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I'm having problem getting rid of my hairy algae. The water chemistry is ok. No phosphate and nitrate. Bought a new protein skimmer two weeks ago. Tought it would maybee solve my problem because I know the one I had was not working fine. Bought Turbo snails (20) maybee 2 or three weeks ago also. I don't know if it is long enough but the algae is still gaining. Really would appreciate some input. The problem is a problem persisting. Don't have much light. (Just 2 40w fluorescent. Coralife Acticnic and a Triton that I keep for 12 hours/daily.

Would appreciate help.

Richard.

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When is the last time you changed your bulbs?
Also, are you adding any Kalk?

Reefmann.

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Here's the biggies.Are you using a wet/dry filter? With mechanical filtration?Also check your alk.If your below 4 meq/l then kick it on up.

[Guest]

I was using a wet dry got rid of the bio balls sponge and everything exept the sump. I'm not using any mech. filter only a protein skimmer with a sump. The alk. is at 2.2 milli equavilents / liter. I'm also using kalk since maybee 2 months at about 2 tsp./gals. at about a range of 5 gals./week.

thank's Richard.

[Guest]

old bulbs lose some of the correct spectrum. When my vho bulbs were pushing 13 months I noticed more hair algae. I replaced the bulbs over about a week and it cleared right up.

[Guest]

The other thing the lights were changed not more than one months ago.

[Guest]

Richard,
Kick your Alk up to between 4-7 meq/l.$ is the low end of the correct range. This ought to help.Try getting a tang or other herbivores.

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Ken Ben:

<<Kick your Alk up to between 4-7 meq/l.$ is the low end of the correct range. This ought to help.>>

I think you are either confusing your units, or you are using Seachem salt with a huge excess of borate.

The alkalinity in the ocean is about 2.5 meq/L. Most reef tanks are run between 2.5 and 3.5 meq/L.

Unless one has excessive alkalinity from borate, it is darn near impossible to keep a reef tank with an alkalinity near 7 meq/L. You'd have to have almost no calcium.

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Randy Holmes-Farley

[Guest]

if these suggestions dont work get a couple scarlet hermit crabs.

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what do you use for top off water? I had low nitrate and phosphate because of the skimming and sand bed which helped remove my nitrate but i had hair algae from using bad top off water if your not already try getting a r/o unit

[Guest]

RHF,
I didn't say to run it at 7 meq/l I said between 4 and 7.The low and high ends of the spectrum.Even at that with an alk of 4 it's possible to have a Ca range near 380.Being as versed as you appear then you'd know that calcification is not impeded at a lower Ca level if alk is maintained fairly high.In an FO system there is really no need for Ca if there is no demand,hence the high end of 7 meq/l.
BTW I use a CaCo3 reactor.

[This message has been edited by Ken Ben (edited 30 December 1999).]

[Guest]

Ken Ben,
I would agree with RHF that 4 to 7 meq/l is a little high. That would correlate to a dKH of 11.2 to 19.6. Levels that high would tend to precipitate out most of the calcium. An alkalinity of around 4(~11dKH) is probably the highest you would want to go.

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Ken Ben:

<<I didn't say to run it at 7 meq/l I said between 4 and 7.The low and high ends of the spectrum.>

How do you get 4 meq/L for the low end? The ocean is only 2.5 meq/L. Isn't that acceptable?

Do you know of any successful reef tank with 6 meq/L alkalinity (unless it's mostly from borate, which is only a problem using Seachem salt or boron supplements)?

I agree that in a FO system, it doesn't much matter much what the calcium and alkalinity readings are. Are we talking about a FO system here?

I also agree that 4 meq/L is a fine alkalinity for calcification. It's the values in the 6 or 7 range that seem inappropriate to me.

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Randy Holmes-Farley