Algae & Ro Water Question

[jaylam]

Rather than do 2 posts I thought I would put both questions in 1.

I have a couple of questions:

1 - When my tank was first setup it was filled with declorinated tap water, when I do water changes is it worth me doing it with RO water. Would it eventually bring all the water in the tank to a RO level or would the opposite happen and the tank water will just infect if you like the RO water. I hope that makes sense, couldnt think of a better way to word it.

2 - Algae, I seem to be cleaning the glass every 3 days. I get brown algae on the glass. My ammonia is 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5, ph 8.4. Lights are on for 8 hours a day.

Thanks

Jay

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Definitely worth doing water changes with RO water. Over time it will dilute any "containments" in the water. More importantly though you wont be introducing more by using tap water.

Regarding the algae on the glass. This is fairly normal I'm afraid, especially in newer tanks. You can reduce it by reducing your phosphates and nitrates but I think most people have to clean the glass off every few days.

 

[jaylam]

Definitely worth doing water changes with RO water. Over time it will dilute any "containments" in the water. More importantly though you wont be introducing more by using tap water.

Regarding the algae on the glass. This is fairly normal I'm afraid, especially in newer tanks. You can reduce it by reducing your phosphates and nitrates but I think most people have to clean the glass off every few days.

Thanks I was just worried it would do the opposite and just infect the RO water with the containments from the tape water but obviously not, cool will do that this weekend.

I have RowaPhos in the filter is there anything else I can do?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Do you have a phosphate test kit?

Rowaphos (and other GFO based phosphate removal media) can only absorb a certain amount of phosphate so they need to be changed regularly. The only way to really know when you need to change it is to test your phosphate levels and then once you see them starting to go up replace the rowaphos.

Regular water changes with good RO water will do a lot to help as well.

Other things you can try are algae/turf scrubbers (there is an ongoing thread on here somewhere where someone is self promoting this idea, despite the fact that its annoying he only ever posts in that thread I have to admit the idea does work). A refugium with macro algae (ideally chaetomorpha) or even macro algaes in the display tank can also help reduce phosphates and nitrates.

If you have exceptionally high phosphates it can take a long time to get them back to normal. the reason for this is that in high concentrations the phosphates leech into the rockwork then as the phosphate levels drop the phosphate leeches back out of the rock into the water column (I unfortunately have a lot of experience with battling an ongoing phosphate war with my tank ).

 

[jaylam]

Do you have a phosphate test kit?

Rowaphos (and other GFO based phosphate removal media) can only absorb a certain amount of phosphate so they need to be changed regularly. The only way to really know when you need to change it is to test your phosphate levels and then once you see them starting to go up replace the rowaphos.

Regular water changes with good RO water will do a lot to help as well.

Other things you can try are algae/turf scrubbers (there is an ongoing thread on here somewhere where someone is self promoting this idea, despite the fact that its annoying he only ever posts in that thread I have to admit the idea does work). A refugium with macro algae (ideally chaetomorpha) or even macro algaes in the display tank can also help reduce phosphates and nitrates.

If you have exceptionally high phosphates it can take a long time to get them back to normal. the reason for this is that in high concentrations the phosphates leech into the rockwork then as the phosphate levels drop the phosphate leeches back out of the rock into the water column (I unfortunately have a lot of experience with battling an ongoing phosphate war with my tank ).

Thanks for the info, i change the rowaphos every 2 weeks. Im hoping the water changes with the RO water is going to help, I will test this weekend after the water change.

 

[seffieuk]

i change the rowaphos every 2 weeks.

Goodness me, monthly should be enough

Seffie x