0 phosphates red algea?

[fraggel rock]

i have zero phosphates and have cut my lights back to 9 hours. what is my next step?

 

[fraggel rock]

anybody?

 

[ralph atl]

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">It depends on what type of red algae you have. Please post pics. Also, phosphates can still be very high even though your kit your using cannot detect them, since only a few kits detect low enough to measure phates accurately in the low range (0.024).</span></span>


<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Phosphate reduction/ removal and high trates could be the answer. If you cannot get a fuge or sump (you can maybe make a "rubbermaid sump with chaeto in it for a few bucks) you can get a $35.00 hangon phosphate reactor for your tank and put some Phosar HC in there (or other). In the future, you'll most likely need a refugium with Macro algae. At first you’ll need to change your Iron based media in the phosphate reactor more often. Your media will get saturated in 2 weeks or so depending upon how much is bound up in your rocks, tank, algae, etc. Use less media, change every 2 weeks. Use a great test kit like DD Merck, Hack, Elos, or colormeter or send to AWT. If you already have a fuge & reactor, be aggressive & change the media every 2 weeks.</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">when you do your water change, take the end of the hose and suck all the algae down like a vaccum. It'll take a few water changes, but it works (especially after the phosphate remover kicks in)</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">You must export the same or more nutrients than you put in. Overfeeding, tap water, high phosphate foods, etc. Use a phosphate reactor with some phosar or ROWA or whatever, and something to lower nitrates like a fuge, AZNO3, or whatever. </span></span>

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">check out:</span></span>
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #800080;">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php</span></span></span></a>

[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/iss...st2003/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/iss...st2003/chem.htm</span></span></span></a>


[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</span></span></span></a>


[IMG]http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php</span></span></span></a>

[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm</span></span></span></a>

 

[ralph atl]

if your red algae is cyno, diatoms, turf, caulpera, etc, there would be different things to do. I have nitrates at or below 0.5 & phates below 0.024 consistently for the past 12 months but have a red turf algae problem. That crap doesn't need hardly anything in the way of nutrients, so Jin suggested Mex Turbo snails a few weeks ago, and they are eating it up consistently.

 

[cameron]

It isn't uncommon to have red algae and 0 phosphates... mainly because the algae is consuming the phosphates as they enter the system. Those tests are only useful before you have a problem. Afterwards, you pretty much know you have a phosphate/flow problem in the tank. Course MB makes a valid point with the type of algae itself.