Brown algae spreading..

[calylove]

Ok I know everyone has been telling me that the brown growing everywhere is diatoms. My water is testing perfect and everything seems really healthy but brown is now spreading onto the glass and all my inside-the-tank equipment. There is some hints of red very minor. I know I need to add snails, lots of snails, but I'm just worried. Should I be scraping this off. I notice all you guys seem to leave the growth all over the back of the tank and equipment. I seem to only have the growing on the back and equip, so should I be worried. :help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help: :help:

 

[unleashed]

if its only on the back of the tank I would worry too much about it as a matter of scraping it off.you could probly give less light time during the day to help minimize aglae growth.

 

[chamic1]

Just a few questions, if you can answer them, it may help with a treatment option.
Do you have a PO4 (phosphate tester?) if you do what is it? if you don't, don't rush out and buy one, not really a critical tester.
How long are your lighter on each day and what kind of lights do you have-specifics.
How long has your tank been cycling?
What are feeding your tank-- if anything at all.
BTW you can clean off the brown stuff if you want; consequently, you be cleaning it often if you have a problem.

 

[calylove]

I dont have a phosphate tester, but could get one.
My light is the Coralife lunar 4x65 watt setup.
Moon from 9pm til 6am
actinic from 6am to 8am
day/actinic 8am to 7pm
actinic 7pm to 9pm
All the times have been pretty consistent, is this too much. The brown is really evident on the riock and the back glass and equip.
Maybe tomorrow I should just get like 20 snails, I have none now. Just crabs and the fish and eel.

 

[calylove]

oh sorry, tank has been up for about a month.
LS - 80 lbs
Lr only 25 lbs so far

 

[calylove]

bump

 

[loopy]

I have the brown algae too. I clean some of it...but leave some as the crabs seem to be feasting on it. I need snails too, as mine is on the back glass and equipment. I probably leave my lights on too long....but also I imagine the snails will help...when I can get them. (lfs here doesn't carry them...I have to special order, haven't done so yet as they have a min. quantitly and they are also expensive on special orders.and I want a variety but with them I have to get like 20 of each...how stupid is that?)

that's how I feel about that. :joy:

 

[chamic1]

Try and cut back on the "day/actinic" lighting. Algae thrive on light so if you cut some of it out of the equation, it may help. Try buy a PO4 tester. You may have high PO4 and it is causing the brown algae to flurish.

 

[chamic1]

I also forgot: buy some turbo/astrea snails. They will help with the brown algae problem. I would by a tonne of them because when they eat all the algae, there will be no food left for them. My tank is a 29 gallon and I have 2 turbos. They keep-up fairly well.

 

[paulcoates]

I have 25 Snails right now and they are doing an okay job on the tank. From what I was told, 1 "cleaner" per gallon of your tank. I also has 3 blue legs and 2 emeralds. and I am looking to get a sand sifter star too. As of now though, they are eating the diatoms at a decent rate.

 

[calylove]

Just wanted to let everyone know, those turbo snails are really turbo. I put six in at about 4pm yesterday and my tank looks awesome. Literally 90% of the brown algae is gone. They cleaned it off the glass equipment and are now onto the rocks. They're like little $1.50 cleaning machines. I wish I would have taken before and after pics, but believe me, these little guys are the best investment.
:jumping:

:happy: :hilarious

 

[promisetbg]

Brown algae in a new tank is normal..it's called diatoms.Soon it will give way to green algae.Both are normal changes all tanks go through.