Brown Algae problem

[coffeejunkie33]

30G w/a marine land 350 w/about 15lbs of live rock 3+mo up and running.
Problem is brown algae. I've had this brown problem for about a month now. All test of the water are in the normal lvls. I just have 1 Niger trigger and 1 porcupine puffer now. Lost a coral beauty to ich last week. treated w/cupramine and lowered lvl to .018 to kill off the ich, so far other fish are doing fine.
But I have been unable to get rid of the brown algae even with normal water changes and big water changes.
I clean the tank and the brown is back in a matter of days. How can I fight this problem or can I?
Im afraid if I get a clean up crew it will be eaten by the trigger! What options do I have? Thanks for any help!

 

[tommy in jax]

i had some brown algae in my 150 about a month ago. i added 2 k-4's and the problem went away

 

[srfisher17]

Brown algae or diatoms? Diatoms are a part of normal tank cycling and usually disappear in time. High silicate levels can really contribute to a diatom bloom and the silicate is easy to test for and easy to remove using any phosphate removal product. The copper probably killed your bio-filter--copper should only be used in QT and lowering SG while using copper can be a real problem. If you are treating in your DT, you'll really have to watch ammonia and probably have to re-cycle. This is much more serious than the diatoms, so lets be sure where we are; did you use the copper in your main tank? If so, at what level and for how long? Ich, is some stage, almost has to still be present in the tank. Copper levels need to be maintained and monitored for at least 4 weeks to be effective. Please give as much info on your present treatment and water conditions as you can.

 

[srfisher17]

This is a re-do of some drivel I posted here a while ago, I was rushing to pick up my kid and the post made little sense. You probably have a diatom, rather than an algae problem. However, the way you are describing the ich outbreak and treatment sounds very serious. Ich will not disappear from a tank in a week, it is probably going through another phase and will reappear. Are you treating the ich, in your main tank or a QT? Are you monitoring the Cupramine level with a (preferably) SeaChem copper test kit? Copper must be kept at a constant level for at least 4 weeks to totally kill off the ich parasite. Also, there is no reason to lower the SG when using copper and you haven't lowered the SG nearly enough to have any effect anyhow. I'd suggest you gradually bring the SG back to normal. Here's some reading from this forum that should help you make sense out of my comments. An understanding of the ich life-cycle and treatment options are vital for any hobbyist, IMO. (https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/127007/faqs-fish-diseases-treatments-quarantine-health-info) Please let us know as much as you can about whats going on with your tank so we can help. When the ich is cured, then get help with the diatoms---they are normal in a newer tank and usually go away anyhow. I hate to pile on bad news, but a 30 gal is WAY too small for either of your fish, they grow!

 

[flower]

Bang guy said cyano is his friend...he let it take over in his FOWLR tank and in a month or two it died off but the tank was cleared of unwanted nutrients, which feed algae and other problems.

 

[coffeejunkie33]

Hey srfisher, yeah I agree the ich is way more to deal with than my algae problem right now. I just started the treatment with the cuprmine the day I spotted my fish had the disease. I am now waiting for my test kit via snail mail because we don't have a good fish store in my area. I did order exactly the SeaChem test. The reason I dropped my SG level to about .018 I phoned my fish guy in Portland. .018 and around there the ich will drop off the fish but still be in the tank till full treatment is done. I trust his knowledge since he's been in the saltwater business for over 20 years. And yeah, I probably will upgrade the tank pretty soon but for now the fish are only about 2 inch's each still pretty small. Thanks for the link I will check it out.

 

[srfisher17]

I don't want to argue with the guy in Portland, but this SG won't cause the parasite to drop off. The bug is actually buried well into the fish and the spot you see is just scar tissue. Fresh water dips, however, are good for flukes and other external parasites. Ich will live and reproduce at an sg all the way down down to about 1.01

 

[coffeejunkie33]

Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/3170420
I don't want to argue with the guy in Portland, but this SG won't cause the parasite to drop off. The bug is actually buried well into the fish and the spot you see is just scar tissue. Fresh water dips, however, are good for flukes and other external parasites. Ich will live and reproduce at an sg all the way down down to about 1.01
Well, I'll have to ask my fish guy about that! I never would of figured it was actually scar tissue. I have done fresh water dips before in my older tanks I use to have. That's an idea I forgot all about. Ever since I got this sand from the local store here I've had nothing but problems with ich. Could it be the pre bagged sand carrying the ich disease? The sand was the oh, bacteria included sand that sits on the shelf for god knows how long. It was my only option since I live in a crappy small town for now.

 

[coffeejunkie33]

Originally Posted by tommy in jax
http:///forum/post/3170268
i had some brown algae in my 150 about a month ago. i added 2 k-4's and the problem went away
I would probably go that route but I have to get rid of the ich first. The last cleaner I got was a little small and ended up as evening snack. Watching the trigger come up from underneath the fish I admit was kinda cool. Total shark type move on the triggers part. That lil cleaner didn't stand a chance!

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by coffeejunkie33
http:///forum/post/3170744
Well, I'll have to ask my fish guy about that! I never would of figured it was actually scar tissue. I have done fresh water dips before in my older tanks I use to have. That's an idea I forgot all about. Ever since I got this sand from the local store here I've had nothing but problems with ich. Could it be the pre bagged sand carrying the ich disease? The sand was the oh, bacteria included sand that sits on the shelf for god knows how long. It was my only option since I live in a crappy small town for now.
Ich cannot survive, in any form, without a fish host for mor than about 30 days (+ or -)The ich almost certainly came in with a fish. Its impossible to tell if a fish is parasite free just by looking; that's why QT is so important.
EDIT: I'm having trouble finding the reference for my statement that the white spot isn't the actual parasite. I'm stuck at home today, so I'll do some more digging. Not that any of this affects treatment, I just need a life today.
EDIT#2: I found this in Beth's great thread, not exactly what I said, but getting closer.
I found this on Beth's great thread, I must have missed it the 1st time, it pretty much answers my question, but I still think the parasite is deeper in the fish, detached from the white spot.
"What the hobbyist is actually seeing with these white dots is a protective covering, or cyst, which the parasite creates over itself as a means of protection."

 

[coffeejunkie33]

Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/3170864
Ich cannot survive, in any form, without a fish host for mor than about 30 days (+ or -)The ich almost certainly came in with a fish. Its impossible to tell if a fish is parasite free just by looking; that's why QT is so important.
EDIT: I'm having trouble finding the reference for my statement that the white spot isn't the actual parasite. I'm stuck at home today, so I'll do some more digging. Not that any of this affects treatment, I just need a life today.
EDIT#2: I found this in Beth's great thread, not exactly what I said, but getting closer.
I found this on Beth's great thread, I must have missed it the 1st time, it pretty much answers my question, but I still think the parasite is deeper in the fish, detached from the white spot.
"What the hobbyist is actually seeing with these white dots is a protective covering, or cyst, which the parasite creates over itself as a means of protection."
Man I still haven't gotten my seachem test for the copper. I hate snail mail, I wish they could just email it. I have read a good deal on ich this last week. And there are so many conflicting reports it's ridiculous! Right now I am following the directions on the cupramine bottle, I just fear my lvl of copper since I don't have the kit yet. But both fish now have the white spots, mostly the puffer my trigger aint to bad. And as for dropping my SG lvl yeah, I see for myself that now hasn't worked worth a dam. I believe I got the ich from my now dead fish that I bought at *****! The fish I got from saltwaterfish.com were in my tank ich free until I got that ***** fish. Dam the ***** and there connected tanks. Im sure that's where it came from.