Green hair algae - A topic i'm sure you never deal with!

melev

melev

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[Green Hair Algae , the coolest free algae you'll ever grow. I'm sure most of you have never had to deal with it, but I'm adept at keeping the stuff around. ;)

Anyway, yesterday I decided to "listen" to Must-See TV on NBC, so I could focus on picking and picking and picking all the GHA I could get my hands on. What a blast that was! Amazingly enough, my fingers have ceased to wrinkle. Maybe raising my salinity to 1.026 makes me immune.

Anyway, I did my water tests this evening, as I figured something had to be out of whack. However, everything looks great. Nitrates: 2ppm Phosphates: .05ppm

I'm guessing my lights have just been growing the stuff, plus I wasn't in the tank plucking any in a long time. Now that most of it is gone, I'm hoping my cleanup crew can rid me of the rest of it.

Yeah, right.]
 
[Just keep your skimmer clean and operating efficiently and do your water changes. It takes a lot longer for good stuff than it takes for bad stuff to happen. :)

Also keeping your Ph in the 8.3-8.5 range along with a DKH over 7 is also a "good thing" when it comes to GHA!]
 
[I never can get my pH over 8.1 It is usually 8.0. My dKH is 11, along with my Calcium which tests at 350 with this new test that showed 450 on my older kit. How can I only raise pH without affecting my alkalinity?]
 
[Heehee...I still am using "tap" off water. I think I finally have a handle on my R/O woes though. Seems that I can hook up a small water softener before my R/O unit to extend the membrane life. I can assure you Marc, that our tap water has a high level of nitrate and phosphate in it. Even though we live about 25 miles from each other, we still get our water from the same place. So Duane's question is a good one.]
 
[I use RO/DI, baby. :D Nothing else comes close.

I've actually finally taken the plunge and tried Kalkwasser for the first time today. I mixed up one gallon of pickling lime water last night, and let it sit overnight. Then I inserted a length of airline tubing and with a gate valve drip about 1 drop every 1.5 seconds.

First thing I noticed when mixing that stuff? Hard to breathe. Huh... imagine that. I decided to test the pH of that water this morning, and it was BLUE on my Salifert test! So I figured I couldn't get away with pouring in the water, even if it was a cup at a time for several hours. So it's been dripping away since 7am today, and I've used almost 1/2 gallon so far. I tested the tank's pH and got 8.1

Hey Barry, where can I get two of those floats you are using? That might be a much easier system then my dripping method mentioned above. And what do they cost?]
 
[Ph will drift down rapidly as long as the tank's gas exchange is good. The atmospheric C02 will bring it back in line pretty quickly. Keep dripping! :;):

I bet you are talking about Kent float valves. Let me know if you need one as I have one I am not using right now.]
 
[Limewater question:

I'm mixing 1 tsp per gallon of RO/Di. I let it sit for an hour, then it's ready to use, right? I know to only drain most of it, ignoring the sludge at the bottom. What about the surface stuff? It is a thin white film. Do I need to be sure that doesn't get sucked into the tank?

Is there a reason why kalkwasser needs to remain sealed? If I use it up within 24 hours, does it matter?]
 
[You can use Phosphate spounge to get ALK down w/o taking out Calcium and other minerals. He says there is one company Seachem that makes the phosphate spounge where Kent leeches it back into your system in 3 days]
 
[Marc,

The crusty stuff at the top is like calcium carbonate that has precipitated due to exposure to the CO2 in the air. That also causes PH to drop when the kalk wasser is not in a airtight container. I would suggest no more than 3-4 days exposed to gain the benefits of kalk.]
 
[I'm going to make a small resevoir to fit above my new sump. I'll make it with black acrylic to avoid algae growing in it (as it will sit next to the refugium light), with a clear front to see how much is left, and attach it to that float valve you got me. That way I can fill it up and set it on top. Or maybe I'll get creative and make it refillalbe where it sits. I can make it with a removable lid that fits snugly, but I'd assume it needs a little vent to allow air in as water goes out, right?]
 
[Making a airtight container actually will keep the kalk fresher and can be a better option, but maintenence a lot more involved. So, I think you are on the right track. A lot of sediment accumulates on the bottom of a kalk container, so make easy to clean.]
 
[Hi Brad,

Great Newsletter, btw. Love the color pictures. :D

I've rethunk that container. Since top-off can be a regular chore, I'm going to put a larger resevoir in the garage and run the tubing through the wall to the tank. That way it will be easier to access. I'm not concerned with heat & cold issues, since it will only add a little at a time.

I am concerned that the float could stick and the entire resevoir drain into my sump (and thus my tank) though!

Trying to outsmart disaster is a real challenge! ???]
 
[Why don't you guys use gravity to dose with? I use a Nurce tank for top off chores. It's a 6 gallon tank (they come larger) that you can use kalkwasser if you want. I fill it once a week, as I evaporate about 5 gallons a week. There are no float switches or anything electric to malfunction and you can make one cheap.

I also use distilled water for top off. It's made by RO. I've never tested it, but I'm sure it's better than tap.]
 
[Marc,

The only time I have had problems with it emptying the resevoir is when I accidentally left something heavy like a moved rock on top of it. :p

It is much more likely to get a air block or kalk clog. :D

Steve,

I do use gravity along with a float valve. I use a 30 gallon Rubbermaid tub for make up water on each of my two systems. Each lasts 3 days.]
 
[Those Nurse units are no longer available. Check their site. :(

Brad, that is one of the things I was concerned about. Barry told me his never clogs. Must be nice. hehehe]
 
[I have a Kent Nurse in the garage, brand new! If you actually keep them free of calcium carbonate, you shouldn't have the clogging problem. If you only clean it once a year like me, it might. :cool:]
 
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