FEEDBACK...before I throw in the towel.

[Ghosty]

Ok, I know this is from 2001, BUT I still think it's downright disgusting. I'm guessing Thornton still gets from the same source. Hopefully they are adequately treating this ****, since the EPA cracked down on Colorado having tons of facilities running with expired permits...

Among the biggest trouble areas is the South Platte River. Officials in Thornton say they may have to spend $30 million to remove sewage-based pollution from the river, which is a key source of drinking water.

Thornton officials blame much of the pollution on the Littleton/Englewood sewage plant, which has operated under an expired permit since 1996. That permit set no limits on nitrate pollution, which results from feces and fertilizer. A new permit would almost certainly contain nitrate limits, regulators said.

Ten miles downstream from Littleton/Englewood's discharge pipe is the intake for Thornton's drinking-water plant.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

I think it's funny that everyone in the Brighton/Thornton area are having algae problems. Craigar has a different source, but myself, Majicmike, you, and martinsreef are all dealing with serious water quality issues, even with the use of RO/DI units. I know Craigar has been running through DI resin like candy. Something's going on that we either can't test for... Or we are all missing...

I get my water from South Adams County Water/Sanitation. It is absolutely horrid water. High 400's for TDS. I am getting 0 out right now though it's high 400's going in. I'm already in need of more resin too!!

So this may sound stupid but does that room still have a ton of natural light coming in? If so you may want to try and put sheets over tge tanks for a week or two and see if they get better.

Also are you running any kinda uv sterilizer

The room has a lot of natural ambient sunlight. I think with the suns changing angle that I only get direct sunlight on the FOWLR for a very brief period to time. Less than 15 minutes, and only in the back corner. I don't have a UV sterilizer as I've heard many mixed things about them, more that they don't really do much except make your water more clear as it only gets free floating algae (getting rid of the green tint).

Could be the lights as well, I had an issue that I couldnt pin down with algae and when I changed the lights things changed quickly.
how long have you had the LEDs on the tank?

Interesting, I thought over the thousands of things I've researched in this hobby that some people have had algae issues with using LED's over Halides and other lighting sources. :/ I have been using LED's since day 1.

 

[Bajamike]

 

[Bajamike]

That is my new set up Craig

 

[ShelbyJK500]

creamer has some great thoughts. I would also go back to dosing the NoPx at the values you used before everything started going down. I have a bottle I used less than 20mL I'll give you if needed. There is still phosphates that you need to get out of the system. Do this for a week, do manual removal and see how it's going.


Drew

Not sure what you mean by going back to dosing at values before things started going down? I didn't start dosing NoPx until I already had the algae this bad. It has never gotten better.

Hey Evan, I'm about finished with battling this hair algea in my 30. Every inch of rock was covered. I pulled 90% of my rock out and soaked it in hydrogen peroxide and ro water and scrubbed. Took me 6 hrs to do the 30 yes you are Probly saying your crazy but you you do a few rocks a day in the FOWLR you will see change. Iron was my issue, I was off the charts. I had some bad frag plugs on e I removed them and did 5g water changed daily problem solved. I used a sea hair to finish off the rest of the algea I couldn't get and he's pretty much eliminated the rest. He won't eat it if it's long so you will have to trim it or scrub like I did. I used a poly filter to find out my issue of the iron. You want to get one and run it for a week to see what's high in your tank.

WOW...crazy. How did you test for iron? One hurdle for me on that front is water changes. I couldn't begin to afford water changes daily, or even weekly at this volume.

I've also read that increasing mg levels will help. Heck you might even want to give that algea scrubber a try... I feel your pain. I took down my biocube a year ago because of algea problems. They totally suck! Here's one of many links with suggestions. Good luck would hate to see you throw in the towel.
http://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/388800/snakes-method-for-hair-algae-removal

Yup, raising Mag levels has definitely had some great success stories on bryopsis. I'm assuming it could work here too?? I don't have bryopsis though and raising Mag still only kills it, it doesn't get to the root of the problem...which is what I would LOVE to know of course.

 

[cdrewferd]

What I meant was dose the same amount you were dosing when you started. If you were dosing 15mL, then do that again for a week or 2. You just had so much phosphate that the algea couldn't keep it at 0. Now that you've gotten it down, the algea is consuming it fast enough for your tests to read 0. Keep dosing and see what happens.

 

[reef dummy]

I'm going to start dosing Kent tech M here shortly. I hyave a little Bryopsis problem and am going to see what all the hype is about. MArineDepot sells the gallon jugs and there numerous reviews of people completely eradicating ALL algae in their tanks after just a few weeks of using this stuff. Apparently raising mag to above 1600 and keeping it there for at least two weeks is the key. I might start a new thread when I do it documenting my progress.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

What I meant was dose the same amount you were dosing when you started. If you were dosing 15mL, then do that again for a week or 2. You just had so much phosphate that the algea couldn't keep it at 0. Now that you've gotten it down, the algea is consuming it fast enough for your tests to read 0. Keep dosing and see what happens.

