Help - hair algae and dying fish

[FreedR]

Hi all,

I have been battling a nasty case of hair algae in the 75 for a while, and feeling like I'm fighting an endless battle. I've been changing water, added in a TLF phosban reactor, feeding less, removing as much of the junk manually as I can, added in some turbo grazer snails, but the stuff just kept growing.

But then within the past week, something seems to have taken a drastic change for the worse. First, my firefish goby went MIA. I figured he probably got eaten by hermit crabs and other scavengers. Tested water levels (nitrate and nitrate "zero" on the test strips, pH and salinity normal, temperature around 78, where it usually is) and changed some water.

Then yesterday morning my one-spot foxface rabbitfish, which had previously been healthy, was in camouflage mode and breathing heavily. Was belly-up a few hours later.

The tank has been up and running for about two and a half years. Despite the hair algae, other occupants seem okay (yellowtail damsel, pair of maroon-and-gold clowns, four chromeis; various zoas, mushrooms and a couple LPS).

What should I do? My hunch is that the hair algae is trapping detritus/nitrates/other bad stuff, but wonder whether there's a bigger problem.

-Richard
Milton, MA

 

[stingythingy45]

Are you using ro/di water?
Have you tested for ammonia as the missing fish could be decomposing in the tank?
You mention a fuge,is there chaeto growing in there?

 

[FreedR]

Yes, using RO/DI water (back again after having been off-line during the MWRA incident).

Have not tested for ammonia, but since nitrates and nitrites are undetectable, I don't think that's the issue, but perhaps I should get a test kit. I wonder if there are pockets trapped under the hair algae where water is not circulating?

Yes, chaeto in the fuge. And some hair algae too, unfortunately.

Are you using ro/di water?
Have you tested for ammonia as the missing fish could be decomposing in the tank?
You mention a fuge,is there chaeto growing in there?

 

[willray]

Check for a thread by nichols41 titled sea Hares are just amazing.
More info would help....alk,temp,salinity,calcium.

 

[jamesdong009]

+1 with the decomposing fish and testing for ammonia.

Tested water levels (nitrate and nitrate "zero" on the test strips

Have not tested for ammonia, but since nitrates and nitrites are undetectable, I don't think that's the issue, but perhaps I should get a test kit.

I would definitely invest in a quality test kit. IMO/IME the test strips aren't all that reliable.

 

[IPWitan]

I have never heard of having detrimental ammonia in an established tank. It is so quickly consumed by many things, particularly vegetation, e.g. hair algae, and nitrogen cycle. You are not alone in your fight as others have experienced such a crisis. Hopefully those who have had this people will chime in.

I have been helping a friend overcome a HA issue, and it has me stumped. I can only assume that phosphates are leaching out of your rocks, and perhaps something else is also leaching out too, and killing fish. I suggest carbon, as that seems to be the best at removing chemical contaminants.

Here is a novel theory. I assume you are sticking your hands in the tank alot. Maybe you have some sort of hand cream, conditioner, cooking oil, etc., that has high levels of phosphate or something else bad in it. Perhaps even fertilizer from under your finger nails, I dunno.

Just my inexperienced two cents.

David