Tap water

iv had hair algae problems
is it because of the tap water?
i dont live in a city
its from a well or something

all the algae and everything on my rocks is a pain
scrubbing for hours on end
just to see them re grow it


so.
simple solutions?!

[i keep my salt level at 1.0025 or something like that, not sure how many zeros, lights are on for 12hrs a day (coral lights, its the right size and everything) everything is healthy in my tank. nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, PH.
temp is kept between 76-79]

 

tap and well water will help contribute to algae. ro\di wil lhelp a long ways to help keeping that under control. and im sure your sg hopefully is 1.025

 

It is because of the tap water. Water whether it comes from a well or city plumbing is loaded with phosphates.

Simple solution would be to buy an RO/DI unit or purchase RO/DI water from your LFS if they sell it.

 

The answer is almost certainly a "yes." Tap water is probably the culprit. The solution, as others mention is to use RO/DI water. You mentioned nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, pH, but gave no values for either. What do your tests reveal about these 4 items?

 

I just got an RO/DI unit today so thank god tap water will never be going into my aquarium again EVER!

 

you should definitely get an ro/di,much fewer headaches in the long run.

 

+1 on all comments above on tap water - there are some good sources, and some report success using it

it does tend to vary from region to region, country to country and speaking from my UK experience , it can vary from week to week even in the same location

RODI as stated - takes the gamble out of it

a Phosphate reactor added to your set up, using Phosban, Rhowphos or some other GFO phosphate removal resin, is also a usefull weapon in the fight againts the algae you already have

Just my thoughts

Steve

 

well, rodi is probably the way to go , but on the plus side! Copepods have been found in some tap water in hartford Ct !! free pods !!!

 

Something to note here. Your tap water might not be the whole problem, or even the biggest part of your problem.
I live in an area that has excellent water and I use tap water in all of my tanks. Over the 15 years, I have had several bouts of hair algae in one tank or another, but usually it's because I've neglected tank maintenance which once corrected, is all the remedy needed.
Also in my area are many reefers running this same tap water through RO/DI units, plus they use all kinds of reactors for this and that, (can you tell I don't have any?) and still, hair algae is a fairly common complaint.
Water sources vary in mineral and organic compounds all over the world and even in wells from nearby locations. It is incorrect to make a blanket statement that well and city water is "loaded with phosphates".
We worry about phosphates in our tanks, and mainly are concerned about levels in the water we use, but in fact, the biggest source of phosphates and other minerals and organic materials comes from uneaten and decaying food, as well as decaying feces sourced from the food we feed.
Phosphates are naturally found in almost any food, plus manufacturers will many times add phosphates to food or packaging as a preservative.
Personally, I do water changes to LOWER the levels of traces elements and organics added to the tank by feeding, not to replenish them.
The only "additives" you could say I use to boost anything are for calcium, alkalinity and magnesium.

 

Another little thing about using tap water. I have found that in a fish only tank that uses only a few t8 ot t12 bulbs will have almost no algae even when using tap water. For all my reef set-ups i use nothing but ro/di water. It's kinda like that v8 commercial. Put good in and get good out.