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Hair Algae Growing

MadReefer

Staff member
NJRC Member
Moderator
I think the point everyone is trying to make is that tap water has many impurities we don't want in our tank. When I used it I fought red slime and you are fighting hair algae.
Even if you use RO/DI water you still need to perform water changes. I do 5g to 10g every other week now.
 
I think the point everyone is trying to make is that tap water has many impurities we don't want in our tank. When I used it I fought red slime and you are fighting hair algae.
Even if you use RO/DI water you still need to perform water changes. I do 5g to 10g every other week now.

Yes of course once i have my rodi unit i will still continue to do weekly water changes.
 
As everyone is saying Tap water is going to be one of the main problems. Food is the other. Many foods have some levels of phosphates in it. Are you using frozen? If so you should be letting it melt then rinsing it in RO/DI water. Even dry food contributes.

If you have a good bio filter going. I would limit the amount of water changes with tap water you are doing. This might go against the crowd here but if your adding more tap your adding to the problem. The current growth and cheto will consume the phosphates and then at least you can pull it out. While weekly water changes are good, there are many of successful story of people doing biweekly or even monthly water changes.
 
As everyone is saying Tap water is going to be one of the main problems. Food is the other. Many foods have some levels of phosphates in it. Are you using frozen? If so you should be letting it melt then rinsing it in RO/DI water. Even dry food contributes.

If you have a good bio filter going. I would limit the amount of water changes with tap water you are doing. This might go against the crowd here but if your adding more tap your adding to the problem. The current growth and cheto will consume the phosphates and then at least you can pull it out. While weekly water changes are good, there are many of successful story of people doing biweekly or even monthly water changes.

I use to feed them frozen food now i feed them flakes.
 
flakes is like you or I eating at mc donalds everyday.pellets are better plus it all gets eaten. I like to alternate pe mysis. rods food. pellets and I feed when I feel like it once a day every other day. I do this cause the fish need to do their jobs and clean the tank if your always feeding them why should they
 
flakes is like you or I eating at mc donalds everyday.pellets are better plus it all gets eaten. I like to alternate pe mysis. rods food. pellets and I feed when I feel like it once a day every other day. I do this cause the fish need to do their jobs and clean the tank if your always feeding them why should they

I also feed the pellets but the problem is that they dont fit in there mouths lol. But dont get me wrong i do drop some pellets here and there.
 

Fish Brain

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
If you are using tap water, I agree with Trivan, limit water changes until you get a RO/DI. Using tap water for water changes when you have an algae problem is like putting out a fire with gasoline. Reduce feeding to every other day and keep your filter media clean (pads, socks, sponges). The HA will hopeful use the available nutrients in the water, and if the source is limited, slow the growth.

This is going to be something you might have to deal with for a while. With the phosphates as high as they are, your rocks are going to leach it back out into the water even after you start using RO water.
 
If you are using tap water, I agree with Trivan, limit water changes until you get a RO/DI. Using tap water for water changes when you have an algae problem is like putting out a fire with gasoline. Reduce feeding to every other day and keep your filter media clean (pads, socks, sponges). The HA will hopeful use the available nutrients in the water, and if the source is limited, slow the growth.

This is going to be something you might have to deal with for a while. With the phosphates as high as they are, your rocks are going to leach it back out into the water even after you start using RO water.

So Monday Wednesday Friday Sunday will be going feeding days then? Once i do the water change i clean all my sponge out too.
 
It won't come out good. :) Anything over 0 TDS and you are feeding the algae. Even the best tap water is over 50. Mine is 200. RO/DI is the only way to go to avoid algae problems (even then, there are other things that can cause it)
 
When you become a member you can participate and the information is all explained in the "stickys" in the GB forum. You'll pay for the membership out of what you save by using it in the GB's, and Deals and Steals forum you'll have access to at that time.
 
When you become a member you can participate and the information is all explained in the "stickys" in the GB forum. You'll pay for the membership out of what you save by using it in the GB's, and Deals and Steals forum you'll have access to at that time.

I cant c the GB forum there my iphone.
 
Actually there's got to be at least ONE person on this board using tap with a successful tank. I used TAP years ago..RODI just seemed complex to me back then. It worked well for a softie tank. But there were times when I had unexpected die-off and I was thinking later that maybe the water supplier added something. I will say this though - i had the BIGGEST, BADDEST astrea snails you had ever seen. Yes I started with like 100 and years later had 3 that were the size of mexican turbo snails...no joke. I wish i was part of this club then - but i lived in NY, we're egocentric there....lol.

Anyways - my point is that tap water isn't the end of the world. It's not helping but not the end of the world. If you want a fish only with lr - then tap is suitable. even a tank with softie corals would probably be fine. I have found kenya trees, mushrooms and certain zoas to be pretty much indestructible/bullet proof. Xenia supposedly also likes dirty water.

So in the end it's all about what you are wanting to do with the tank. HA is a nuisance but can get out of control quickly - thereby forcing hobbyists to choose between quitting or battling this pain in the rear algae.

Like I said before - you have to ponder ways to export the nutrients. If you took in accounting - recall a balance sheet where on one side you have assets/liabilities.
Your assets in this battle against HA are:
your skimmer
your one snail
chaeto

Your liabilities (for your case) in my opinion are:
Tap water
5g water changes every 3 weeks (as we said - it's not enough).
only 1 snail
your skimmer is a seaclone.

I'm sure you coud add more to each side. Balance is what is needed, and unfortunately if you have HA growing - the balance is "out of whack".

Hope that makes sense!
 
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