[nicholash]

It was about a month ago when i started a QUEST to rid the small film of green hair algea from growing rapidly on the surface of my substrate. I had previously been using a DI unit i puchased for a better water supply. When i was told that phosphates and tap water were my issues I stocked up on RO water and bought some kent phosphate remover. Now just a few days over a month ive been syphoning the algea every day it grows back and using my RO sorce alonge with the phosphate remover, not to mention another skimmer now having double the skimming capacity for my tank! Heres my problem, the green algea is still lush, with only a few patches slightly turning brown, and when i syphon it grows back EVERY DAY, with my RO, with mt phos remover,the skimmers! I guess my only quetsion is WHATS GOING ON, that and I would live to know a recomended time for leaving phosphate remover in. If anyone has hade any experience with these things in the past espeacialy the phosphate remover your insight and comments will be appreciated. Also my light cycle has been reduced a few times allready, my daylights are now only on for 8 hours and my actinics for 10hrs.

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Nic, I am an old man and therefor allowed to forget things so remind me.How much lr per gallon,how deep is the sand bed?How old is the tank?How many fish,corals?What size is the tank?

[nicholash]

50 lb Lr, with 50 lbs crushed coral subsrate about 2 to 3 inches , a condi anemone, ricordea ployp, 2 umbrella mushroom ployps, clown fish , green spotted mandrin, yellow deep sea gorgonian, its a 55 gal, no sump, 60-90 berlin airlift, skilter filter 50 gal, lots of power heads, but they are all 550's , planning to upgrade soon. and a cleaning package of 50 hermits and 50 astrea snails that arrives tomorrow and the tank is 6mo old.

[sarha]

i've never used phosphate remover from kent but i have used phasgard by seachem and replased it every 3 or 4 days till phosphates tested 0 but i believe that hair algea and other nucience algea can just be the natural order of things sometimes it's just better to let them run there course especially if it is a fairly new system if all your water perameters are where they should be the nucience algea will give way to the more desirables in additon you can add a more manageable aglea like caulerpa racemosa which is a fast groing agea and will help in choking out the hair algea a lawn mower blienne, certain hermit crab, snails, and certian tangs can aid in algea control

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Well the cleaning crew will certainly do the job for you.I would definatly stop useing any chemical that you cant test for.If it were possable to do so I would get rid of the crushed coral and put in fine live sand.Since live rock and live sand are your primary biological filtration you might want to add 20 pounds of rock. That would be in a perfect world and I know sometimes you cant everything but any of that would help.