brown alge wont go away

rygoodm6

rygoodm6

Member
i had a sudden bloom of brown alge on my sand lr and glass...i went out and got 6 snails 3 scarlet hermets and a brittal star to try and clean it up...this is in a 55g tank that was running normal flur bulbs bought from pet co...what can i do to get rid of this stuff...i drop my lights on time down to 8 hrs from 12...started only feeding ever 2 days....and now i just got me new lights in the mail....260 watts...the stuff is gunna spread like wild fire under these....how can i get rid of this stuff...please help
 
aceroc

aceroc

Member
How long has your tank been set up? Are you using RO/DI or tap water? I had the same problem, i had a standard strip light with a 40watt 50/50 bulb then went to a 260watt PC and the diatoms would come back with in hours after i cleaned the glass. My tank has been set up for about 6 months and the diatoms are gone. I clean my glass maybe once every 2 weeks now from diatoms. I bought a R/O unit and also i used some phosguard.
 
rygoodm6

rygoodm6

Member
i use r/o water bought at lfs do i need a bigger clean up crew...only a single damsel in there with a brit star banded shripp 3 scarlet crabs and 6 snails tank is about 6-8 weeks old...yes cycle is done
 
aceroc

aceroc

Member
Well i would have to say "New tank syndrome". I went through the same thing and it will eventually go away as long as your parameters are in check. Took me about 5 to 6 months before mine went away. I just cleaned the glass and left everything else alone cause i never could keep up. I also got turbo snails to help mine out but they didn't keep it in check.
 
pfitz44

pfitz44

Active Member
Same thing happened to me.... i did some research into it, and its exactly what Ace says.... New tank syndrome. It will go away... I did a good vac w/ a 27% water change... no sign of it anymore
 
murph

murph

Active Member
Not really time to worry....yet. New tanks go through various types/outbreaks of algae. The snails and hermits will take care of your first which is diatom. You will most likely then see some cyano and hair algae after that. Around the fifth or sixth month all of this should start to settle down.
For now keep up with regular water changes. I like to do 15 to 20 percent a week. Other opinions on this will vary. Test regularly and try to keep nitrates and phosphates low with water changes. If you don't have a sump or fuge there is no harm in adding a ball of cheato right to the main tank and you will likely introduce some pods to the tank with it. Your clean up crew and maybe some of your fish additions will snack on it but from my experience it will grow fast enough to keep up with them. Stay away from adding any macros that will attach themselves to the rock work, ie Calurpa. The cheato will use the same nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) as your nusience algea needs for growth and eventually out compete them and starve them off.
Hows your water flow? Shoot for at least 15x turnover with at least four different power heads placed as low in the tank as you can without causing a sand storm. Try to arrange them so that all areas of the tank are getting flow and add a fifth up high for surface agitation.
Go ahead and set up your new lights. Use timers and start out with a ten hour schedule. Actinics on for the whole ten and daylights for as little as 4 and as much as 8. Hopefully you got the mounting legs with the fixture. If not make sure the lights are up off the water surface a few inches and you have no micro bubbles bursting at the surface of your tank and collecting on the bottom of the fixture. If this fixture came with moonlighting they are most likely not protected vary well and any salt spray from micro bubbles breaking at the surface will ruin them in short order. Your coraline will love the new lighting.
A new tank will likely see some cyano for the first 4 to 6 months also. Siphon out as much as you can with water changes and if it gets to out of control up the flow to 20x or more and cut back on your lighting. If you keep nitrates and phosphates in check it to should starve off by the half year mark. Good luck
 
murph

murph

Active Member
Cheato is a macro algae. The term macro algae is a bit misleading for new comers as it looks more like a plant. It grows in balls and will not attach itself to your rock work. It functions as a nitrate and phosphate converter/exporter. Google photo it so you know what it looks like when you go searching for it at the lfs.
It enjoys flow and good lighting which is what is in your main tank. You may have to stuff it down into some rock work a tad to keep it in place. It grows fast and is easy to take out of the tank and prune down.
Like I said your clean up crew and some fish may dine on it but from my experience it is last on the food list as it is quite coarse and when easier/softer algeas are present the snails and hermits will go for it first.
Macros will have an easier time growth wise in a fuge. I have a fuge with cheato and calurpa in it but still have a ball of cheato in my main tank as it seems to do better with the tank lighting and is pod heaven. My clean up crew, tang and angle will peck at it but come no where near eating it off to the point of it disappearing
 
murph

murph

Active Member
Its not something thats going to come on live rock. You can call around localy and ask. If not the auction site will have some or maybe even someone here will send you some if you pay the shipping.
If you post your email I can show you where to get some. Links to competitors are forbiden here.
 
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