Green Hair Algae-- HELP!

[ngose]

I've been battling green hair algae for a month. My parameters are as follows:
pH- 8.3
Ammonia- 0
Nitrites- 0
Nitrates- <10
Specific Gravity- 1.026
Calcium- 275
Phosphate- .02
Temp- 80F

This is what I've done so far:
- Every week I scrub my live rock with a toothbrush.
- I do a water change every week.
- I bought 20 hermit crabs, 35 turbo snails, 1 lawnmower blennie, 1 urchin.
- I've been triple dosing Marine SAT bateria once a week.
- My lights are only on for 11 hours a day. (350 Watts, power compacts)

What else can I do? What do you think is causing my problem?

My tank is a 55gal with an emperor 400 filter and a protien skimmer. Its got 45lbs of live rock with crushed coral substrate. The critters include: a yellow tang, 2 green chomis, 1 yellow striped marron clown, 2 bulb tip anemones, 1 lawnmower blennie, 3 pepermint shimp, and 2 yellow tail damsels.

Thanks for any help you guys can give me!

 

[Navarre]

Your phosphates are probably giving you the algae bloom. I would get some rowaphos and use that. Scrub the rocks like you are already doing, then add the rowaphos and see if this helps.

Are you using Ro water?

 

[ngose]

Thanks for the reply. I'm using DI water. I thought that phosphates become a problem above .03. Is that wrong? What are rowaphos? Thanks again!

 

[fraservet]

Rowaphos is a filter medium (looks a bit like activated carbon) that absorbs phosphate from the water.

From what I understand (somebody correct me if I'm wrong) phosphate equilibriates in your system, going into the substrate/rock etc.
This means you do not always get high readings.
It also means that it may take quite a long time for anything you are doing to work, as more phosphate will be released to replace what is removed for a while.
Also, of course, the algae will be using up phosphate when it grows.

Macroalgae (e.g. caulerpa) also utilises phosphate, and can be very helpful.

 

[Navarre]

I would guess taht you simply took a water sample out of the tank to do a phosphate test? Try removing water located right next to the largest amount of hair algae with a syringe. Then do the same phosphate test again. Many people think their phosphates are low when in actuality they are much higher but being used up by the algae at source.

 

[ngose]

You guys are great! I'll check phosphates again this weekend and post the results! Thanks!!!!!

 

[Great Lakes]

No completely related, but, I noticed your calcium reading is a little low. You did not post an alkalinity/hardness reading.

If your calcium is low, I suspect your hardness may also be on the low side. This means your ph may not be adequately buffered. Though your 8.3 reading is good.

GL

 

[ngose]

I don't have a alkalinity/hardness test. I do use a pH buffer chemical to achieve 8.3. I've started to use more Bionic to raise my calcium. What should my calcium be?

 

[ostrow]

Do NOT use buffers or supplements without testing 3 things: Calcium, Alkalinity, and pH. You are just begging for trouble.

Phosphate may measure zero even though it is present in the system. As the algae blooms consume it rapidly, and spread and grow, they keep the measurable level low even though it is in the system. You can guess that unconsumed food, your water, or other additives (what else are you adding?) are introducing phosphate into the water.

Frustrating. I have the same problem, believe me. There is no easy solution.

 

[Great Lakes]

Calcium should be above 400. Closer to 500 when you start adding SPS or LPS corals.


GL

 

[ngose]

Ostrow-

The only thing I add to my tank is B Ionic, Iodide, Marine SAT (recently), and a pH buffer (only once). Does this seem right? Anything else, or anything less? Thanks!

 

[ostrow]

Why Iodine? Have you tested and found your tank lacking?

What is "Marine SAT"?

Why pH buffer? Your pH looked fine at 8.3.

Don't add anything unless tests indicate you need something. Without tests of CA and Alk you have no way of knowing how much of each part to dose.

 

[Adrinal]

How long has your system been up?

 

[ngose]

Ostrow-
I was told to add iodine for my crabs and shrimps. I this ok? I didn't know an iodine test was available.

Marine SAT is a bacteria that is sopposed to get rid of slime and algae.

About the pH. I tested and it was 8. So I added the buffer once, and it went to 8.3.
Thanks for the help.

Adrinal-

The tank has been set up for a year.

 

[Adrinal]

Do you have a place to cook the rock? If your FOWLR that is. With the HOB and skimmer you should be fine for the nitrogen cycle. But even if you can't move all your rocks out. The more you can the faster you can clean out the rocks. Once algea is doing the bulk of the proccessing, it is hard to get the bacteria to take back over.

No matter what you do I would get some more astrea and cerith OR crabs. It makes sense from what I have seen and read that going all hermit crabs or going all astrea/cerith (and perhaps a few other snails for fun) is the way to go.