Dosing vodka/vinegar

[shazbah]

Sorry also forgot to ask about water changes. How often do you do them whilst dosing with vod/vin and also can i continue adding calcium and magnesium to my tank as it usually drops every week
cheers shaz

[FJ]

Hi Shaz,

I would continue your water changes as normal and yes you can still add calcium and magnesium if your water changes are not replenishing them enough.

Hair algae can be a nightmare to get rid of however before going the vodka route i would look at all options...

What are your nitrates and phosphates and what test kit have you used to test them?

Let me know and we can take things from there.

Cheers

FJ

[shazbah]

Thanks for the reply FY
Nitrate 2.5 salifert test kit
phosphates 0.15 D&D test kit
I have had many conversations with members on here as to how i could lower them. I've taken all their advice and your's in the past but nothing seems to work.
I never skip water changes i do 19 ltrs every week on my 130ltr RSM
I use Tetra marine salt
I feed lightly only once a day
I clean top layer of sand once every 6 weeks
I use rowaphos and purigen in my media chanber along with some filter floss that i change weekly
i have 2 clowns 1 wrasse and a dottyback.
I don,t have much cleanup crew left as something is killing my hermits (mantis or pistol i think cos i have lots of clicking) but that's another story
cheers Shaz

[FJ]

Hi,

Thats a strange one!

Phosphate levels ideally need to be under 0.03ppm and yours are 0.15ppm which can be leading to your algae issues.

You have not mentioned skimming...

What skimmer are you using?

How much LR do you have and how much circualtion have you got in your main tank?

Cheers

FJ

[shazbah]

Thanks FJ
I have a tunze 9002( i think thats the model)
2 stock pumps
1 tunze nanostream
an externall filter with pump (empty no media) wich runs my chiller
As for live rock i don,t know but looking at peoples red sea max 130 i know i have more than enough
cheers Shaz

[FJ]

Hi Shaz,

Is the skimmer pulling much out?

Something has got to be feeding the air algae.

You are running very low stock levels, circulation seems good, you are not over feeding and as long as you do not have too much LR which will create dead spots and detritus its a very hard one.

ON your D+D phosphate chart is the colour you get the 3rd one from the left handside?

Cheers

FJ

[shazbah]

Hi Fj
Skimmer seems to be doing a good job lots of nice dark brown liquid.
Stock: 2 clowns 1 stripped wrasse 1 orchid dottyback 8 hermits 6 snails
Yes my reading on the D&D phosphate kit is the 3rd one from left.
I have just added a sea hare to tank that is doing a fantastic job( i will return to lfs when his work is done) but obvously i dont want the algae coming back.
I have just purchased some seachem matrix carbon and seachem Denitrate that i,m gonna put in the canister filter to see if that helps.
Thanks Shaz

[FJ]

Hi Shaz,

Keep us posted.

I would be interested to see a pic of your tank and how bad the issue is and also how much LR you have and how you have scaped it.

Too much LR can create issues as well.

Cheers

FJ

[shazbah]

heres a picture of my tank. Do you think i have to much live rock??

[FJ]

Hi,

No your tank looks superb!

Is that bryopsis you have on the LR?

Cheers

FJ

[shazbah]

Thanks FJ
No it. not bryopsis. I killed all the bryopsis off by raising mag levels and now i'm left with that stuff. It's not hair algae as it's really tuff to get off. Its kinda sringy/wirery
Thanks Shaz

[MARK GOODCHILD]

Thanks FJ
No it. not bryopsis. I killed all the bryopsis off by raising mag levels and now i'm left with that stuff. It's not hair algae as it's really tuff to get off. Its kinda sringy/wirery
Thanks Shaz

look to me like it could be shaving brush algae

i had that until i added 6 yellow tangs

i have never seen it since

regards
mark

[shazbah]

Thanks Mark
I only have a red sea max so there is no way i can add a tang. I can,t pull it off as it's to tuff. I have watched my sea hare trying to eat it and pull it off but it's to tuff for him. Think i'm gonna have to get an emerald crab but i really don't like the idea of one in such a small tank. I have managed to get my phosphates down to zero for the first time ever and my nitrates are at 0.02. Now i have noticed a very slight film of cyno on the sand It seems no matter what i di i end up cureing one problem and ending up with another.
Cheers Shaz

[FJ]

Hi Shaz,

I know how you feel!

How is your skimmer doing are you pulling plenty out?

Have you checked your ro water for phosphates/nitrates?

You may also have excess silicates as wellas this can lead to diatom blooms.

This will usually come from your ro water however an extra chamber with silcate reducer will eliminate these.

Stick with it you will get there.

On the back of all this have you started with dosing vodka?

Cheers

FJ

[shazbah]

Hi FY
No i have'nt started vodka dosing yet. I have managed to get my phosphates down to zero and my nitrate is 0.2 but cant seem to reduce it to zero no matter what. The sea hare claered the hair algae but i'm still left with a few thick hair (wirey stuff) but got a feeling hair algae will be back. I can't seem to get water params spot on
cheers Shaz