Hair Algae, BioPellets and AZ-NO3

lwhillman · 12/27/2016, 07:34 AM

My 1200 gal reef NEVER had hair algae. Nitrates were 1-3ppm. Phosphates were under .1 (using Red Sea test kits and verified monthly against AWT labs). Life was good. But I wanted to cut back on water changes so ...

I added Bio-Pellets in a Red Sea Reactor and after 4 months my Nitrates and Phosphates were lower. But then (with even lower Nitrates and Phosphates) a hair algae problem began and grew progressively worse. I removed the Bio-Pellets and am just now starting to getting the upper hand on the hair algae.

Is it possible Biolpellets "feed" or otherwise encourage Hair Algae growth?

Will AZ-NO3 also encourage Hair Algae growth?

GimpyFin · 12/27/2016, 02:17 PM

I've been using pellets for a while now (Ecobak plus) and they definitely help with Nitrate. However, once the nitrate levels are low, the pellets don't do much for phosphate removal, IME. I was getting some decent hair algae (Phos was testing low because the hair algae was consuming it) so I finally ended up throwing a gfo reactor in the sump. Made a huge difference and almost all of it is gone now. Haven't used AZ-NO3.

bertoni · 12/27/2016, 06:19 PM

The bio-pellets can have a wide range of effects. They should be able to reduce hair algae growth eventually, but over the short term, it's hard to know exactly what will happen. The bio-pellets might have made the water conditions better for that species of hair algae while the tank had them running, for example. Many algae are picky about water parameters. If you're unhappy with the nutrient levels in the tank, carbon dosing (vodka, vinegar, or a mix) might be a bit safer choice to try, but it can cause problems, too.

12/27/2016, 07:34 AM	#1
lwhillman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Chicago Posts: 16	Hair Algae, BioPellets and AZ-NO3 My 1200 gal reef NEVER had hair algae. Nitrates were 1-3ppm. Phosphates were under .1 (using Red Sea test kits and verified monthly against AWT labs). Life was good. But I wanted to cut back on water changes so ... I added Bio-Pellets in a Red Sea Reactor and after 4 months my Nitrates and Phosphates were lower. But then (with even lower Nitrates and Phosphates) a hair algae problem began and grew progressively worse. I removed the Bio-Pellets and am just now starting to getting the upper hand on the hair algae. Is it possible Biolpellets "feed" or otherwise encourage Hair Algae growth? Will AZ-NO3 also encourage Hair Algae growth?

12/27/2016, 02:17 PM	#2
GimpyFin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,032	I've been using pellets for a while now (Ecobak plus) and they definitely help with Nitrate. However, once the nitrate levels are low, the pellets don't do much for phosphate removal, IME. I was getting some decent hair algae (Phos was testing low because the hair algae was consuming it) so I finally ended up throwing a gfo reactor in the sump. Made a huge difference and almost all of it is gone now. Haven't used AZ-NO3. __________________ Brian Current Tank Info: 110 gallon

12/27/2016, 06:19 PM	#3
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The bio-pellets can have a wide range of effects. They should be able to reduce hair algae growth eventually, but over the short term, it's hard to know exactly what will happen. The bio-pellets might have made the water conditions better for that species of hair algae while the tank had them running, for example. Many algae are picky about water parameters. If you're unhappy with the nutrient levels in the tank, carbon dosing (vodka, vinegar, or a mix) might be a bit safer choice to try, but it can cause problems, too. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni