Hair Algae

[likwid]

Hey guys,

I have had my tank running for a year now, it is a 10 gallon nano, with 1 clown and 1 clown goby. Over the last few months I have noticed that hair algae is starting to cover my live rock. I have had an aquaclear 500 filter converted into a refugium with light and macro algae running for over a month, and since then the macro has doubled in size, but has not slown down the rate at which the hair algae, and algae on the glass grows. I am using RO water from a local store, and do a water change religiously every week. I even took out a small piece of live rock covered in hair algae out a couple weeks ago, pulled all of the hair algae out, and it is covered in it once again. My clean up crew consists of 2 blue leg hermits, 1 scarlett, 2 cerith, 3 astrea, and 6 black ones from Elite. My clean up crew does nothing for this algae. This is really frustrating. Any ideas?

[Jason McK]

Algae as you know needs a food source. Both nitrates and phosphates contribute to this food source. Many times your readings of these 2 might not seem high do to the fact that the algae is consuming it faster than it can enter the water colum.
The first thing I would check is your source water. Most stores that sell RO water do not do the required maintenance needed to keep the Nitrates and Phosphates low.
Secondly what are the current nitrate and phosphate levels in your tank?
Third what Macro are you using in your refugium? how is it lit?

J

[likwid]

Nitrates show up a bit on my test kit, but phosphates do not. I heard leaving the lights off for a day or two might kill it, but will this do anything to my fish/inverts? The macro is red, I think its Red Feather Kelp. I got it from Golds in Calgary.

[michika]

I tried leaving the lights off for a whole weekend and it didn't do a thing for me. Hair algae is evil evil evil evil!

[Jason McK]

I would still Test your water that you use for water changes.

Leaveing the lights off might help. But you will not have delt with the cause and it would quickly return.

How old are you bulbs. This could also contribute

[likwid]

Im using a 72w power compact lighting system and the bulbs are about 10 months old. Is that too old?

[Zoaelite]

Originally Posted by likwid

Im using a 72w power compact lighting system and the bulbs are about 10 months old. Is that too old?

*Bing Bing Bing* We have a winner , after around 6-12 months of use your bulbs degrades and then you find nusance algea explodes.
Levi