Hair algae question.....

[Anonymous]

Which floss/sponges came with the emperor? I dont remember any flosses or spnoes of any kind, aside from the activated carbon/blue-sponge-like cloth mechanical filter that is essentially the whole filter!

that would be the filter media that i would remove... as i said, it will trap organics.

There IS the bio-wheel, but that stupid spray-bar thing that drives it is really crappin out!

it should have come with a cleaning kit but i wouldn't use the biowheels if i had enough live rock to perform plenty of nitrification.
nitrification is it's only biological function.
it could perform all your biological filtration needs if it weren't for one problem.. it does not denitrify.
LR is the easiest way to provide all biofiltration, IMO. i still am using a sand bed too although it is not so deep as some are keeping.

Doesn't biological filtration eliminate some phosphates, as its an easily used organic compound?

not that i know of.
i believe phosphates must be consumed and/or removed by some means. your biowheel houses the bacteria that converts ammonia into nitrite. if the bacteria requires phosphates in order to grow then i would assume it would do so until there is no more demand for more nitrifying bacteria. then the phosphate consumption would stop.
now, if the bacteria is consumed by some other life then the phosphate just becomes part of another cyle. it's in another animal or in something's digestive system waiting to be re-released into the water.

Not sure where I heard that, but I seem to recall nitrifying bacteria having some effect on the reduction of phosphates...
Dunno; need to do a lot more reading!...

you and me both :lol:



Whats that mod you were talking about for the suckclone of mine? Id love to know how to make the damn thing at least a reasonable piece of crap!
Thanks for the info Podman and others!

a mod is a fancy name for it really.. people add airstones to them.. not real stones but the wood ones.

http://www.reefsuk.com/Marine%20Aquariu ... aclone.htm


Ps. Podman, you must know pods, with a name like that! Know anywhere online I can buy some or some propagation kits/supplies?

actually i am known as podman for the bubble i prefer to dwell in..
but anyway, a way to assure a good pod population is to create a place where they can live free of predation. i wouldn't advise you, the man with no skimmer money, to purchase what comes for free in a properly run system utilizing live rock.
refugiums are good but not necessary. just having some of the correct materials in the aquarium will help.
IME, amphipods and copepods love crushed coral. i don't suggest a DSB of the stuff but in a discreet corner placing some in a tray will attract pods and provide them cover from fish. also caulerpa is good but can be a real PITA to deal with in the main tank.
i have many pods living in some pvc stands in my tank, they look like insects crawling in and out of there. i am still not sure as to what they are as they are quick buggers to get a look at.

 

[cdeakle]

My thread has been hijacked!

:lol: 8)

 

[ChrisRD]

Are mexican turbos a part of your list of snails? They always mowed that stuff down quickly if it ever showed up in my sump.

ditto...

a few of those guys and lowering the nutrient levels should do the trick...

 

[Anonymous]

Algae blennies usually mow it down.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry 420, just one more!

That carbon/blue gauze-type thing is the only thing that filters mechanically in my tank, besides the filter strainer and the sponge for the seaclone! Youre saying I should get rid of that, the thing that catches so much junk that its astounding?! What would happen without it?! The garbage would just float on through to the chemical media pouches... Unless you think that the media pouches, which are completely screening the path of the water through the filter to the outflow, should act as my mechanical filtration...? That might be a good idea! Then the stuff that collects on the filter pad would instead collect directly onto the purigen and the carbon/resin mix of Bio ChemPure and then have the organics absorbed directly into it! I have to say, though, that I change those pads often--usually once per week-and-a-half...

Awww... I really have to set up that fuge soon then... But crushed coral, you say...? Hmm. I think Im gonna get some the next time I hit Concord!
What about the sea grasses and stuff like shaving brushes and stuff; do they act as sanctuaries for pods? Hmmm... I have two Mandarin dragonets Id like supply with more pods, as I think they have depleted what came on my LR, or are at least close to doing so...
Well, thanks for the info!

By the way, do pods have any affect on hair algae?! My tank is a freaking forest right now... It would be great to get some tiny lawn-mowers going on it!
I wanted to trade my bicolor for a lawnmower blenny thats also larger... Im only worried about the character of the lawnmower versus that of the bicolor... Do they act the same way and have the same relationships with my other fish that my bicolor does now? Do they perch and hide in caves and crevaces like my bicolor does?... Man, I need an algae-miracle...

 

[cdeakle]

Are mexican turbos a part of your list of snails? They always mowed that stuff down quickly if it ever showed up in my sump.

They are! I have turbo's, astrea's and stomatella's etc...

Algae blennies usually mow it down.

I currently only have 2 fish. A lawnmower blenny and a six-line wrasse. I feed once every 2-3 days and I have always used RO/DI water on my tank with a TDS of 0-1. Also have a new xm 20k in the canopy.

Of all the probelms we deal with in this hobby, nuisance algaes have got to be the worst of the worst. Never ending battle in my 3-4 years.

Sorry 420, just one more!

Don't sweat it. Was just kidding. I have hijacked more than my fair share of threads in my time here! :wink: :lol:

 

[ChrisRD]

Do you use kalkwasser?

Do you notice any detritus accumulating anywhere in the tank?

Have you tried running some phosban or rowaphos?

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry 420, just one more!

That carbon/blue gauze-type thing is the only thing that filters mechanically in my tank, besides the filter strainer and the sponge for the seaclone! Youre saying I should get rid of that, the thing that catches so much junk that its astounding?! What would happen without it?! The garbage would just float on through to the chemical media pouches... Unless you think that the media pouches, which are completely screening the path of the water through the filter to the outflow, should act as my mechanical filtration...? That might be a good idea! Then the stuff that collects on the filter pad would instead collect directly onto the purigen and the carbon/resin mix of Bio ChemPure and then have the organics absorbed directly into it! I have to say, though, that I change those pads often--usually once per week-and-a-half...

what would happen to the "junk" that gets trapped there is it would be skimmed out instead of trapped in. that is why great skimmers are such a well loved tools.
you want to minimize any places where gunk can build up. you should have lots of flow so things cannot settle anywhere in your tank (or at least as close to this as possible) and any filter that collects organics of any sort needs to be cleaned at least once every couple days if not daily (this is why i don't use them). if you don't do this the trapped organics (AKA "junk") will begin to rot and dissolve into the water column which might not be as big of a deal if you had a decent skimmer, but we covered that

Awww... I really have to set up that fuge soon then... But crushed coral, you say...? Hmm. I think Im gonna get some the next time I hit Concord!
What about the sea grasses and stuff like shaving brushes and stuff; do they act as sanctuaries for pods? Hmmm... I have two Mandarin dragonets Id like supply with more pods, as I think they have depleted what came on my LR, or are at least close to doing so...
Well, thanks for the info!

i hope your mandarins have plenty of room and are of different sexes. they aren't something you typically have two of. i will spare you the rhetoric but consider this a disclosure of sorts.

By the way, do pods have any affect on hair algae?! My tank is a freaking forest right now... It would be great to get some tiny lawn-mowers going on it!
I wanted to trade my bicolor for a lawnmower blenny thats also larger... Im only worried about the character of the lawnmower versus that of the bicolor... Do they act the same way and have the same relationships with my other fish that my bicolor does now? Do they perch and hide in caves and crevaces like my bicolor does?... Man, I need an algae-miracle...

i don't think a blenny will do much for your problem. as with humans and many other animals, each blenny has it's own eccentricities. i had one once and it would not touch a lick of hair algae or any other nuisance algae i experienced. i am sure there are some out there that would but i seldom hear of anyone claim that their hair algae was solved by a blenny addition.

i like the advice given here on the subject.

http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.p ... wer+blenny

 

[cdeakle]

Thanks for helping me out Chris. Much appreciated friend.

