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View Full Version : How to rid hair algae to keep Macros alive


chris melb
05/19/2007, 08:35 AM
Need a bit of help i have some cheato, calupera, in my refugium

Ca 400
Ph 8.2
Amonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 50ppm
Phosphate .5ppm
Salinity and Temp are all in check

Lighting is on 14hrs a day 6,500K power compact
Have moderate water flow
I dose iron everyday (Kents)
and dose iodine weekly.

Im seeing alot of hair algae in my refugium and its covering my macros is there anyway to control this allowing my macros to grow.

SAPseven
05/23/2007, 11:21 AM
iodine makes the algea grow more .. cut down on the iodine for some time till it settles down.

chris melb
05/23/2007, 09:39 PM
OK excellent, thankyou for the reply, ill trial it out. Im assuming what would happen is that the hair algae will not withstand the shortage of idodine as well as the macros will is that right? as generally speaking larger algaes are slower growing and are able to retain stores of nutrients better or not in need of a constant supply unlike the smaller algaes which have little ability to store nutrients for use latter and therefore need to extract it from the water constantly for them to survive?

piercho
05/24/2007, 12:06 PM
iodine makes the algea grow more I know a little bit about marine plants, and I can't think of any justification or proof for this statement. I'm sorry but I think it is just incorrect. Iodine is not normally a limiting nutrient.
Nitrate 50ppm
Phosphate .5ppm This is what I would call a very nutrient-rich environment. Hair algae growing as epiphytes can easily overwhelm Chaetomorpha, and possibly Caulerpa, at these very high nutrient levels. You can try pulling out as much hair algae as you can, but if the nitrate and phosphate levels stay as high as they are its quite possible your macroalgae will be choked out by the hair algae. More reasonable levels are 5 PPM or lower for nitrate, and phosphate not detectable.

If this is a new tank with a sand or gravel (not undergravel filter but a gravel plenum or "Jaubert") substrate, the substrate should act as a natural denitrifier after a few weeks. Live rock will act to a lesser extent to control nitrate levels. Given enough light and flow, plants could bring down the nitrate level. However, effective plant filters are not as easy as sometimes presumed.

Reef Aquarium Volume 3 is a new book and talks extensively about means to control nutrient levels in reef tanks. Authors are Delbreek and Sprung.

Chrissy
05/24/2007, 12:13 PM
Does anyone have a diagram on how to set up a RO/DI system?