Hair Algae?!! It can't be!!!

[whirley]

Hello.
Today, I discovered that I'm starting
to grow hair algae in my tank. How can
that be?? There's a twist to this dilema.

First off, let me tell you about my current setup. I'm currently running a 20 gallon and a 15 gallon on a SHARED sump. Running a Mag 950 that pumps both my skimmer and return to both 20 and 15 gallon tanks.

Currently in the process of building a refugium and a surge device. This is the kicker.

*There is NO hair algae in my 15 gallon tank.*

Lighting: 20 is running on a 250w 65K MH.
15 is running on a 65w LOA.

I've got sps's in my 20 gallon, xenias and softies in my 15 gallon tank.

The only other factor is that my 15 gallon tank has been running for about 10 month, while my 20 gallon has been running for around 6 months.

Any ideas? Both tanks have the same water.

Whirley

 

[whirley]

^ Any ideas?

 

[2poor2reef]

Whirley, what are you using for substrate in each tank and what are you feeding in each? I have a 10g and 15g connected by common sump. I notice that my micro-algae growth also differs between the two tanks. While they do share a wtaer column that doesn't mean that each tank gets the same amount of nutrients. Undissolved solids settle locally and the substrate/crew either process them or they get consumed by LOCAL algae. There are mouths between the nutrient and the overflow. That's my take watching my own similar setup.

 

[whirley]

Good thought.
My 20 gallon does have doesn't have the nice
ooolite sand. The 20 gallon does have larger grain size. I'm not happy with this Carrib sea sand I bought at all.

Got bubbles and now hair algae!

whirley

 

[Ben1]

The lighting is much better in the 20 this will make it much easier for the hair algea to grow. Also I ran a sharred system with a 55 and a 40. I found the algea would grow in the tank with the dual 400 watt MH with actinics before it grew in the 40 with PC's. In fact in never really grew in the 40 where the coralline grew like crazy. I always had both of my tanks testing exacly the same as far as parameters. HTH