Brown algea -- Nasty stuff!!! Help!!!
- Thread starter alex.m
- Start date
cincyreefer
Active Member
Brown and hairy?
Either its some kind of cyano or possibly dinoflagellates. Did you just introduce live rock to the tank? What are the water parameters, filtration, lighting, and how long has it been set up?
Either its some kind of cyano or possibly dinoflagellates. Did you just introduce live rock to the tank? What are the water parameters, filtration, lighting, and how long has it been set up?
escape2thewater
Active Member
You may want to introduce a clean up crew, if you dont have one already. I just added some hermits and trubo snails in my 120 a week ago and they have done miracles!
Kyle
Kyle
bdhough
Active Member
Abundant algae is a sign of poor water quality. This is what i always tell people.
1.) lighting. 10 hours or less a day. Proper spectrum. Unless its halides get 10k's and actinics or 50/50's. Spectrum isn't such a big deal as long as its 6.7k or higher. Its more the hours its on
2.)feeding. If you feed your fish 3 times a day you get lots of waste. Feed less. Feed slower. Make sure nothing hits the bottom and if it does get critters that eat it.
3.)water quality. Which is usually the culprit and hardest to fix. Always use RO water. IF you use tap or well water switch to RO. Doesn't matter how "clean it is" it usully has something that promotes algae growth. Test for phosphates and nitrates. If they are high then you have water quality that is excellent for algae growth or blooms like you have.
Those three things are usually the problems most associated with algae. Keep in mind that nothing can replace a good cleanup crew that will constantly make things tidy...
1.) lighting. 10 hours or less a day. Proper spectrum. Unless its halides get 10k's and actinics or 50/50's. Spectrum isn't such a big deal as long as its 6.7k or higher. Its more the hours its on
2.)feeding. If you feed your fish 3 times a day you get lots of waste. Feed less. Feed slower. Make sure nothing hits the bottom and if it does get critters that eat it.
3.)water quality. Which is usually the culprit and hardest to fix. Always use RO water. IF you use tap or well water switch to RO. Doesn't matter how "clean it is" it usully has something that promotes algae growth. Test for phosphates and nitrates. If they are high then you have water quality that is excellent for algae growth or blooms like you have.
Those three things are usually the problems most associated with algae. Keep in mind that nothing can replace a good cleanup crew that will constantly make things tidy...
alex.m
Member
75 g Set up little over 1 month
Ph 8.4
Am, nitrate, nitrite are 0
SG 0.021
Temp 80 degrees
Single strip 40W triton light
Reno filstar XP canister
Prizm skimmer
1 Penguin power head
40 lb of cured live lr + cc
7 turbo snails + 5 hermit crabs
1 yellow tang
1 Maroon clown
Feed my fish 1 time a day
Thank you
Ph 8.4
Am, nitrate, nitrite are 0
SG 0.021
Temp 80 degrees
Single strip 40W triton light
Reno filstar XP canister
Prizm skimmer
1 Penguin power head
40 lb of cured live lr + cc
7 turbo snails + 5 hermit crabs
1 yellow tang
1 Maroon clown
Feed my fish 1 time a day
Thank you
oceanic110
Member
What kind of water are you using?
Tap water?????
If so try RO...... It made a difference for me.
Tap water?????
If so try RO...... It made a difference for me.
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
sounds like your nitrAtes and feeding are ok.
Having brown algae after about 3-4 weeks of setup is normal. It feeds off of phosphates. As the phosphates are consumed the brown algae is replaced by green. So hold on and the brown will diminush on it's own.
One way of controlling algae is to add plant life you consider desirable. they will consume the same nutrients as the algae and therefore help control or even eliminate the "ugly" algaes. Additionally, plant life will complete the nitrogen cycle, filter out bad stuff and make for a balanced and stable system.
Having brown algae after about 3-4 weeks of setup is normal. It feeds off of phosphates. As the phosphates are consumed the brown algae is replaced by green. So hold on and the brown will diminush on it's own.
One way of controlling algae is to add plant life you consider desirable. they will consume the same nutrients as the algae and therefore help control or even eliminate the "ugly" algaes. Additionally, plant life will complete the nitrogen cycle, filter out bad stuff and make for a balanced and stable system.
cincyreefer
Active Member
Any way you can post a picture? If it is just the regular diatom bloom then algae/plants won't help too much since they mainly use silicates, and tap water has lots of them.
beaslbob
Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Alex.M
beaslbob !! what kind of live plants will you recommend. I was thinking about a shaving brush for an example. Is that sound ok??? Thank you for your respond . Alex.
Actually just about any plants would help. The shaving brushes from SWF are a good example. I use garcilla, various caulperas, brillo pad macro, shaving brushes, plus turtle grass. My wife particulary likes a new red macro I glued onto a rock. Some people have reported that livestock can eat the "bristles" from the shaving brushes. Whatever you do it would be a good idea to protect your investiment with a refugium or even culturing the plants in a seperate container. You also may find locals who are throwing away pounds of plants and would gladly give you some.
Looking at the pictures, I can't help but wonder If you don't have cyano bacteria. I also have seen and experienced much greater algae blooms. But then it is hard to tell from pictures. Whatever the extent, getting desirable plants thriving will definately help keep the tank clean, balanced, and stable.