Algae in new tank

megan84

megan84

Member
Hey guys...It's been awhile! I finally have my tank filled, fish in it, sump working, lights on, sand and rock in...wooo!!!
It's been running for about a month now (two months including the cycle) and tada!! Brown algae...all over the place. I have a 125 wtih about 120 lbs of LR, a 1'' sand bed, three black and gold chromis and a coral beauty. I run 10K watt daylights and blue florescent nightlights.
I have a bit of green algae that came growing on the rock, and my purple coraline algae is definately increasing but this brown algae is all. over. the. place. The fish eat it up but there's no way on earth they could eat it all.
So is it good? Bad? Just yucky looking? Do I need to worry about it?
 
bizzmoneyb

bizzmoneyb

Member
It sounds like diatoms, which happens in every new tank. It will eventually cycle itself away. Do you have any snails in the tank? They usually help with algae and diatoms. Also try cutting back on how long you keep the lights on..
 
megan84

megan84

Member
I use RO/DI water, and no CUC yet...I was told to wait a month to 6 weeks because they wouldn't have anything to eat. I bet I have enough for them to eat now! What is the recommendation for a CUC for a 125? No reef right now, MAYBE down the line if all goes well
 
robdog696

robdog696

Member
"Brown algae" (diatoms)
This is often the first algae to appear in a newly set-up tank, where conditions have yet to stabilise. It will often appear around the 2-12 week period, and may disappear as quickly as it arrived when the conditions stabilise after a couple of months. It is essential to minimise nutrient levels to ensure the algae disappears - avoid overfeeding and carry out the appropriate water changes, and filter cleaning, etc. Limiting the light will not deter this algae, as it can grow at low lighting levels and will normally out-compete green algae under these conditions.
There are some very plausible theories as to why this algae often appears in newly set up tanks and then later disappears. If the silicate (Si) to phosphate (P) ratio is high, then diatoms are likely to have a growth advantage over true algae types and Cyanobacteria. Some of the silicate may come from the tapwater, but it will also be leached from the glass of new aquaria, and potentially from silica sand/gravel substrates to some extent. Later, when this leaching has slowed, and phosphate is accumulating in the maturing tank, the Si:p ratio will change in favour of phosphate, which is likely to favour the growth of green algae instead.
 
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