Hair algae and high phosphates

[Phillyd1990]

So im getting frustrated lately with hair algea on my substrate and back of my glass. I used to have phosphates down to 4 (using hannah ulr) but now theyre up to 44. It's definitely not from over feeding because i feed small amounts 3 times a day and watch the fish eat every piece. I feed my corals twice a week with reef roids and reef chili. I have a reef octopus 150 classic in a 60 gal system and it skims great. I run a reactor with 2 cups of brs gfo. I perform a weekly %10 water change. I also have a refugium with chaeto that grows like a weed. I have a maxpect gyre xf230 that moves a ton of water so it cant be a flow issue. Weird thing is all my sps coral are doing fantastic and growing pretty rapidly along with all my lps. I was thinking of getting a dual reactor and putting carbon in, would this help at all? If there is anything else i could do ill take all the advice i can get.

Temp 78.5
PH 8.1
Amm 0
Trite 0
Trate 0
Phosphate 44
Calc 420
Alc 9
Mag 1440
Salinity 1.026

 

[Phillyd1990]

Also forgot to mention i use ro/di water and it comes out at 0 tds

 

[lion king]

I know it doesn't solve the source of the problem, it sounds like you know what to do, it's just getting the right combo down. But to get control and get your phosphate lowered and within reason; I use brightwell phosphate -e. I don't have sps so do some more research but I've never had an adverse reaction. Just take it slow, even when something is too high you have to bring it down really slow, your corals have gotten use to it.

 

[Phillyd1990]

Ill have to look into it. Im going to change out my gfo its been about a month now so it may be exhausted.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You may not be overfeeding, but it really doesn't matter if fish eat the food or not. Nearly all of the P in the food ends up in the water as phosphate. :)

 

[Phillyd1990]

I could feed a little less at each feeding or only feed twice a day then. I only have 3 fish in at the moment. 1 green chromis 1 maroon clown and 1 fairy wrasse

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I could feed a little less at each feeding or only feed twice a day then. I only have 3 fish in at the moment. 1 green chromis 1 maroon clown and 1 fairy wrasse

Better plan might be to increase phosphate export. :)

 

[Scorpius]

Decrease feeding. Blow rocks off weekly. Vacuum sand regularly. Run gfo/carbon. Whatever you do don't make drastic changes.

 

[Nomie7]

Recently recovered from hair algae outburst. Throw in 2 Seachem Purigen in the high flow area and feed only once a day. Then start picking algae out at every water change.

Good luck

 

[Phillyd1990]

One thing i dont do is blow my rocks so ill have to start. Also i was looking into seachem purigen. Ill have to give it a shot.

 

[Phillyd1990]

Well i changed out my gfo and put in some fresh. Phosphates are down to 8. I guess my gfo was just ready to be changed. Hopefully the hair algae starts to subside.