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Old 05-02-2016, 04:06 AM
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Default Algae Growth

Scenario:

Over the last two months I've had some hair algae starting to grow all over the display tank. I've got a pretty huge bioload but I also have a lot of equipment running to control it like 2 large skimmers, 1000 ml of all in one biopellets, and a refugium running lots of live rock and macro algae. The display tank is 400G with 600G total water volume.

Almost a month ago I added another 1000ml of biopellets. The chaeto in the refugium has died off completely but the caulerpa has stayed alive although it isn't growing. The hair algae still hasn't shown any sign of diminishing but instead I started seeing some of my LPS start to die off slowly and some of the SPS start to really lighten, kind of resembling lack of nutrients.

Then I realized a couple weeks ago that half of my T5 lights are almost a year old. So I swapped them out this weekend as well as replaced my DIY LED lighting with Ecotech Radions.

I should also mention that the frag tanks and the refugium don't have any hair algae growth in them and they have much slower flow. So do you think this is just a case of old/bad lighting or does there have to be a heavy presence of nutrients for the hair algae to grow in the first place? If you think it could be lighting, how long does it usually take for algae to start dying off once lighting has changed?

Thanks for your help
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Old 05-02-2016, 01:00 PM
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Hey Jason,

Sorry to hear of the trouble. That a lot of trouble with that volume to deal with!

I've found the AIO biopellets remove too much phosphate. In order for biopellets to remove nitrate there has to be phosphate available. In order to remove phosphate there has to be nitrate available. The plastic in the biopellets is the carbon source, which also has to be available. I'm thinking that what may have happened is the AIO biopellets have stripped all the phosphate out of the tank which will allow the nitrate to climb and climb. I think most people are having better success using either standard biopellets with some GFO in a bag or reactor, or using 1/2 AIO and half standard.

Have you tested nitrate and phosphate? Of course if you have a bunch of algae growing you will get skewed numbers, but I'm curious if phosphate is indeed undetectable? This would explain the Chaeto die-off as well. I don't think year old T5 bulbs would be the tipping point - there has to be nutrients for algae to grow in the first place. The corals looking pale and nutrient starved could be true, hair algae is like Chaeto, it's very good at reducing nutrients.

Also, what do you have in the tank for clean up crew, and in what numbers?
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Old 05-02-2016, 03:28 PM
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How old is your rock?

I've had tanks in the past where no matter what I do, some rocks will just grow HA no matter what my phosphate tests show.

Do you have any sea hares?

I'd add a few if not, they make for a terrific biological control and while more of a band aid that a solution, they do work.
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Old 05-02-2016, 06:07 PM
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Rock is less than 2 years old and was cooked in bleach and muriatic acid then dried in the sun for 2 weeks so it was completely dead. It fully cycled for months before adding fish or coral too.

My PO4 is 0.05 but I'll have to test my nitrate tonight and get back to you. Thanks again for your help.
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Old 05-02-2016, 06:41 PM
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I notice that too in my tank. I have 2 large shelf rocks, one is covered, one is completely bare. I'm blaming my rock
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Old 05-02-2016, 06:49 PM
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I am sure there is some scientific reason why that would happen, which you could blame, rather than your rock.

I have rocks that even after drying completely and cooking for a year or so, will STILL grow algae right away.

Some rocks seem to store phosphates (or whatever) considerably better than others.

At least in very anecdotal observation.
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Old 05-02-2016, 08:24 PM
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and some hair algae seems to have rocks attached. lol.
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Old 05-02-2016, 08:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brisco View Post
and some hair algae seems to have rocks attached. lol.
lol.

no joke.
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Old 05-02-2016, 10:55 PM
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For last resort, try API - Alagefix Marine. You can buy it on amazon.com and they will ship to canada.
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Old 05-03-2016, 04:45 AM
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Checked phosphate and nitrate tonight. This time phosphate was 0.00 using a Hannah checker and nitrate was unmeasurable using a Salifert kit.

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