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Thread: Need some help guys.

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    Rowland Heights, CA, USA
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    Need some help guys.

    My ATS have been up and running since 28 Dec. 2008, drop N and P to 0 in water column after 51 days later. So since 20 Feb. 09 I have been happy with the water testing results. Okay here is the problem, it's been 2 and 1/2 months since N and P at 0 level, but my hair algae is still growing like crazy in my display. The screen I have is 7 inches wide by 13 inches tall, actual area with growth is about 7 x 12.5, which should be more than enough for a 40G tank right? coz my math tells me that my ATS should be good enough for about 87 gallon worth. I am at a lost here. and i envy very much those of you that had reduction in hair algae growth in tank. Any pointers, wild guess, is much appreciated. Just for reference, here is the link of my ATS build viewtopic.php?f=2&t=88 and it's the same type of hair algae still. just more of it, all over rocks. scrubbed it all off in a separate bucket 2 weeks ago, but it's comes stronger and tougher now.

  2. #2
    Administrator
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    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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    Re: Need some help guys.

    The tell-tale sign is: How often does your glass need cleaning.

    If your glass stays crystal clear for a full week, then you have phosphate stored in the rocks that is leaking out. That's why there would be lots of algae on the rocks, and none on the glass

    If, however, your glass starts getting foggy after two days, then you just still have too much N and P in the water (possibly, still, being supplied by the rocks).

    Either case is solved by just continued weekly cleaning of the screen (2X a week if dark brown algae.)

  3. #3

    Join Date
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    Re: Need some help guys.

    As far as the glass goes, it takes about a week to see a film of diatom, no hair algae tho.

  4. #4
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    Re: Need some help guys.

    Then it's in your rocks. Keep the scrubber cleanings up, and in another month or two (mine took six months), the HA will start reducing down to zero.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    Re: Need some help guys.

    Quote Originally Posted by SantaMonica
    Then it's in your rocks. Keep the scrubber cleanings up, and in another month or two (mine took six months), the HA will start reducing down to zero.
    dan, 6 months?!?!?! wow, okay that makes me feel better, now that I have a time line I can follow. After seeing everyone else seeing less algae in about 3 weeks, I thought I was WAY off course on the hole ATS reducing algae problem. Anyways, thank you very much SM.

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