Brown Algae. HELP!!!

[haninja]

<span style="font-family: Arial;">I have been trying to battle brown algae for the past couple of month. I’m doing weekly water changes with RO/DI water I get from patland. I decreased feeding to once every 3 days. I decreased photo period. I put PhosBan in my canister filter (in addition to carbon). I don’t know what else to do…</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I also noticed some red slime starting to form. Another phenomena is that my snails are dying. I had 4 Astraea – down to 1 now. 6 Cerith – down to 4 and I also got 1 turbo to help – he doesn’t look good either. I’m afraid he’s about to die. The 3 hemits seems to be happy.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Interesting think I noticed is that this brown stuff is also forming on the bottom of my saltwater jug (the one that holds the new saltwater)… I keep it in the garage where it gets quite hot. Can that be a reason?</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Only other thing is that I change my CF light bulbs recently but the outbreak has started even before that.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My parameters are: Ammonia – 0.25, Nitrite – 0, Nitrate – 10 and Ph – 8.2.</span>

 

[stroid]

honestly looks like diatoms to me...that will go away with time. Many people will tell you different things to battle Cyano as for me personally I used Chemi-clean and it worked wonders and got rid of all of it and it never came back. But everything you are doing is good such as reducing light cycle, reducing food, water changes, all of this will help. For the snails if you dont have enough algae then they are going to die off plus cuc always need replenishment.

 

[showtime305]

<span style="color: black;">How old is your tank? That looks like a diatom bloom which is caused by above normal phosphate, nitrate and/or silicate levels. Silicates tend to be the major cause since it's the only required nutrient diatoms need. As your tank matures it will go through these algae blooms but they only return if the nutrient levels rise again.</span>

 

[cameron]

Diatoms which usually go away after a couple months once the silicates in the tank are depleted. I personally fight them constantly, but kinda on purpose. They are good food for the tank. If you want to keep the sand clean, a diamond goby does wonders keeping the diatoms off the bottom.

 

[haninja]

Thanks guys. AJ, the tank is running about 8 month. I had this bloom at the begining but nothing since...

 

[showtime305]

Have you always used RO/DI from Petland? Something is caused or is causing a rise in your silicate levels. If you haven't added any new rock or sand then the silicates could be coming from food you may be feeding or the water you were using.

 

[haninja]

<span style="font-family: Arial;">I always get the water from Patland. I actually added some sand&#8230; but I had the problem with the old sand as well. So the new sand might be the culprit?</span>

 

[linda lee]

We have this stuff, too and I suspect it's being caused by:

1) overfeeding

2) lights are on too long

I've asked a couple of times but still haven't gotten an answer... what exactly is a good light cycle for a 33 gal? Just 3 fishies, the CUC and a new zoa. Lights are 96x2 Coralife PC's.

We have a timer, just not sure how long the lights should be on. (We have the actinic come on 1 hour early and stay on 1 hour after the others go off.)

Thanks!

~LL

 

[showtime305]

haninja;52876 wrote: <span style="font-family: Arial;">I always get the water from Patland. I actually added some sand&#8230; but I had the problem with the old sand as well. So the new sand might be the culprit?</span>

The new sand may have introduced more nutrients to your tank. What type of sand do you use?

Linda Lee;52877 wrote: We have this stuff, too and I suspect it's being caused by:

1) overfeeding

2) lights are on too long

I've asked a couple of times but still haven't gotten an answer... what exactly is a good light cycle for a 33 gal? Just 3 fishies, the CUC and a new zoa. Lights are 96x2 Coralife PC's.

We have a timer, just not sure how long the lights should be on. (We have the actinic come on 1 hour early and stay on 1 hour after the others go off.)

Thanks!

~LL

I would run the daylight for 8-9 hours and keep the actinic schedule the same as you have it now (on one hour beforedaylights turn on and off one hour daylight turn off).

 

[haninja]

You got the quotes mixed but anyway, I got more caribsea live sand.

 

[showtime305]

Fixed it. That's what I get for messing with stuff.

 

[ouling]

Its good food for clams and such things, or if you have massive amounts of feather duster like me.

If I were you I would just vacume your sand. I rarely see diatom brow/green algea on sand, more like on glass and such. I would think that there is not enough flow going through the sand bed or not enough movement.

If you use RO/DI water the problem shouldn't be as bad, depending on the rejection rate of your R/O membrane. Vacume your sand, and put a floss filter somewhere in the system, you'll get out alot of algea that way if it's stired in the water after you clean the glass or shift the sand.

I personally don't think diatom algea is a big problem, it exports nutrients and is good food. If you have good water, low PO4 and NO4 then it should be in control.

Your lights are fine, I keep mine on for 12 hours before i got my 800w and never had a big problem with diatoms.

It's whats in your water and makes it grow, light just help them grow health"ier"

1. Nitrate
2. Phosphate
3. Silicate

Proper feeding and carbon and time for the tank to mature
Phosphate sponge and good water
90% rejection rate R/O membrane
Vacume your sand and clean the glass, get more movement on sand bed
put a filter floss or micron sock somewhere as mech algea filter.
more snails
Problem solved.

 

[linda lee]

Showtime305;52872 wrote: Have you always used RO/DI from Petland? Something is caused or is causing a rise in your silicate levels. If you haven't added any new rock or sand then the silicates could be coming from food you may be feeding or the water you were using.

We got our water for a 30% water change from Cap-Bay. 24 hours later, brown algea. Is there a way to test for silicates? Or IS that the test? Brown algea=silicates?

Already know that an unbalanced light cycle contributed (we're fixing that), but pretty sure something else did also. Probably the water/silicates.

Another question: we got an extra 5 gal container of water (salt). What's the shelf life before we need to use it? Wouldn't want to pour something into the tank if something is now enthusiastically growing inside. :yuk:


~LL

 

[showtime305]

<span style="color: black;">

Linda Lee;52976 wrote: We got our water for a 30% water change from Cap-Bay. 24 hours later, brown algea. Is there a way to test for silicates? Or IS that the test? Brown algea=silicates?</span><span style="color: black;">Already know that an unbalanced light cycle contributed (we're fixing that), but pretty sure something else did also. Probably the water/silicates.</span>

<span style="color: black;">There are silica test kits available, but I can't comment on their accuracy. If silicates are present it will almost always lead to a diatom bloom.</span>

<span style="color: black;">

Linda Lee;52976 wrote: Another question: we got an extra 5 gal container of water (salt). What's the shelf life before we need to use it? Wouldn't want to pour something into the tank if something is now enthusiastically growing inside.</span><span style="color: black;">~LL</span>

<span style="color: black;">If it's not used right away, then you should aerate and heat the water to the tank temperature within 24 hrs of using it. Most of use Rubbermaid tubs with a powerhead and heater to do this.</span>

 

[linda lee]

Very helpful.

Thanks.