How do you control the brown algae on your sand bed and on the inside of your tank?

[tellico tornado]

My tank has been set up for about 4 months now. Everything cycled in like 2 weeks. I run a 4" DLSB with about 75lbs of LR in a 55 gal tank. I have power compacts with VHO's for my lighting. About 3 weeks ago, this brown algae started growing on my sand, i got a few blue leg hermits and they seemed to take care of it. Now, all but like two or three crabs are gone.... the algae is all over the sand and i have to scrub the inside of the tank everyday to keep it clean. What is causing this? How can i control it? All my tests are perfect.... seems that my water quality is perfect and conditions are right but the brown algae is taking over. It never was this bad til i got the power compacts. Could there be too much light?

 

[puffermama]

my husband has a 55 gal and he has that algae all over his tank...he bought a sand sifting goby to keep the sand clean and some snails for the glass...the goby does a real good job. my tank is new so i dont have that problem yet.

 

[predator]

Check your phosphates, but new tanks produce algea. I use turbo grazers, mexican turbo grazers and conchs. They handle up on the algea just fine.

 

[chevron tang]

Predator's right, have your phosphates checked. What kind of water do you use? (tap, RO, distilled, etc.) Though because your tank is new it's not very abnormal that you have a brown algae growth. That's just goes with the cycling of the tank.

 

[joe's reefer]

lower your tanks silicate intake.and gets some zebra(black and white) hermits, what are they hermits or snails i forgot well either one gets the job done <img src="graemlins//uhuh.gif" border="0" alt="[U-Huh]" />