 460 @ x 10 return rate is 920

Thers not enough time IMO for the skimmer to pull the junk out and the chato to absorb.

 

[Jej34]

Perroxide hurt the frags?

Can you give me more info on "triton"?

 

[Jej34]

how old is the tank? How well is the fuge growing?


is that the return? thats way to fast.

72 + 20?sump = 92 x 5(return rate) = 460 @ x 10 return rate is 920

Thers not enough time IMO for the skimmer to pull the junk out and the chato to absorb.

Return is about 400gph, excess are heads. Tank is 13 months old. All I have in the fuge section is chaeto,probably A 6 inch ball, it stays green but doesn't really grow excessively

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Return is about 400gph, excess are heads. Tank is 13 months old. All I have in the fuge section is chaeto,probably A 6 inch ball, it stays green but doesn't really grow excessively

got it. Two things helped me on my first sumped tank, making sure the flow was turbulant and even enough to keep particles in suspension long enough to get them to the sump(my sump was clean for 3 mos whil the tank algae got bad)
and increasing the brightness and double checking the spectrum of the chato light.

 

[Jej34]

got it. Two things helped me on my first sumped tank, making sure the flow was turbulant and even enough to keep particles in suspension long enough to get them to the sump(my sump was clean for 3 mos whil the tank algae got bad)
and increasing the brightness and double checking the spectrum of the chato light.

You bring up a good point, all I have is one of those Home Depot reflectors with a fluorescent in there that's supposed to simulate daylight 10K Maybe, perhaps ill intensify that

 

[twilliard]

Well try not to get the H202 directly on corals. Use a syringe to apply the h2o2 to the algae areas.
Here is triton http://www.triton-lab.de/triton-labor/
I use unique corals to buy my test kits.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

You bring up a good point, all I have is one of those Home Depot reflectors with a fluorescent in there that's supposed to simulate daylight 10K Maybe, perhaps ill intensify that

I use a full spectrum daylight 50 or 56k and a warm white 32k.