Hair Algae problems Solved with Phosphate Reactor.

[RobbyG]

Tanks been going for 3.5 years and was very enjoyable until recently when I started to get hair algae. Now for the last 8 months I have been battling hair Algae and to be honest hair Algae has just sucked the enjoyment out of owning a Reef Tank, it's like having a Super model Girl Friend and finding out she has Herpes.

So for 8 months I have been pulling it out, cleaning it off with a toothbrush, vacuuming the Sand, cutting down on the feeding to an absolute minimum, changing Di resin (even though Ro TDS is Zero), cutting back on lighting, changing the Sand, increased water changes and testing all parameters and still I only make some progress, I am able to slow it down, but every 2 months it starts to take over my rocks again.

So I went to Exotic Aquariums in Miami and had a talk with my friend Javier. We discussed using the chemicals that kill hair Algae but we both knew that was only going to be a temporary band aid that most likely was not good for the Macro life in the Tank and it was not going to get rid of what was the root problem, which we both suspected was phosphates and silicates. So we discussed Phosphate reactors and I decided to buy one along with all the trimmings and a bottle of the Algae killer (just in case).

So I hooked up the "Two Little Fishes 150 gal" reactor and added the German Red phosphate Media (forgot the name but it costs a bundle). hooked up a 200 gal pump, cleaned out the media with some Ro water and then let the reactor do its work.

Well one week later and about 95% of the Hair Algae is Gone and the rest is dying This thing is like a Miracle. My Corals are looking much better and the water is almost Gin Clear, im happy again and my zest for the Aquarium has been renewed.

I post this because I know many people are battling hair Algae, almost everyone does at some point so I just wanted to let those who may not have thought about getting a Phosphate reactor that in my experience they work great. Worth every penny

[rugbyfish]

Thank you RobbyG!
I am actually at the onset of this battle (6 months of battling hair algae since my Foxface stopped eating it) and have been debating whether or not to buy a phosphate reactor.
Now I am sold. I am now comparing the 2 little fishes or the BRS reactors. Thank you again for your post. I was concerned about throwing money at the problem and seeing no results.

[romanr]

Can you name the media? How much did you use? Sorry about your girlfriend

[jceli728]

PO4 reactors help and average maintenance price is affordable. I have been using it for a year and was very happy with it, I recently started using brightwell bac7 and biofuel and I'm very satisfied with it there is no need for the reactor and clarity of water is much better, rocks are crispy clean. This is a more hands on option and must have a PO4 LR monitor.

[Hop]

Well the problem is likely still there, but there is now a band-aid on it I would look at the cause. Is the SB depleted? Is the LR loaded? Are you effectively removing detritus or is it settling in the rocks and sand?

I'm not saying I have the answer, I'm in the same boat you are in, but I'm working on the cause, while I employ the band-aid!

[kc350twin]

Hop, do you have any insight on how to figure out a depleted sand bed or loaded live rock?



Kc3

[Thoro]

I think the GFO media hes refering to is Rowaphos pretty good stuff, but any GFO does the job.

I too recently have been battling Hair algae (Good analogy btw with the girlfriend/herpes) anyways I bought a phosban reactor too and now my hair algae is really receding and dying off pretty well. I got it cause I let my R0/DI filters go to long before changing them and was putting tainted water into my system.

Now that I got the reactor I've eliminated the algaes food source and now I can get back to enjoying my tank.

[Hop]

Originally posted by kc350twin
Hop, do you have any insight on how to figure out a depleted sand bed or loaded live rock?



Kc3

If you employ all the other methods to control it and nothing helps, odds are your there I was, and I cooked half the rock and replaced the SB. Since then everything has been good.

[charleskeller]

Originally posted by Thoro
I think the GFO media hes refering to is Rowaphos pretty good stuff, but any GFO does the job.

I too recently have been battling Hair algae (Good analogy btw with the girlfriend/herpes) anyways I bought a phosban reactor too and now my hair algae is really receding and dying off pretty well. I got it cause I let my R0/DI filters go to long before changing them and was putting tainted water into my system.

Thoro - Same thing here...I was only watching my TDS and not checking my phosphates. Was at topping off 1-2g day and doing water changes with 2-5ppm water!!

System is exactly 1 yr old, 90g tank, 20 sump, 80-100lbs live rock, 3" sand bed, ASM G1 skimmer, UV sterilizer, Ocean Runner 3500 return pump, 3 K3's, 2 MJ900, 1 MJ1200 and 4 T5's on a IC660. Here is the time line.

December 7 - Noticed decent sized clumps of hair algae forming and uped water changed to 15% every 15 days.

January 1 - Rearranged the pile of rocks into PVC columns to help flow; removed all algae from rocks and was very happy with the results

January 7 - Algae started returning with a vengence

January 15 - Replaced bulbs that were 8mo. old; Algae was steadily gaining ground still

January 20 - Put a phosban reactor and the algae held strong at its peek for a couple weeks; we're talking rocks wearing fur coats by now

Feb 3 - Added a lawnmower blenny and a sea hair (died for some reason this weekend)

Feb 9 - Started removing some of the 3" sand bed and ordered a new RO membrane; plan on getting bed down to 1" or less

Feb 11 - Finally replaced the RO membrane and phosphates read 0ppm

Feb 19 - About to do my third 15% water change since replacing membrane and going to replace phosban media

After reacting very slow to the problem I would suggest anyone reading quickly to act fast and check everything. I think I am learning this one the hard way.

