salty420's 75g reef log

[AnnetteG]

meow

:rofl:

I got a lawnmower not long ago and he's the cutest thing. He's Button the Second. Whenever I'm in front of the tank, he comes to the bottom and sits in front of the glass and stares at me. If I don't react for a while, he'll start jumping around back and forth repeatedly like he's gone nuts. Super cute!

Keep us posted!

 

[salty420]

They are characters, but whether or not they'll actually help you with your hair algae is debatable...or rather just chance.

If you're just starting to get hair algae now, and your tank has been up and running for a while, then something has more than likely changes:

How old and what type are your lights? Bulbs usually don't quite last a year, and some are quicker to need change than others. CF, for example, they say 6 months. What ends up happening is they will shift spectrum, and often times that spectrum shift turns them into algae growing machines.

How old are your ro/di filters? I just checked TDS on my (under) 1 yr old RO/DI unit and it was producing 15 TDS, rather than the nice clean 0 I'm used to.

Are you feeding more than usual? Maybe switched food recently?

Does your tank sit by a window where light is coming in now that it's the summer months?

Anyway, usually adding animals to cut down on algae that is already considered 'a problem' is just a crapshoot. It can help sometimes, but often times it doesn't, and even if it does, it doesn't solve the problem by getting to the root.

tanks been running a while now, not sure exactly how long, when did this thread start? the bulbs are not old, just a few months like the tank. the HA isn't out of control, just growing here and there. i had similar patches in my 37g before i upgraded to this tank.
the filters in the ro/di unit are new.
i try not to overfeed but maybe i am..?
the water is very warm in the tank lately (85) so i think that is helping, there's no sunlight hitting the tank but it doesn't need sunlight it gets enough light from the bulbs
water tests with 0 nitrates and phosphates but who knows maybe it's faulty. i believe the nitrates tho as before i had a 'fuge (in the 37g) my trates were always up around 15-20.
i do like the lawnmowers tho, and even if it didn't eat the HA i'd be happy to have one in my tank

 

[Subliminal]

85 will certainly speed of the metabolism of the tank and help the algae along.

Who knows...maybe a mower or a sea hare would help ya out.

Good luck...

 

[salty420]

damon do you still have your sea hare? i was thinking about getting a few for the tank as well as the lawnmower...

 

[strangerdejavu]

Got a phosphate reactor? Can try running one of those for a couple weeks and see if it helps. Your phosphate test won't show that there's any cuz your HA has sucked it all up! My LMB didn't touch hair algae when I had a problem, but he's a cute little bugger. Hair algae also dislikes high flow, so you could try bumping it up if you don't have a whole lot already - I'm running 40+ turnover rate and don't have a speck!

 

[Subliminal]

damon do you still have your sea hare? i was thinking about getting a few for the tank as well as the lawnmower...

Shrek? Yeah, he's still doing great. Spends 99% of his time cleaning off the glass on the sides of the tank, though.

 

[salty420]

Got a phosphate reactor? Can try running one of those for a couple weeks and see if it helps. Your phosphate test won't show that there's any cuz your HA has sucked it all up! My LMB didn't touch hair algae when I had a problem, but he's a cute little bugger. Hair algae also dislikes high flow, so you could try bumping it up if you don't have a whole lot already - I'm running 40+ turnover rate and don't have a speck!

i've got flow a plenty with a K3, a K4 and a SEIO 1500. and a return pump running as well. maybe i'll look into the phosphate reactor, thanks

Shrek? Yeah, he's still doing great. Spends 99% of his time cleaning off the glass on the sides of the tank, though.

that's good to know, i've been reading that they can be short lived but you've had yours a while now right? i figure why not add one in to my tank, sure can't hurt and i love all the weird looking creatures i can get.