Red Sea Coral Pro salt causing Hair Algae problem

[bkoppes]

I have been using Red Sea Coral Pro Salt for the last 3-4 months and fighting a Hair Algae problem. I have been doing some research on google and noticing other people have had the same types of problems when using Red Sea Coral Pro Salt. The more water changes I do, the worse it gets. Time to change salt!!! If any others out there are using Red Sea Coral Pro salt and having problems with Hair Algae this is your problem.

I am sure we will get all the normal questions about my parameters. I have been keeping multiple reef tanks for over 5 years and consider myself well above a novice.

I can't blame it on one bad bucket because I have went through multiple buckets. I keep my parameters stable(dosing), feed very little and have a huge skimmer and refugium etc, lots of flow also. Can't blame my bulbs since they are fairly new and I don't run them very long each day.

I thought this salt was supposed to be good. It is a little more expensive than the rest and has high parameters for everything, which is the good thing about it. I have been paying too much for a salt that has caused a lot of damage to some very nice corals I had grown into large colonies(small colonies now).

Done with my rant........ if you are having problems with hair algae and using this salt your hair algae problem is a direct result of this salt.

 

[fragmatic]

I don't know about that, but the Groni that I am so proud of, the one I use a photo of in my "Welcome to Reef2Reef" banner, as shown below, has not come out more that 1/4" since I used Red Sea for the first time on my last water change. The day before that it was out 2". I was wondering if others have had similar problems too.

This is the one I am talking about. EDIT: What I failed to say was it was out 2" when I started changing water, retracted during water change, and hasn't been out more than 1/4" since. It has been two weeks.

....and that sux. I have no other physics or chemistry changes to pin it on...???

Although, perhaps it simply being a salt brand change (regardless to brands) may be some to blame.

 

[Rjramos]

One thing I didnt see you mention above. Are you using Reverse Osmosis or RO/DI filtration for your mixing water. And are you changing these filters at least once per year for sediment and carbon. And 2-3 years for TFC membrane?

 

[fragmatic]

One thing I didnt see you mention above. Are you using Reverse Osmosis or RO/DI filtration for your mixing water. And are you changing these filters at least once per year for sediment and carbon. And 2-3 years for TFC membrane?

He did mention several years experience ("multiple tanks over five years") and only lately has problems timed with a salt brand change. I would hope RODI can be ruled out in this case, unless he changed to or away from RODI at the same time. ... unlikely

 

[bkoppes]

I have RODI. First piece of equipment I bought when I started in the hobby and all the filters get changed often, maybe too often, every 6 months max. I have a digital inline TDS and when the output reads 1 they get changed. I have been doing large water changes thinking it would help and I am pretty sure it was just causing more problems.

 

[skinz78]

I've used Red Sea Coral Pro and my tank went from this:

To this with the use of just 2 150g buckets worth of Red Sea Coral Pro salt mix..... I lost most of my SPS, all of my Chalice's, about half of my Z's n P's, several very rare clams, and who know's how many fish.... The tank was and still is so bad looking that I haven't taken many pic's of it at all. Every other day I pull hair algae out of my tank, I feel like I'm weeding a garden... I'm winning the battle though.

 

[Rjramos]

I really dont know about the salt. I use natural sea water I am fortunate to have down here. As for hair algae I had bad blooms years ago. I added a refugium with "Ecosystems Miracle Mud" and started growing caulerpas. Within 2 months and addition of clean up crews, Blue leg hermits and emerald crabs, all the algae was gone and has never come back!

 

[bkoppes]

Wow skinz. We had the same issue. It sucks! I used 2 or 3 buckets over the last 3-4 months. It wasn't just my main tank I had problems in either. My frag tank had the same outcome. I have been pulling out hair algae for months. I have a refugium/cheato/reverse light cycle. Buying new salt tomorrow and starting water changes. Live and learn.

 

[Jlobes]

which salt are you going to use now?

 

[Ghengis Keng]

WOW... thanks for the post. I've always used Reef Crystals before and this last time, I bought a 5 gallon bucket of Red Sea Pro. I just recently finished that bucket and was going to go get some more. Maybe I need to go back to Reef Crystals.

 

[Bubbles_B]

I was a loyal Oceanic User with no problems with hair algae or any other algae problems even with tap water. Just started using AquaVitro Salinity this week. Too early to say anything about it just yet.

 

[bkoppes]

which salt are you going to use now?

Any suggestions? Seachem? Maybe going back to reef crystals? Used Reef Crystals for years with no problems. Switched because I heard Red Sea Pro was great.

 

[fragmatic]

I'm going back to Top Fin or Instant Ocean crystals.. not known to be the best but I was doing great with them.. any one need a bucket of Red Sea? .. if you are local, I used about 6 cups, I'll take $20... come and get it. ..... I'm not using it again.

Red Sea, New Formula, "The living reef in every harvested grain".... Ca 410, Mg 1230, Alk 2.8, Kh 7.7..in my case.

 

[bct15]

What is it in the red sea pro salt that is supposedly making this algae grow and coral die?

 

[fragmatic]

What is it in the red sea pro salt that is supposedly making this algae grow and coral die?

I have no idea and am not going to try to find out.. it is moot to me... I'm done with it.

 

[skinz78]

I'm using Aqua Crafts Bio Sea now.

 

[fragmatic]

I'm using Aqua Crafts Bio Sea now.

How long have you been using it? Any observations?

 

[swissgaurd]

ive been using redsea salts seems like forever and always good experiences with it
but this is not good to hear.
im always nervous to hear of a bad batch with any salts
have you got a batch # or lot number as i just bought a new bucket yesterday

vic

 

[Briguy350]

I use red sea salt without any problems at all.

 

[Stray32]

I am wondering if this problem may be a new one with Red Sea salt. I used Red Sea Coral Pro for several years when I had my old tank (2009, 2010), with no algae issues at all. Granted, it was a well-established tank at that point. I just set up a new tank in November and started with a fresh batch of Red Sea salt. I have been battling hair algae for months. I use RO/DI, GFO, Carbon, and an oversized skimmer, basically all the same equipment that I had on my old tank. Parameters are all stable. Based on this thread, I am switching salts. It's worth a try at least to see if this is what is causing the algae outbreak.