I'm down to about 1/4 of the peak amount of hair algae and am scrubbing a little bit off the rocks at a time before a water change/sand removal. I do fear removing the sand is releasing more phosphates and causing my algae to stick around longer. I think that removing bed is necessary since I don't employ enough sifters in it so if not removed the GHA will just come back.

I'd hate to pull out the rock and cook it but is there something else I am am missing that would help out?

[RobbyG]

LOL Good one

Originally posted by romanr
Can you name the media? How much did you use? Sorry about your girlfriend

[RobbyG]

Glad that the post helps. The reactor material is Rowaphos. It's very good but costs about $89 for a med size container.
I filled the reactor about halfway which used 1/2 of the media so I have another refill left. I have no idea how long the media will last but my friend at the store said he figured about 3 months.

If you have a good well tested Ro system and have been trying all the things that I have then I certainly do think this reactor will solve your problems.

Originally posted by rugbyfish
Thank you RobbyG!
I am actually at the onset of this battle (6 months of battling hair algae since my Foxface stopped eating it) and have been debating whether or not to buy a phosphate reactor.
Now I am sold. I am now comparing the 2 little fishes or the BRS reactors. Thank you again for your post. I was concerned about throwing money at the problem and seeing no results.

[RobbyG]

If by SB you mean SandBed, then no it's not depleted, I actually changed it with fresh sand when this first started and yet the problem remained. The LR is not loaded, it has a very comfortable amount of sparsely spaced residents. I do clean up the ditrius but maybe not as often as I should.

I dont think the reactor is a bandaid since it is a sustainable item that I plan to run all the time. Since the current media has just about solved the problem I figure I will load the reactor when this media depletes with a much cheaper medium and see if that can maintain the P04 levels at near zero.

Originally posted by Hop
Well the problem is likely still there, but there is now a band-aid on it I would look at the cause. Is the SB depleted? Is the LR loaded? Are you effectively removing detritus or is it settling in the rocks and sand?

I'm not saying I have the answer, I'm in the same boat you are in, but I'm working on the cause, while I employ the band-aid!

[RobbyG]

Unfortunetly 99% of us never react in time! Hair Algae plays well towards our normal Human nature to ignore small slowly growing problems until they get big.

I remember seeing the first clump and thinking ahh it's just a small amout it will die off after a water change.

Originally posted by charleskeller
Thoro - Same thing here...

After reacting very slow to the problem I would suggest anyone reading quickly to act fast and check everything. I think I am learning this one the hard way.

[charleskeller]

My other tank did get some hair algae but it stayed as very small amounts and nowhere near as bad. I think it was mostly in part because I have 47% sump capacity with lots of macro algae where my 90 only has 22% with not much macro algae.

[biger]

So Robby, it is like you found a cure for herpes!

[binyang]

+1 on po4 reactor
use to have so much hair algae
now nothing
i think it is best value investment u can do on your tank

[dkirchoff]

RobbyG...glad to hear about your success with the reactor, I totally agree. now I ask you this though, since you conquered the hair algae, did you ever have a cyno problem (red slimy consuming monster) the other supermodel STD...lol Im trying to eliminate nitrates with a reactor use too ( http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1579946 ) ...just haven't found a cure aside from water changes and chaeto.

[dahc1979]

I have also dealt with the hair algea problem and found the reactor to be a easy way to put a band aid on the bigger problem. My tank has been hair algea free for a few months now and I hope to not have to deal with it again

[rugbyfish]

Anyone have a suggestion on an appropriate PO4 reactor for a 280gal + 50 sump size tank? The 2 little fishes is rated for 150gal. I emailed BRS supply, but haven't heard back from them. Any suggestions?
thank you,
Rug

[biger]

precision marine

http://www.precisionmarine.com/html/...e_reactor.html

Check out the large one, should be big enough.

[biger]

and another one

http://www.aquacave.com/geo-412-media-reactor-2082.html

[rugbyfish]

Thanks Biger!

[biger]

Hey Rugby, FYI they have all the precision marine professional series reactors at Reef Specialty and they are also an RC sponsor as is The Cave.

http://www.reefspecialty.com/index.html

[chatyak]

+1 for sure! my gfo reactor is wiping the green hair to dust.

[macreefster]

i hope i get the results many of you have gotten. i just added a phos reactor yesterday as i was starting to get some hair algae in my refugium and a couple of tufts of bryopsis in my display tank. i think part of that was due to not changing out my DI resin soon enough ( i have a TDS meter now so that doesnt happen again!). i am looking forward to even better coral colors with the phos reactor. i must admit i don't know what my phosphate levels are as i don't have a phosphate test kit and from what i've heard many of them arent very reliable in the low range anyways.

fwiw.... bulk reef supply has great pricing on carbon, gfo and reactors and their service is excellent.