Getting rid of Hair algea Once and for all!

[Jean-yus]

Tank Spec's:

10g
15lbs LR
20lbs LS
50w Heater
Rio 50 PH (I know)
Whisper "J" or Junior HOB
96w Coralife PC (Lit 10+ Hours a Day, from 7-10am to 9-12pm)

Inhabitant's:

1 Red Goniopora
1 Red Coco Worm
1 Green Star Polyp
1 Brain
1 Hammer Frag
1 Large Toadstool Leather
1 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Small Lawnmower Blenny (Moving to Larger tank Soon)
2 Astrea Snails
3 Margarita Snials
5 Cerith Snails
2 Blue Legged Hermit's

Param's:
1.024 SG
80* Water
DHK, 10-11
Calcium 400-450
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
7 Month old tank

All test's are Salifer, except the Ammonia, That is Dry-Tab.

Well, I top off with RO/DI water from a Water Store (Super-Ultra clean water, 98% Reject Rate) And do a 10% water changes with Catalina Water from my LFS Once a Week, Did a 20% last week...

I have tried EVERYTHING for this... Carbon, Chemi-Pure, Marine S.A.T. (Live bacteria that Competes with algae for food) and Now PhosBan, In my "Never Ending Algae Struggle" I cant test for Phosphates to see where they are, I dont have that test, but I would rather try PhosBan than nothing I guess...
The Hair algae has been growing for a Month or two now...
Would PhosBan and an 8 hour Light Cycle Help? Could it just be the 14hour day?

Thank you VERY much!!!
(BTW, I dont think you remember but my tank had Ammonia That would not go away for like 4 Months... It dissapeared one day!)

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I agree that knocking down phosphate, even if you cannot detect any because the algae is consuming it so fast, is a good plan. Phosban is a fine way to do that. Adding creatures that eat the hair algae is also a good approach, although the list is fairly limited in a 10 gallon. Perhaps folks in the main forum will have some good suggestions along those lines.

Reducing the lighting cycle may help, but I doubt it will solve the problem.

Whisper "J" or Junior HOB


Is that a filter, or something else?

Skimming the water, and growing macroalgae in a refugium would both help.

These articles may also help:


Phosphate Issues
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/chem.htm

Nitrate Issues
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm

[Jean-yus]

The Whisper Junior is a HOB (Hang on Back Filter) like an Aqua Clear, a Mechanical Filter That I run Chemi-Pure and PhosBan in.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Ah, OK. So you have no skimmer then?

[Jean-yus]

No. Its only a 10g System, with no Fuge or Sump, and Most Nano Reefers I know say they are Next to worthless, I doubt that they are Worthless, but would imagine they dont help too much in a Tank of that Volume...

But for dirt cheap, I could probably get a Small Hang on Back Fuge off of eBay and put in Lots of Macro Algae to Compete food with the algae, wich would give the tank more Water Volume wich would be helpful, and Possibly give me room to add a Very tiny "Nano Reef Skimmer" designed for tank's about 10-15g...
I think they are only like $20 or so... Not a Bad idea for the Price, the HOB Fuge is about $60... Maybe it's worth it?

But in about two or Three Months I will be starting my 40g Reef... So maybe not...

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Its only a 10g System, with no Fuge or Sump, and Most Nano Reefers I know say they are Next to worthless, I doubt that they are Worthless, but would imagine they dont help too much in a Tank of that Volume...


While I accept that some folks don't believe skimming to be optimal, I don't think their merit is related to the size of the tank. Aesthetically, however, folks may not like then next to a nano. :D

In any case, for any reef aquarium you need methods to export nitrogen and phosphorus. There are many different ways to accomplish that, but without any good ones, algae will get the lion's share.