Help with building the perfect reef system

[Tony Buck]

I'm currently experiencing a severe outbreak in hair algae, I just bought a protein skimmer(red sea prizm) and I'm wondering if I should continue to use Kent PolYox with it? And since I have a protein skimmer do I need to use Kent Trace elements often now? I just don't know how to get rid of this hair algae which is now covering my corals(SPS), does anyone know how to effectively rid my reef of this nuisance?

 

[Dowtish]

Any reason this is under the soft coral discussion section of the forum?

I would think that a skimmer will definitely help remove the nutrients being put into the tank. But you can also use a RO/DI water, if not already, to help with this. You can also buy various inverts to help eat the algae. Look up "clean up crews".

Not really familiar with the kent products, but if you are doing regular water changes with good qaulity water and salt, you really dont need to dose for trace elements.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Moved this thread to a more appropriate forum.

Good water quality without overfeeding the reef is the key to ridding yourself of nuscance algae. Use RO/DI, consider running phosban in a reactor, add a clean-up crew and cut back on feeding the reef. Might want to cut back on lighting as well. I know someone who leaves their light off every tuesday to help cut back on algae growth in the aquarium. Sorry no idea on the additivies, other than the fact that you should never be adding anything to your reef system that you do not test for. Reef salt has all the needed substances, so long as you are doing regular water changes to replace supplements consumed by the reef, there is no reason to supplement.

 

[ryeguyy84]

So I'm in the process of beating hair algae. I've had it for a long time so you may be in for a battle. Step one, stop dosing trace elements. They will feed the algae. Step 2 skim wet. Step 3 phosban in a reactor. Start with a small amount and increase a little every week till the recommended dose. I use Brs gfo because I can get a lot of it for cheap.

After that feed less and manually pull out as much as you can get. The first thing I noticed is the hair algae growth slowed, then it started turning brown. Now a few months later it's almost gone.

Hope that helps.

 

[kevin25]

maybe you need led aquarium light.it look like very beautiful and save energe.

 

[_sludgefactory]

First thing is you should get a test kit. What are your nitrates and phosphate at? How old is the tank? Why are you using poly ox? As far s skimmers go the prism isn't really a top choice. I don't see why the essential elements would hurt at all, I've used them for years with no I'll results and there's nothing in it to feed algae.

Sent from somewhere using something.

 

[Tony Buck]

The tank is about 4 months old but I used polyox because my LFS said it would cure algae, maybe just trying to sell me something. I bought the skimmer to try to rid the source and so far a lot of the reviews I've read on the Prizm skimmer are bad saying that it floods or won't remove enough skimmate and its loud so I'm afraid to turn it on hahaha. But when I did I couldn't keep the tiny micro bubbles from going into my tank I guess I just don't know how to use or adjust it correctly not really good instructions.

 

[Decalf]

Your use of polyox will ONLY work with a good skimmer and some kind of nirate/phosphate reduction. All polyox does is break down organic sludge. It then puts all that into your water column and it just floats around and increases your bio cycle. Which in short answer terms feeds your algea. If you don't upgrade that skimmer or do massive water changes to remove dissoved organics and lower the nitrates and phosphates that are sure to exist you will never beat your issue.