My 48g Fowlr Journey. 13 Months On...

[SkiFletch]

Ah yup, elevated phosphate = cyano + hair... Sry

The pH will drop very slowly over time, but probably won't dip as low as it was before with your new aquascape. Prolly dip down to the 8.2 range over the course of a few weeks or month

 

[sparklefuzz]

Ah yup, elevated phosphate = cyano + hair... Sry

The pH will drop very slowly over time, but probably won't dip as low as it was before with your new aquascape. Prolly dip down to the 8.2 range over the course of a few weeks or month

My booklet says that Phosphate is fine below 1.0mg?

 

[SkiFletch]

Well, I dunno about that. TBH, I only know it in units of parts per million, which is 0.03ppm. Above which is problematic, below which is fine. Are you sure yours isn't measuring mg/mL?

 

[Lynden]

Cyano and hair algae typically do not mix in my experience. Cyano survives in even the lowest of nutrient levels, while elevated phosphate will spur the growth of hair. In high nutrient levels, hair will be given the edge and will begin to release chemicals that will inhibit cyanobacteria. But, if your nutrient levels fall, hair will lose it's edge (unless it just dies and recycles it's nutrients) and less energy will be devoted to the production of poisons. The result is, cyano overtakes it, blocking out it's light and poisoning it. Just my observations.

The only good way, in my opinion, to eradicate it is to buy some competitors. The best by far in this regard are the more noxious soft corals such as Sarcophyton. These have the advantage of looking great and being a powerful tool to combat all types of pest algae, as well as being resistant (but not immune) to coral pickers. The only downside is that those same allelopaths (fancy word for the toxins they produce) will make life difficult for any stony corals one plans to introduce. Activated carbon and heavy skimming can usually keep remove these toxins before they become concentrated enough to kill stonies.

A note on iron... can be invaluable for growing macroalgaes and mangroves... but macroalgaes include hair too. Iron will also bind phosphate, especially as granular ferric oxide (GFO) and 'miracle mud'. Could be helpful.

 

[sparklefuzz]

Well, I dunno about that. TBH, I only know it in units of parts per million, which is 0.03ppm. Above which is problematic, below which is fine. Are you sure yours isn't measuring mg/mL?

I quote:

0 - 1.0mg/L = Ideal Phosphate Range
For fresh and saltwater, the ideal concentration of phosphate should never be greater than 1 mg/L of phosphate (PO4).

Also, the beginning of the page says

Phosphate Test Kit

0 - 5.0mg/L (ppm) PO4



Now I am just confused.

Cyano and hair algae typically do not mix in my experience. Cyano survives in even the lowest of nutrient levels, while elevated phosphate will spur the growth of hair. In high nutrient levels, hair will be given the edge and will begin to release chemicals that will inhibit cyanobacteria. But, if your nutrient levels fall, hair will lose it's edge (unless it just dies and recycles it's nutrients) and less energy will be devoted to the production of poisons. The result is, cyano overtakes it, blocking out it's light and poisoning it. Just my observations.

The only good way, in my opinion, to eradicate it is to buy some competitors. The best by far in this regard are the more noxious soft corals such as Sarcophyton. These have the advantage of looking great and being a powerful tool to combat all types of pest algae, as well as being resistant (but not immune) to coral pickers. The only downside is that those same allelopaths (fancy word for the toxins they produce) will make life difficult for any stony corals one plans to introduce. Activated carbon and heavy skimming can usually keep remove these toxins before they become concentrated enough to kill stonies.

A note on iron... can be invaluable for growing macroalgaes and mangroves... but macroalgaes include hair too. Iron will also bind phosphate, especially as granular ferric oxide (GFO) and 'miracle mud'. Could be helpful.

The hair tends to grow on the glass, and the cyano everywhere else. Sometimes I feel like I am in way over my head with this marine malarky!!

 

[SkiFletch]

Ah, ok 1mg/L which is the same as 0.0001mg/mL which I'd agree with is fine for reef aquaria. Sorry about the confusion

That being the case, the presence of hair algae and cyanobacteria does however indicate the presence of phosphate in the system. "But my test say's there isn't any in the water". True, thing is when you get a really big algae/bacteria bloom that likes to eat phosphate, there is so much of that algae that it gobbles up all the phosphate BEFORE we can test for it. Sort of like a chicken or the egg thing. We see the chicken, so we know it must have come from the egg even if we never saw the egg .

Question, did the algae come around before or after you moved the rocks?

 

[sparklefuzz]

Ah, ok 1mg/L which is the same as 0.0001mg/mL which I'd agree with is fine for reef aquaria. Sorry about the confusion

That being the case, the presence of hair algae and cyanobacteria does however indicate the presence of phosphate in the system. "But my test say's there isn't any in the water". True, thing is when you get a really big algae/bacteria bloom that likes to eat phosphate, there is so much of that algae that it gobbles up all the phosphate BEFORE we can test for it. Sort of like a chicken or the egg thing. We see the chicken, so we know it must have come from the egg even if we never saw the egg .

Question, did the algae come around before or after you moved the rocks?

Oh the complications! LOL

The cyano has been around forever , the hair only the last month or so, before I moved the rocks. Since then (only 6 days), no hair algae as yet, and the cyano has slowed a little, but I added more flow, so might that have affected it?

In other news, I was a bit naughty and bought a new fish today . A stunning Radiant / Iridis Wrasse whom we've called Willard. He's a friendly little fella, and has made bosom chums with our angel.

 

[SkiFletch]

Radiant wrasses are gorgeous aren't they? . What about your input water source? What do you use?

 

[sparklefuzz]

Radiant wrasses are gorgeous aren't they? . What about your input water source? What do you use?

As in tapwater or RO?? If that's what you mean, RO and I use Instant Ocean salt mix.

Willard is great, absolutely love him already... despite his early bedtime this evening. It makes a refreshing change to have a fish who seems to love everyone else in the tank and doesn't get spooked by anything. Very cute