I feel like I'm being lied to

[perryxcore]

My nano tank has been out of control with algae, green hair and the like. Since the problem has started I've taken all of my rocks out and physically picked off the algae by hand three times now, I switched my carbon sock out with chemi-pure to relieve phosphates and other harmful material. I have reduced my feeding the clown to every other day with less than I normally feed, usually rod's food and have completely stopped using pellets, and have added more and more snails. I have no real way of testing my phosphates but everything else is completely clear like nitrates and nitrites and ammonia, my calcium and magnesium are at normal levels and my alkalinity is around 9.6, I have also increased my water changes on the 22 gallon tank from 3 gallons a weeks to 7-10 gallons every 4-7 days and manually picking algae every time I change water.

I have continued to do what I've read to do online, what other hobbyists and my LFS has told me to do and its starting to feel like its a hopeless battle. Am I being lied to and there is some secret remedy to this gauntlet of algae or do I just need to keep doing what I'm already doing..?

 

[fsu1dolfan]

My nano tank has been out of control with algae, green hair and the like. Since the problem has started I've taken all of my rocks out and physically picked off the algae by hand three times now, I switched my carbon sock out with chemi-pure to relieve phosphates and other harmful material. I have reduced my feeding the clown to every other day with less than I normally feed, usually rod's food and have completely stopped using pellets, and have added more and more snails. I have no real way of testing my phosphates but everything else is completely clear like nitrates and nitrites and ammonia, my calcium and magnesium are at normal levels and my alkalinity is around 9.6, I have also increased my water changes on the 22 gallon tank from 3 gallons a weeks to 7-10 gallons every 4-7 days and manually picking algae every time I change water.

I have continued to do what I've read to do online, what other hobbyists and my LFS has told me to do and its starting to feel like its a hopeless battle. Am I being lied to and there is some secret remedy to this gauntlet of algae or do I just need to keep doing what I'm already doing..?

Never a secret remedy as i am dealing with my own...i wish too - How is your lighting? What type? How old are the bulbs? How long do you run them?

 

[-Logzor]

Have you changed your bulbs recently?

 

[Reef keeper]

I had the same problem my nitrate, nitrite were 0 but algae everywhere (it could be how long you leave ur light on to) but it was phosphates. Ur lfs should be able to check ur phosphates for you. Gfo will help with those phosphates.
Do you use Ro Di water?
How long do you leave ur light on and wat kind?

 

[gqjeff]

are you using RO/DI for makeup and refill water? If not there you go... And if that's it you can kindly send $25 via paypal LOL...

 

[benny z]

Are you using 0 TDS water for your water change and makeup water?

 

[VelasCorals]

I would get a sea hare. It's not a perm fix but he will eat all the hair algae within a month. I've had them work as a "quick fix" several times on my old thank that had hair algae problems.

 

[cdness]

There is no 100% perfect way to remove algae... Here's what I have done:

- 48 hour lights off period (do the following steps during the lights off period as well)
- Pull off as much as possible
- Change filter socks daily
- Scrub rocks with old toothbrush
- Blow off rocks with handheld powerhead or turkey baster
- Do water change immediately after scrubbing and blowing off rocks

Then repeat every couple weeks until it is gone.

Some other things to try would be GFO, carbon dosing, etc but you are doing nothing wrong. You have already reduced feedings and your parameters are good. Hair Algae is very difficult to beat and honestly it is never 100% gone... Keep on with what you are doing and you will be happy with the results. Nothing happens quickly in this hobby for sure.

 

[Dave3112]

I understand how you feel. I had a tank a while back that seemed like was just destined to grow hair algae. I tried all the stuff you listed and still nothing worked. I got frustrated after 6 months of weekly water changes/algae removal so I just finally took all of my rock out of my tank and put it in my drive way! At the time I lived in CA in the Mojave desert so it baked pretty good for a month. After that I got a scrub brush and scrubbed the crap out of the rocks then put them in the water I was changing out of the tank for the next couple of weeks (changed it out with each water change) and then put it back in the tank. took most of the snails out and added a crap ton of micro blue leg hermits and no more algae!!! I still use the same rocks only now they are in my 220 gallon tank along with alot more rock but the point is the algae is still gone. I believe that hermits do more for algae control than snails do. I know people will say I'm crazy but it works for me is all I know. I would rather have 300 hermits than 20 snails.........

Good luck with your problem. I hope that you can remedy it with a different solution than I resorted to!!!

 

[fsu1dolfan]

Thats the main problem Perry - There are so many different things that could cause it. Lights - Run too long, old bulbs, Flow - Too little, Water - Not using Ro/DI or distilled, Phosphates, Too much feeding, small CUC, the list goes on.

 

[CJO]

How old is your tank? Have you tested your makeup water for nitrates and phosphates?

CJ

 

[perryxcore]

Thank you for the expedient replies, I am using a 2 month old radium 20K 150W SE metal halide bulb six inches off water surface (using a sunpod fixture) I keep lights on for 6-7 hours a day, and I am using RO/DI water for my top offs (the RO water is purchased in gallons from walmart which are clearly labeled reverse osmosis, is there a possibility this is a problem? It doesn't make sense to me that it could be a problem but I'd like the input)

 

[perryxcore]

and CJ I did, nitrates at 0, but I dont have a way to test phosphates, I'm using chemi-pure (a GFO like filter sock) for phosphate removal and once I come back from a three day vacation I'll have LFS test phosphates.

 

[gqjeff]

Thank you for the expedient replies, I am using a 2 month old radium 20K 150W SE metal halide bulb six inches off water surface (using a sunpod fixture) I keep lights on for 6-7 hours a day, and I am using RO/DI water for my top offs (the RO water is purchased in gallons from walmart which are clearly labeled reverse osmosis, is there a possibility this is a problem? It doesn't make sense to me that it could be a problem but I'd like the input)

Yes if they have not kept up on the filters/membrane its worthless. Test the water for TDS and No3 and Po4 from walmart.

 

[caudill187]

I had the same problem in a tank that I battled forever until one day I removed the old substrate. The hair algae went away in a couple of weeks. It was crushed coral and old.

 

[perryxcore]

the tank is five to six years old, and this is the worst its been, also while already using chemi-pure which contains GFO should I also get a filter sock specifically for GFO?

 

[flyfish4trout]

Thank you for the expedient replies, I am using a 2 month old radium 20K 150W SE metal halide bulb six inches off water surface (using a sunpod fixture) I keep lights on for 6-7 hours a day, and I am using RO/DI water for my top offs (the RO water is purchased in gallons from walmart which are clearly labeled reverse osmosis, is there a possibility this is a problem? It doesn't make sense to me that it could be a problem but I'd like the input)

I had the same problem when I started, the store that I got water at had good ro water and eventually didn't keep up with the membrane or filter changes and then one day six months after my tank had cycled I had HA all over and couldn't kick it. I finally got a TDS meter and sure enough it was the ro I was buying. My 2c is to test the water you are purchasing. Good luck and hang in there.

 

[VegasRick]

The water from vending machines is generally not pure enough for a reef. This is most likely your main problem.
With algae growth like that you should run a seperate gfo reactor and change it every 2 weeks until the problem is under control

 

[perryxcore]

thank you vegas rick. for clarification they arent out of a vending machine but in bottled gallons next to spring and distilled water like you'd see at a grocery store, I've used them literally as long as I've had the tank with no problems before but you never know...

 

[luke33]

Has your substrate been in there for 6yrs? Also if you have algae growing everywhere and your nitrates test at zero that doesn't mean you don't have trates as thats what your algae is feeding on. I would bet its the water source or substrate leaching phos and nitrates.