Do you use kalkwasser?

Yes. I used to use KM liquid calcium but finally started using KM kalk around 4 months ago or so.

Do you notice any detritus accumulating anywhere in the tank?

Every once in awhile but I don't think it's anything out of the ordinary.

Have you tried running some phosban or rowaphos?

I did purchase phosban a few weeks back but havent used it yet. I have tested for phosphates mutiple times and I always get zero phosphates. I have heard that sometimes you can have a phosphate problem and have zero test results due to nuisance algae consumption.

Should I go ahead and give phosban a shot? I don't normally like to add anything to my tank thats not absolutely necessary....

 

[ChrisRD]

I agree that nothing may show up on a phosphate test kit and you still might have elevated phosphate levels.

I would try the phosban and possibly a large water change to help get things back in balance. Of course, in the long term you'll want to find the source of the problem.

I would try syphoning out any excess detritus you see when you do water changes. Make sure you don't have any dead spots where crud can accumulate under or within your rockwork. Also, try "storming" the rockwork every few days with a powerhead or turkey baster to get stuff in suspension and let the skimmer get to it.

What do you feed? What other supplements are you adding to the tank, if any? Some stuff, like liquid invert foods for example, can be very high in phosphates. Also, try thawing/straining frozen foods before adding them to your tank. Those juices are high in phosphates as well...

 

[Anonymous]

OH MY SWEET FREAKIN' GORILLA GONDOLLA!!! 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O

I have just made a frightening realization; with the end of school and graduation approaching, I realize Ive been a bit behind with aquarium maintenance (aside from filter changes and topoffs and such).
But the scariest hing of all is I HAVENT DONE A WATER CHANGE OVER A MONTH AND A HALF!!!!!! 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O
NO BLOODY F---KING WONDER I HAVE ALGAE!!!!
Oh man, its time for some self-flagelation, Muslim-style, for that one!!! And so far, the biggest water changes Ive been able to do for the last two were just 5 gallons! Of 29, thats somewhat decent, but I know I should be doing more, especially when I still fighting with toxins and sh*t!
DOG TIMMAD!!! WHY?! WHY do I have to screw up so bloody bad all the time?!?!?!?!?! :x :x :x :x :x

 

[cdeakle]

I would try the phosban and possibly a large water change to help get things back in balance.

I will start using the phosban this weekend and see how that turns out. I'm pretty strict on maintaining a regular water change schedule. I will do an extra one just for good measure.

Of course, in the long term you'll want to find the source of the problem.

This is whats so troubling. I cannot for the life of me figure out what the source could be. I have pretty much ruled out all the normal culprits.

I would try syphoning out any excess detritus you see when you do water changes. Make sure you don't have any dead spots where crud can accumulate under or within your rockwork. Also, try "storming" the rockwork every few days with a powerhead or turkey baster to get stuff in suspension and let the skimmer get to it.

I have been doing this since day one. Very good advice I had learned early on. Almost all of the water I take out via WC's are from the bottom of the tank in the sand and from the rockwork. I also turkey baster blast the rocks ever WC.

What do you feed? What other supplements are you adding to the tank, if any? Some stuff, like liquid invert foods for example, can be very high in phosphates. Also, try thawing/straining frozen foods before adding them to your tank. Those juices are high in phosphates as well...

I currently only feed SMALL amounts of Formula2 and frozen brine. I alternate between the two and only feed once every 2-3 days.

The only additives/supplements that I use are:

KM liquid Iodine (Weekly)
KM Kalk (daily)
KM Magnesium (weekly)
KM Strontium&B (bi-weekly)
DT's (once every 2-3 weeks?)
KM buffer (once every week or as needed)

 

[ChrisRD]

What kind of skimmer do you have and how much skimmate is it producing (BTW, how big is your tank?)?

My guess is the phosban will make an impact.