Tiny bit of Algae in sand

[firstfear]

Hi I noticed a tiny lil bit of brown algae just under the sand on the glass. Its a tiny patch of just a few inches. Can anyone tell me which snail would be good for this or should I think about some hermits or a small goby. I have a 37 with T5's using RO water only. Would if be better for me to just disturb the sand a little and take it off myself? I am waiting on a local store to get more Blue Legs in but I believe they do more on the rock then the sand.
Thanks in advance for any help
Scott

 

[hackman72]

Brown algae in the sand is likely diatoms. If this a new tank it's just part of the cycle and has to run it's course.

 

[firstfear]

Ok thanks so much..

 

[brianjfinn]

How old is the system, and what livestock do you already have? I'd agree with Hackman, that it's most likely diatoms, but if it's an established system, you could be dealing with other algae issues.

 

[jeffmuse]

Hackman72;576765 wrote: Brown algae in the sand is likely diatoms. If this a new tank it's just part of the cycle and has to run it's course.

+1 Diatoms, nothing to worry about

 

[firstfear]

Yes it is I googled them and saw the picture. Though not at all like the pictures its just a tiny bit right at the top of the sand where it touches the glass in one little spot. It said astrea snails eat them and yes this is a pretty new system.
Thanks so much
Scott

 

[demifelix]

Scott....if you are getting snails and hermit crabs, make sure you get a balance of them, otherwise the hermits will kill the snails eventually.

In your case, I def think it's diatoms, so don't worry too much for now.

 

[firstfear]

Thanks Felix I will get some extra shells as well so there isn't a lot of fighting over new homes for the hermits. . I am wanting to wait a little on the snails or add them in slowly. Would a sand sifter consume it or do they tend to go more for detritus. Right now I have a Banghai cardinal and 2 damsels in the tank.

 

[hackman72]

FirstFear;576801 wrote: Thanks Felix I will get some extra shells as well so there isn't a lot of fighting over new homes for the hermits. . I am wanting to wait a little on the snails or add them in slowly. Would a sand sifter consume it or do they tend to go more for detritus. Right now I have a Banghai cardinal and 2 damsels in the tank.

The best way to handle diatoms is to let it run it's course. It'll get bad and then will go away as the system matures.

 

[firstfear]

Has been holding off so far so I wait a bit more on the hermits. Is using RO for top off water and will also use for water changes. Thanks so much Hackman..

 

[oil_fan]

Agreed on it's most likely diatoms. The reason they will go away on their own is the diatoms require silica. Once that source is exhausted, they will disappear.

Now that said, if you're using R/O water and the membrane is near the end of it's life, then silica can enter into your water to feed them. But that's more rare.

 

[demifelix]

How is this coming along Scott? Does it get better yet?

 

[pamelahaley]

I had a brownish red I dismissed for red slime. All it took was finding I had a low pH and adding buffer.

 

[carpenter981]

I had a pretty bad diatom outbreak on my new tank but it cleared up in about 3-4 weeks...now i just have a little brown here and there, nothing major though