Algae disappeared after changing salt brands

ksed · 06/20/2008, 04:54 AM

I'm wondering if any one has an explanation for this. I was doing approx 30% water changes every 3-4 weeks with Red Sea Coral Pro salt and slowly found hair algae growing on the live rocks. I tested the water for nitrates and phosphates. The nitrates were tested using a Salifert test kit and got 0ppm. The phosphate test kit is a D-D solutions or Deltec. When tested for that I got a reading in between 0ppm and 0.03. Anyway I decided to change salt , I ended up going with Reef Crystals. After going through half a bucket of RC my algae has cleared up. Does anyone have an idea what's in the RSCP salt that might have caused this. I've heard of other people having the same problem with this salt. I did not test for silicates though, i'm wondering if that could be the problem.

Thanks
Kevin

Fish_wiz2 · 06/20/2008, 07:30 AM

That happens to many all the time it is just strange that RC (reefcrystals) would be the good salt (usually causes algae) and read sea the bad (usually better and more expensive) but there are many routes in this hobby right?

HowardW · 06/20/2008, 09:03 AM

The head scientist for Red Sea in Israel told me the cleaning process for their salt post solar evaporation is not yet perfected and they are working on it.

I assume they may be picking up some stuff in the process that is causing temporay algae / cyano outbreaks in some peoples tanks when switching to their salt.

rogergolf66 · 06/20/2008, 11:54 AM

Had the same issue love the RC salt I changed about 8 months ago no problems since.

Roger

unbreakable · 06/20/2008, 12:10 PM

havent seen any problems yet with red sea. i used instean ocean to start up but have already changed out 20g of water or more and havent had any algae yet

reef_doug · 06/20/2008, 01:07 PM

Evaporated salts (Red Sea and D-D H2O) seem to have more reports of hair algae than most any other brand.

I use Coralife and get excellent results!

Jay03GT · 06/20/2008, 06:30 PM

I had the same thing happen when I switched from IO to TM. I cycled my nano using the TM since I was using it in my big tank and never had an algae outbreak.

ksed · 06/21/2008, 04:25 PM

Thanks guy for your posts. I did find something interesting on the Zeovit web on the D-D salt and the feed back was not good. Seems like alot of people had hair algae .
Thanks

InsaneClownFish · 06/21/2008, 04:31 PM

Interesting. I was in between the Red Sea Coral Pro and the RC for my next tank. Question solved! Thanks!

06/20/2008, 04:54 AM	#1
ksed Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,867	Algae disappeared after changing salt brands I'm wondering if any one has an explanation for this. I was doing approx 30% water changes every 3-4 weeks with Red Sea Coral Pro salt and slowly found hair algae growing on the live rocks. I tested the water for nitrates and phosphates. The nitrates were tested using a Salifert test kit and got 0ppm. The phosphate test kit is a D-D solutions or Deltec. When tested for that I got a reading in between 0ppm and 0.03. Anyway I decided to change salt , I ended up going with Reef Crystals. After going through half a bucket of RC my algae has cleared up. Does anyone have an idea what's in the RSCP salt that might have caused this. I've heard of other people having the same problem with this salt. I did not test for silicates though, i'm wondering if that could be the problem. Thanks Kevin

06/20/2008, 07:30 AM	#2
Fish_wiz2 Mangroves are kool. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Chicago Posts: 5,246	That happens to many all the time it is just strange that RC (reefcrystals) would be the good salt (usually causes algae) and read sea the bad (usually better and more expensive) but there are many routes in this hobby right? __________________ -The Wiz Current Tank Info: Elos Mini Seahorse Tank, 2500 gallon Koi pond

06/20/2008, 09:03 AM	#3
HowardW Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Aurora, IL Posts: 1,763	The head scientist for Red Sea in Israel told me the cleaning process for their salt post solar evaporation is not yet perfected and they are working on it. I assume they may be picking up some stuff in the process that is causing temporay algae / cyano outbreaks in some peoples tanks when switching to their salt. __________________ Florida live rock addict

06/20/2008, 11:54 AM	#4
rogergolf66 im an addict lol Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Land o lakes, FLorida Posts: 12,930	Had the same issue love the RC salt I changed about 8 months ago no problems since. Roger __________________ Goal levels: salinity 35ppt, temp 78-79, alk 8-9, cal 430-450, mag 1310-1400 po4 .03, no3 1-3 Current Tank Info: System 1... 100 gal Zoa tank I built, 30 gal Ric Yuma shroom tank, 30 gal mix tank my sons,40 gal softie tank, 40 gal nem tank, two 40 gal LPS tank. System 2... 240 gal SPS display attached 100 gal frag SPS only tank.

06/20/2008, 12:10 PM	#5
unbreakable D: Join Date: May 2007 Location: ? Posts: 2,868	havent seen any problems yet with red sea. i used instean ocean to start up but have already changed out 20g of water or more and havent had any algae yet __________________ INTERNET= Serious Business!

06/20/2008, 01:07 PM	#6
reef_doug Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Hesperia/Apple Valley Posts: 3,814	Evaporated salts (Red Sea and D-D H2O) seem to have more reports of hair algae than most any other brand. I use Coralife and get excellent results! __________________ "If you have more than one tank in your livingroom, you might be a reefneck" Current Tank Info: 180r SoCal Creations, 75g SCC1M Sump, WM EcoBAK, NextReef SMR1, TropicMarin Salt, ACIII, 3x250w HQI Phoenix 14k, 2x140w Super Actinics, ATi BM250, Eheim 1262, Tunze 2x6100+7095, Tunze Osmolator, 6 stage RODI w/ Spectrapure MaxCap

06/20/2008, 06:30 PM	#7
Jay03GT Registered Member. Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Lakeland, Fl Posts: 606	I had the same thing happen when I switched from IO to TM. I cycled my nano using the TM since I was using it in my big tank and never had an algae outbreak.

06/21/2008, 04:25 PM	#8
ksed Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,867	Thanks guy for your posts. I did find something interesting on the Zeovit web on the D-D salt and the feed back was not good. Seems like alot of people had hair algae . Thanks

06/21/2008, 04:31 PM	#9
InsaneClownFish Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,069	Interesting. I was in between the Red Sea Coral Pro and the RC for my next tank. Question solved! Thanks! __________________ 7 Years Reefing and Many Fresh 8 Foot Envisions