Where was my hair algae in 1990?

[wmatt140]

My first SW tank was a FO in 1990. It was a 55 gallon with an underground filter and an Eheim cannister filter. I had three big pieces of dead coral for decoration and crushed coral for substrate. I used tap water and had the tank WAY overstocked. I had 2-3 tangs, large and small angels, damsels and other stuff. No internet and no tang police back then.

I don't remember specific readings but I know I never had issues with hair algae. Sure I had to clean the glass and scrub the corals but it was nothing as tough as the hair algae in my reef tank with RO/DI, skimmer and reactor, etc.

I'm not trying to turn this into a detail paramater discussion. I thought it was funny though when I look at all the bad things I did and never had algae issues. Ah, the good old days before the internet and the bliss of ignorance.

[mikersx02]

Its the canister! :) Everyone disses them ha!

[mikersx02]

I have never had hair algae in my 75 (canister, no sump)

started a 29 gallon bio cube- and bam- got hair algae... go figure.

[d2mini]

It is amazing how we all got along just fine without the internet, isn't it? LOL!

[Misled]

The tangs probably ate it.

[trexer]

The internet changes all aspects of life. Hard to imagine living without it now.

[chort55]

I use tap water, have never checked salinity, or any other parameters and never had a problem with any algea other then coraline...... until I recieved a frag from an established "respected" reefer locally that had a small strand of HA on it. Being fairly new and never seeing it before (didn't know it was HA at the time), after getting it from the person I did I figured no biggy it is a macro or something that will keep things good. Long story short..... :( Darn internet! lol

[Peter Eichler]

Hair algae was plenty common back then, MH and similar lighting to make it grow like mad was not.

[MacD]

This thread brings up an interesting possibility. Anybody have any pics they could share of tanks they had in the '80s/early '90s? I'd really like to compare them to today's "high tech" systems.
Also, chort55, I guess I can sort of understand how some people choose to never check their calc./alk./mag., but you've never checked your salinity?!!

[luther1200]

You probably never introduced it into the tank. With LR and coral frags and such its much more likely to have hair algae hitch hike into your tank. With only cruched coral and dead coral decorations there is practically no way to get it, IMO. Unless you got some in a bag with a fish from the LFS.

[chort55]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15617644#post15617644 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MacD
This thread brings up an interesting possibility. Anybody have any pics they could share of tanks they had in the '80s/early '90s? I'd really like to compare them to today's "high tech" systems.
Also, chort55, I guess I can sort of understand how some people choose to never check their calc./alk./mag., but you've never checked your salinity?!!

Correct. I check nothing, have checked nothing, and currently plan to check nothing in this set up. I do have a hydrometer laying around somewhere, but I heard they were inaccurate so I never wasted my time with it. Figured nothing died yet (before I was given it by a fellow reefer) I couldn't be to far off, go checking it and the meter is off and I adjust and stuff dies I would be hot..... if it ain't broke don't fix it :) You see... I am crazy and hate being told I can't do something. During my research I was told that it was impossible to have a SW tank using tap water, so I upped it, and decided to test nothing, do water changes as I see fit, over stock and over feed w/o a skimmer, and use tap water, no dips/QT, oh yeah and run a 250w MH over a 20 gallon tank lol :) I need to clean the coraline off my front + side glass (haven't cleaned it in 5 months lol) but other then that and the HA on a couple spots that I haven't messed with that came in on a frag, all is good :)

Hows this for crazy too... I top off w/ mixed SW a few days a week and straght tap a few days a week, but usually mixed SW lol And I have used 3 different types of salt, Petco brand, Oceanic, and I.O...... my water was actually clearer, and coloration was better, w/ the petco stuff IMO.

I totally do not suggest doing it this way, and will take no responsibility if you do and you lose everything. All tanks are different, do what works for you, not me ;)

[Stripe01]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15617770#post15617770 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chort55
Correct. I check nothing, have checked nothing, and currently plan to check nothing in this set up. I do have a hydrometer laying around somewhere, but I heard they were inaccurate so I never wasted my time with it. Figured nothing died yet (before I was given it by a fellow reefer) I couldn't be to far off, go checking it and the meter is off and I adjust and stuff dies I would be hot..... if it ain't broke don't fix it :) You see... I am crazy and hate being told I can't do something. During my research I was told that it was impossible to have a SW tank using tap water, so I upped it, and decided to test nothing, do water changes as I see fit, over stock and over feed w/o a skimmer, and use tap water, no dips/QT, oh yeah and run a 250w MH over a 20 gallon tank lol :) I need to clean the coraline off my front + side glass (haven't cleaned it in 5 months lol) but other then that and the HA on a couple spots that I haven't messed with that came in on a frag, all is good :)

Hows this for crazy too... I top off w/ mixed SW a few days a week and straght tap a few days a week, but usually mixed SW lol And I have used 3 different types of salt, Petco brand, Oceanic, and I.O...... my water was actually clearer, and coloration was better, w/ the petco stuff IMO.

I totally do not suggest doing it this way, and will take no responsibility if you do and you lose everything. All tanks are different, do what works for you, not me ;)

FTS to show everyone what it actually looks like.

[chort55]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15617875#post15617875 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stripe01
FTS to show everyone what it actually looks like.

Link to my thread in the nano forum.... http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1689838

Here is the link to my photobucket acc..... http://s914.photobucket.com/albums/ac341/chort55/

FTS:
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac341/chort55/100_1139.jpg

These are from when I was using petco brand salt only, and after being up and running for 3-4 months. I haven't taken any recent pics, my glass needs to be cleaned bad (green,purple and pink/red coraline all over the place lol) as I said but I will try to get pics up in the next few days if I get a chance.

[Servillius]

The truth is hair algae requires fairly decent parameters, it can be a sign a really terrible tank is improving. Our heavily overstocked tanks back then were too toxic for hair algae and would just grow cyano and brown slime instead. It didn't look terrible because we compensated for it by cleaning regularly and bleaching decor consistently.

I remember hair algae... it was a good sign, things were improving and I had only one thing left to get under control before my tank could keep corals alive.