Green Hair Algae

mrhighline · 06/19/2017, 09:57 AM

SO I did something kinda stupid, I let my ATO run out on my office tank while I was away. One of my employees was kind enough to top it off ... with the water cooler. SOOOO now I've got a GHA issue. Thoughts on how to combat it? Tank is an Innovative Marine Nuvo 30 with a Kessil 160 on it. Mainly a softie tank with a Small bioload, 2 clowns and a 6 line wrasse. I don't feed heavy 3-4 times a week maybe? I'm also running a bag of Chemi-Pure elite and no skimmer. Thanks in advance

thaitopher · 06/19/2017, 10:03 AM

Better to have bad top off than dead livestock

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C5Chad · 06/19/2017, 10:05 AM

My lfs recommended me to use phosguard when I just recently had a small outbreak of GHA. Pellets that I put inside my media cartridge in my filter. I'm still waiting to see results if it works or not. I just put it in my filter 2 days ago.

mrhighline · 06/19/2017, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thaitopher

Better to have bad top off than dead livestock

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That's why I'm not mad.

mcgyvr · 06/19/2017, 11:36 AM

Well..
What are your nitrate and phosphate test results?

The solution to pollution is dilution so continuing with normal water changes should cause it to go way on its own provided you are maintaining low levels of nitrates/phosphates and provided that this top off water just introduced elevated levels into the tank....

I kind of doubt that a one time "water cooler" dose would cause an issue though.. Possible I guess.. Not sure I'd be drinking from said water cooler anymore though..

trembz · 06/19/2017, 11:54 AM

1 top off caused this?
I have a 250 gallon soft coral tank Nd a 45 gallon reef run on TAP WATER for 2 years and never ever had an issue with GHA

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mcgyvr · 06/19/2017, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trembz

1 top off caused this?
I have a 250 gallon soft coral tank Nd a 45 gallon reef run on TAP WATER for 2 years and never ever had an issue with GHA

Except tap water is not the same throughout the world..
Even city to city can be vastly different..

trembz · 06/19/2017, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

Except tap water is not the same throughout the world..
Even city to city can be vastly different..

I understand that very well.
But unless it was a HUGE top off I can't see how 1 top off from a water cooler machine caused that.
Isn't a water machine considered RO water?

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Rtdrumz · 06/19/2017, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trembz

I understand that very well.
But unless it was a HUGE top off I can't see how 1 top off from a water cooler machine caused that.
Isn't a water machine considered RO water?

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Right?

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mrhighline · 06/20/2017, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trembz

1 top off caused this?
I have a 250 gallon soft coral tank Nd a 45 gallon reef run on TAP WATER for 2 years and never ever had an issue with GHA

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk

Apparently one of my employees has been topping the tank off sporadically cause he "saw bubbles."

Gonna do a few big water changes and get a turbo snail. I'll bring my TDS meter in to see how bad the water that has been going in the tank has been.

mcgyvr · 06/20/2017, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrhighline

Apparently one of my employees has been topping the tank off sporadically cause he "saw bubbles."

Gonna do a few big water changes and get a turbo snail. I'll bring my TDS meter in to see how bad the water that has been going in the tank has been.

A TDS meter really doesn't give specifics and doesn't segregate between good and bad really and doesn't measure whats typically a fuel for algae...

A nitrate/phosphate test would be more beneficial if anything.. Not that its going to matter after the fact..

mrhighline · 06/20/2017, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

A TDS meter really doesn't give specifics and doesn't segregate between good and bad really and doesn't measure whats typically a fuel for algae...

A nitrate/phosphate test would be more beneficial if anything.. Not that its going to matter after the fact..

Agreed ... Good thing is it's a small system. I'll do a 3 10 gallon water changes over the next week and siphon out as much as I can.

wildman926 · 06/20/2017, 02:06 PM

API's Algaefix Marine. Then some good water changes.

stelliofleondis · 06/20/2017, 08:11 PM

Algae scrubber if you can't beat em join em

06/19/2017, 09:57 AM	#1
mrhighline Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 58	Green Hair Algae SO I did something kinda stupid, I let my ATO run out on my office tank while I was away. One of my employees was kind enough to top it off ... with the water cooler. SOOOO now I've got a GHA issue. Thoughts on how to combat it? Tank is an Innovative Marine Nuvo 30 with a Kessil 160 on it. Mainly a softie tank with a Small bioload, 2 clowns and a 6 line wrasse. I don't feed heavy 3-4 times a week maybe? I'm also running a bag of Chemi-Pure elite and no skimmer. Thanks in advance

06/19/2017, 11:36 AM	#5
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Well.. What are your nitrate and phosphate test results? The solution to pollution is dilution so continuing with normal water changes should cause it to go way on its own provided you are maintaining low levels of nitrates/phosphates and provided that this top off water just introduced elevated levels into the tank.... I kind of doubt that a one time "water cooler" dose would cause an issue though.. Possible I guess.. Not sure I'd be drinking from said water cooler anymore though.. __________________ Who me?

06/20/2017, 02:06 PM	#13
wildman926 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: CTX Posts: 2,904	API's Algaefix Marine. Then some good water changes. __________________ Beware of recommendations by those who don't actually use their recommendation!! The search function actually works quite well!! Tanks:Planet Aquarium 150g LPS, Planet Aquarium 90g Softie

06/20/2017, 08:11 PM	#14
stelliofleondis Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 118	Algae scrubber if you can't beat em join em __________________ 75 Gal DT, 30 gal sump happy to say this is only my first tank soon they will be wall to wall! When life gives you aiptasia feed your copperband with it...

06/19/2017, 10:03 AM	#2
thaitopher Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 130	Better to have bad top off than dead livestock Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

06/19/2017, 10:05 AM	#3
C5Chad Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Cincinnati,OH Posts: 109	My lfs recommended me to use phosguard when I just recently had a small outbreak of GHA. Pellets that I put inside my media cartridge in my filter. I'm still waiting to see results if it works or not. I just put it in my filter 2 days ago.

06/19/2017, 11:54 AM	#6
trembz Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 245	1 top off caused this? I have a 250 gallon soft coral tank Nd a 45 gallon reef run on TAP WATER for 2 years and never ever had an issue with GHA Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk