Weird algae issue

[zcom]

Hi, all...

I've been using zeo for almost a year now, tank is doing great, etc. Algae has not been a problem for me for a long while.

I had a refugioum set up, and recently converted it to a prop tank (connected, of course, to the main tank). The refugium used to have chaetomorpha, which grew fine, but I took all of that out, set up shelves of egg crate, and added a 250W DE 20K. Frags do fine in the prop tank, but I have a lot of (what I assume is) hair algae, a green moss-like algae.

I assume it could be due to the added light, etc., except that I don't have a trace of this stuff in the main tank. In addition, it only seems to grow on the plastic/PVC in the prop tank, not any of the rock. It especially grows well on the egg crate, which has been in there for about 5 months, but it also grows on regular PVC in there for a spray bar, etc.

My parameters are all fine, no/low phosphates, nitrates, etc., and like I said, it doesn't grow in the main tank at all. I suppose I have a trace of phosphates in the tank, although the colorimeter continues to show 0.0-0.02, and I had heard phosphates could leach for a while from new egg crate, but it's been in there 5 months and as I said, it's also growing on regular PVC being used as a spray bar.

Anyone else have this in a prop tank only? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks...

Arthur

[GTR]

I'm still running two tubs hooked to the system. One has 2-24" 50-50 bulbs and the other has a 96w quad pc. Both of those will still grow macros but in the raceway tanks it really doesn't do much. I think it's the turn over rate through the tanks. The 25g tubs have maybe 300gph and the 45g raceways have over 1,200gph.
I'm just thinking the the high nutrient water is allowed to remain in the tubs long enough for the macros to use it.

Good circulation and high turn over are two different things. You can have one or the other but you might be better off to have both.

In my tubs I think it might be supporting itself. I rarely harvest so the natural die off might be feeding the living algae.

SteveU

[zcom]

Interesting point...the flow from the tank to the prop tank is fairly low. But it's always been that way, and I never had the HA growth I have now...

Arthur

[GTR]

But you had chaetomorpha before that was in competition.
SteveU

[Aged Salt]

Good points, Steve. Arthur, I assume your light intensity is much higher now than with the chaeto, plus with slow flow it's really a isolated tank in itself. If you have a sand bed, I'd recommend removing same. Steve's point is important about the quality of flow within your refugium. Try to increase the turn over & add one or more PH's to increase current within this tank, thereby, removing any settling nutrient effect. Of course, manually remove excess algae. HTH, Bob

[greg65]

Boo boo,

Ive had the exact same thing in my prop. Zero signs of the algae in my main display, only in the prop.
Differnece with me , is that not only will the stuff grow on the eggcrae and pvc, but also on the rubble the frags are glued to as well.
Its NOT in huge quanitys, but is an eyesore. I have noticed that it has subsided to a point lately. My thoughts are that the eggcrate and relatively new pvc was leaching phosphate, and that , coupled with the lower flow, allowed the stuff to grow.
I agree with turning up the flow ,and waiting it out a bit. Myself, i would rather have a little green hair stuff than having my frags blowing all over the place.
-greg-
BTW, i have a chevron in the prop as well, and he doesnt touch the stuff.

[zcom]

Interesting...I was hoping it would subside after 5 months, but maybe not. Is there something I can replace the eggcrate with that wouldn't leach?

Btw, yah, it's growing on the rubble as well, mostly because the rubble is sitting on the eggcrate. But not on the rest of the LR in the prop tank, or much on the walls, etc.

Bob, ther flow within the prop tank is pretty good (spray bar, sea swirl), but from the main tank to the prop tank is probably 100-150 gph.

Arthur

[Aged Salt]

Hi Arthur, is the bulb over the refugium past 6 mos[spectrum shift]? Bob