RBTA and water changes?

[Ram_Puppy]

OK, I have been a bad reefer for the last couple months, with my schedule change (working 7PM to 7:30 AM 3 nights a week) I have been too exhausted to make regular water changes on my tank and not that I have adjusted, I am fighting back a hair algae plauge.

Step 1: change about 60% of the water
Step 2: Wait a week, Change about 60% of the water
Step 3: Started Sea-Chem's Phosphate remover in my Magnum 350

Now what I am wondering, every time I have done a water change, my RBTA has decided to take a stroll, both times it has been exposed to air for the amount of time it takes me to siphon off and replace the water. It does not appear to have effected him other than he then takes a hike around the tank. He is now between the Mag Pump driving ma remora (yes, the guard and sponge are installed) and a large chunk of live rock... I can't do my feeding there, so do I just wait for him to move again?

I don't forsee a need to do any other massive water changes and will be going back to the small weekly water changes now. (in fact bought a trashcan and started mixing all my water many many days in advance.) So he shouldn't be out of water again.

Oh, and to get the hair algae under control I pulled out the rocks that I could (one infested rock is a base rock) and used my fingers to rip off as much growth as I could, a toothbrush, and a plastic bristled brush proved worthless) put the rocks back in, Also, I siphoned off some of my substrate maybe a mm or so, if even that) Amazingly, It's been 4 days since the last water change, and i don't think the hair algae has advanced, and I haven't seen any algae growing on the glass...

I am so mad at myself, by ignoring a chore that takes half an hour a week I have doomed myself to months of fighting back hair algae and getting this tank squared away. I will probably get it JUST RIGHT in time for the 115 to go up.

[GaryP]

I think the phosphate adsorber is going to be effective as anything else you have done. Anemones are sensitive to large water changes. I know they will frequently split as a sort of defense mechanism as a result of large water changes. That's why frequent small water changes are usually recommended instead of large ones.

Gary

[Tim Marvin]

Right! I am surprised it hasn't split.... I'd rather do 5 gallons a week than 20 at the end of the month.

[Ram_Puppy]

yeah, me to, 5 gallons a week is what I usually do, this was I guess maybe an ill advised emergency effort to bring things back into balance... so far, conditions seem to be spectactular now, the anemone has settled down, but he has chosen a spot that will get exposed even with a 5 gallon water change. he usually eats like a pig, I am going to see if I can feed him today by pulling off the canopy before the lights come on and givin him a piece of shrimp. I guess also, maybe i don't need to be as concerned now that he has two maroon clowns to bring him goodies, I have seen them drop flake, pellets, and mysis into the anemone when it was up front. I love those little fish!