Elevated Magnesium & Hair Algae

[lazluvtoo]

Hello...

I have a 90 gallon reef tank, which overall is doing pretty well. Fish & corals seem healthy.

I have had an ongoing elevated Nitrate problem since last summer. I purchased a Denitrator Unit and have stepped up the frequency of the water changes.

During the holidays, I got a bit behind on my H2O changes and developed a small hair algae problem and the algae on the glass of the tank seems to turn up faster than usual.

My tank parameters this morning:

PH = 8.0

Amonia = 0

Nitrates = 40 (down from 80)

Nitrites = 0

Alk = 3.5

Magnesium = 2250 (quite higher than usual)

Calcium = 400

Spec Grav = 1.029 (high...trying to get it down)

Any thoughts as to what may be causing this more prominent growth of algae...especially the hair algae? I also have brown algae forming on the substrate (which brushes off easily when I stir it around).

I also wonder how my Mag got so high when I have not added any additives to the tank in quite some time.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
CindyHello...

[jdieck]

Keep on lowering the salinity, the best way is to make a couple of water changes with salinity of 1.024, Have you used a supplement to make any large adjustments at all? many increase salinity and include magnesium.

[Percula9]

Check for phosphates.

[bertoni]

The magnesium test kit might not be correct, but magnesium tends to drop slowly, at best. How are calcium and alkalinity being dosed?

[lazluvtoo]

The funny thing is, I haven't dosed for Calcium or Alkalinity for several months! When I was dosing, it was Kalkwasser.

[lazluvtoo]

When a tank has a carpet anemone, does that tend to raise nitrates and phosphates? I am using R/O water.

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11701961#post11701961 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lazluvtoo
When a tank has a carpet anemone, does that tend to raise nitrates and phosphates? I am using R/O water.
No the anemone itself does not increase them but the need to feed it and the resulting bioload will.