Gotcha...it takes ALOT of NoPx to dose my system. I've been ramping back up to full dose (60mL!!). I'll try to keep it there for a couple weeks maybe.

 

[cdrewferd]

I have an almost full bottle of the stuff you can have. Just need to come to the meeting or swing by my place if you're at Elite.

 

[SteveT]

I am always a big fan of diversification of macro algae. I have 10 different types in my sump right now. Also, knowing your set up, you have a ton of room around your refugium where you could easily build an algae scrubber. Nothing like fighting fire with fire when in comes to algae, I believe. I also think that tanks under a few years old will go through algae cycles, and it is something you just have to battle until the tank becomes ultra stable.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

I am always a big fan of diversification of macro algae. I have 10 different types in my sump right now. Also, knowing your set up, you have a ton of room around your refugium where you could easily build an algae scrubber. Nothing like fighting fire with fire when in comes to algae, I believe. I also think that tanks under a few years old will go through algae cycles, and it is something you just have to battle until the tank becomes ultra stable.

I hear ya on the diversification. I was too concerned with my caulerpa going sexual as I didn't want to do a 24 hour lighting cycle. I'd love to add more macro's, but haven't found any good ones at any LFS's. I need to reach out I guess and see who has some. I've tried cheato twice with NO success.

I would LOVE to give a turf scrubber a shot, just don't have the first clue on building one as I'm not the best DIY'er. It took me months to build my system because I didn't have a clue.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

A few pics of what I've been dealing with...thankfully it appears to be coming back somewhat more slowly right now so it hasn't gotten this bad since the last manual removal and water change. I've also gone back to full dosing of NoPx and lowered my light cycle to 6 hours. These shots are just of my FOWLR...the reef is a totally different algae. :frusty:

 

[reefmaster719]

I had the same problem when I first setup my tank.. try blue vet phosphate rx or phosphate sponge by Kent marine... Best products I've ever used in one week dosing + lawnmower blenny it was gone. Let me know how it turns out.

 

[reefmaster719]

Looks like silicates and phosphate. What sand are you using?? Not playsand is it?

 

[freedominco]

I had a tank that looked as bad, I added a sea hare and after it did its job I started using GFO in a reactor. My tank is in direct sunlight from a huge window and 2 skylights that all face east. My tank has very little algae on the glass I hit it maybe twice a week with the mag float and let the snails take care of the rest. I would see if there is a sea hare you can borrow, run some GFO bump up the water changes and see if it makes a difference thats what worked for me anyways.

 

[freedominco]

Another thing I thought of, when I had bad hair algae I kept the lights off for like 3 days and at the end of the 3 days the algae was much easier to remove, I could suck it up with just my water change hose hooked up to the sink.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

I had the same problem when I first setup my tank.. try blue vet phosphate rx or phosphate sponge by Kent marine... Best products I've ever used in one week dosing + lawnmower blenny it was gone. Let me know how it turns out.

I'm probably going to hook up a GFO/Carbon reactor I have, just hadn't hooked up...and see where I am about a week after I get that running. Then I might try some other things, like you mentioned. Oh, did your blenny take care of a good amount?? I was planning on getting one anyhow, just curious if they really take care of any decent amount.

Looks like silicates and phosphate. What sand are you using?? Not playsand is it?

Nope, almost crushed coral, just not quite as big. That's in the FOWLR. In the reef I have a finer (but not sugar size) sand for substrate. No play sand in either.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

I had a tank that looked as bad, I added a sea hare and after it did its job I started using GFO in a reactor. My tank is in direct sunlight from a huge window and 2 skylights that all face east. My tank has very little algae on the glass I hit it maybe twice a week with the mag float and let the snails take care of the rest. I would see if there is a sea hare you can borrow, run some GFO bump up the water changes and see if it makes a difference thats what worked for me anyways.

I've tried 4 sea hares in my FOWLR (the one in the picture)...all died. The last two I put in when the nitrates were under 10 just in case I lost the first two to high nitrates. I even cut down alot of the algae for them in case it was too long. Both still died. I have crap luck with sea hares.

Is your tank still getting direct sunlight?? Also, more frequent water changes for me is not financially viable. A 10% change is 55g and a 20% change is 110g. Not gonna be doing more than two a month right now.

 

[freedominco]

yes my tank is in direct sunlight for a couple hours everyday, I feel you on the water changes, I do about 50 gallons once a month myself. Try the GFO and the lights out maybe?

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ShelbyJK500]

yes my tank is in direct sunlight for a couple hours everyday, I feel you on the water changes, I do about 50 gallons once a month myself. Try the GFO and the lights out maybe?

I reduced my light cycle dramatically (to 5 hours right now). Wish I could shut them off completely, but even in my FOWLR I have about 7 nems and a few hardy corals safe with my angels. I can't afford to kill off all my nems.