The Incredible Coral Man Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Hi all, I've got a 10gal Nano running a HOB filter, I've got hair algae over my live rocks and want to get rid of it. I don't use a skimmer, wondering what kind of filter media I should use in my HOB? I've been using carbon and Phorsban. Wonder if I also need De-Nitrate media or anything else? I don't know if my 8000K PC light also contribute to the hair algae problem, because it seems areas under this light have a lot more hair algae than area under my bluer lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 sounds like you need new lights and a skimmer. without a decent skimmer your are pushing horse dung up hill with your chin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 10 gal :-? ''honey im gonna do a 50% water change, be finished in 3 mins'' wouldnt big w/c's and scrub the rocks do it. why would you frig around with a skimmer too much when you could do 50% in3 mins flat?? 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 i didsnt realise it was that small!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 thats a cool size for a nano. water changes (to reduce nutrients) and good definately lighting are my picks. i get hair algae under my 10k but none under each of my 14k's. what are you using for topup? not that i'd imagine you'd evaporate much but even a small amount of tap water will make a significant addition of crap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 If your phosban was totally effective, you would not have hair algae. How are you running it? in a cannister, or what? The other thing is, the phosban can get "fully loaded", and needs changing if that happens. If your tank has hair algae, and the phosban's been there a while, chances are it is fully saturated with phosphate and needs changing. It may take several changes, a week or so apart, before you get levels down to manageable. Then it will take a few more months for phosphate to leach out of the rocks, this will happen provided you keep the water low in phosphate. Firstly, lets make sure you are using it correctly, and then it's just a matter of changing when required, in a 10 gallon tank beating the hair algae will be sweatless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 beating the hair algae will be sweatless. if only beating womans hair problems were ''sweatless'' 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Incredible Coral Man Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 I just put my PhosBan inside my HOB filter (Aquaclear kind). I top up with tap water. I hope Aucklands tap water is ok? I have trouble finding actinic light for my 12" hood. Can't find any actinic PCs 12" or under. Best is 8000K. So I had to soldered a whole lot of blue LEDS. Looks alright though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 OK I'm assuming it's in a bag? To be fully effective, phosban must be run in a reactor, where it is kept fluidized. I used to run phosban in a cannister in a bag, but it just was not that effective. Then I changed to using it in a fluidized reactor, and the difference was major, plus the phosban lasted much longer between changes, as it was fully utilized. If you wish, I can lend you a phosban reactor for a couple of months, which would give you the chance to see if it will work for you. By the way, topping up with Auckland tap water is NOT OK. Just that alone will probably ensure you will have never ending hair algae problems. For a small tank like yours, the most economical way would be to get a deionizing unit & run the water through that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 I top up with tap water. I hope Aucklands tap water is ok? nope, its crap. most likely your cause of the hair algae (although im picking the lights are helping feed it too) i have RODI with TDS meter, reads 75ppm in, 0ppm out. get a RODI system or at the least, just DI. petplanet had one going for a really good price on trademe, $300. in a tank that size it would last you 10 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 or use bottled water 8) how much do you lose anyway, cant be very much esp if covered Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 you would be surprised how much a small tank can evaporate, proportionally the same if not more than a larger tank. my 3 footer evaporates (proportionally) much quicker than my large tank. so much so i've given up on it as a hospital tank and am going to turn it into a ready-to-use sump if i need to separate my refugium off the main system. anyways, the point is the very first time you topup it wont be much of a problem. the next time will get worse, the next time worse again. over time you're topping up water but adding more and more unwanted nutrients each time. a water change will strip a certain amount out but if you're topping up that night/next morning with tap water, you're back to square one again - if not worse than when you started! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Jeez Chim, you're up late. You may think I'm up late too but not so. Early where I am at the mo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 so where are you at then warren? the longer i spend searching the net for advice and learning stuff etc, the less sleep i get. im down to 4 hours sleep now, less a good 30 minutes when the boy wakes up crying, less another 10 minutes of the cat meowing, less 5 minutes of the wife talking in her sleep.... hell, i might as well just go to work now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Lovely Korea, only 3 hours behind so sleep for me soon. Hope Kalk doesn't cause a problem!!! Good luck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 cheers, been watching it looks ok. read other forums they indicate cant overdose kalk, only pH spikes are a concern :-? see what happens in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 How long has the tank been setup? Nasty hair algae is one of the cycle stages, I'm sure the lights top up etc aren't helping but maybe its just something your going to have to live with for a month or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelifaxNZ Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 To be fully effective, phosban must be run in a reactor, where it is kept fluidized. I used to run phosban in a cannister in a bag, but it just was not that effective. Then I changed to using it in a fluidized reactor, and the difference was major, plus the phosban lasted much longer between changes, as it was fully utilized. If you wish, I can lend you a phosban reactor for a couple of months, which would give you the chance to see if it will work for you. Hi Wasp. This is the first time I've heard of a phosban reactor. What does it look like? and where do you get them? I'm still suffering from hair algae, but I'm living with it. It is sticking on the front overflow and on the return Loc-Line's. Occasionally I scrub them off. I do use DI water and phosban in a bag in the skimmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Here's a link to one http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem. ... uct=TL4311 I'm not using mine now as I use zeovit, but it was quite effective at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feelers Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Incredible Coral Man Posted March 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Thanks WASP for offering Phosban reactor, but I'll try water changing with bottle water at the moment for start. Might find out the prices of deionising units afterwards and decide if i can buy one or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachy Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Pure dew, about 5$ for 10 litres from push'n'shove, i mean pack'n'save Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Incredible Coral Man Posted March 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2006 Where's the cheapest place to buy a DI system, can't find any on TradeMe. Will a distill water system be good enough filtration instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted March 25, 2006 Report Share Posted March 25, 2006 http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/links- ... t7074.html Will a distill water system be good enough filtration instead? no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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