green hair algae problem

[cbr]

I have a 40 gallon tank with built in wet-dry (TruVu Aquasystem). CPR bak-pak. 2X96 power compact lights. inhabitants are mushrooms, candy cane, lots of xenia, polyps, frog-spawn, 4 small occillaris perculas, 1 small yellow tang and a mandarin goby.

I have a major algae problem. The tank has been up for over 4 years and just recently the algae started. Lights are on timer for about 8 hours a day. water change with RO, UV sterilized water, every 2 weeks. I can literally grab bunches of the algae everytime I do a water change.

I've tried clean up crews like emerald crabs, snails and even some commercial "algae ridder". I need help!!!

[matrixnyc]

There may be a couple of reasons for this Algae outbreak:

Does your tank use Bio-Balls?

Have you tries to lessen the time the light is on?

Have you tried to do more water changes? (i.e. Every week)

Also your phosphate levels may be too high, Algae love to to grow fast in high phosphate level tanks.

Check this out and let me know about the other questions I posted.

[BigE]

Other things to look for....
How old are your lights? algae growth tends to increase wth ageing bulbs.
Are you feeding more than usuall?
anything dead or dying in the tank that you know of?

[ssgibby]

Hair Alge is a Pain, could you please tell us more about your tank? IE Levels?

[cbr]

I feed sparingly once a day, sometimes every other day. frozen and flake. The food is usually gone within 3 minutes. The PCs I have are less than 1 year old.

What are IE levels? iodine? I haven't tested that in a while. What's normal?

Thanks!

[ssgibby]

sorry, phosphates, amonia...

[phistio]

see if you can test for low-level phosphates...although, as you're doing water changes with RO water...it'd almost be impossible for induction of high phosphates (unless the RO water is high in phosphate already...test it before you change it...it should test ZERO for phosphates)

a few things to possibly consider as well...you only leave your lights on for eight hours...try ten hours for a week...see if you notice any changes...

also...what's your temperature...some algeas grow in warmer temperature settings...

also...i've heard that synthetic sea-salt allows a build up of minerals...over time, those minerals become fuel sources for sudden blooms of algea, as well as other various problems...but your tank's only been set up for 4 years...i don't really see this as a contributing factor...but thought you might consider it...

and changing the bulbs might actually be a very good idea...i know it's helped others deplete colonies of cynobacteria...

best of luck, and keep us posted of any changes!

[AquaFX]

A reverse osmosis membrane is very effective at phospate removal (one of its best tricks) :shock:

If there is break through, it maybe the prefilter have not been kept up and chlorine got to the membrane (chlorine will trash a membrane)

Marianne