Brown algee

[Gietz]

So my tank has been up and running for about 4 months and just recently I've noticed Alot of brown Algee on my rocks and sand. My nitrates are below 10 ppm, they were about 5 ppm yesterday. I'm noticing a little but of hair Algee to but my recently added kole tang has been eating it. The hair Algee isn't the problem tho it's the brown Algee it's getting bad. I don't run a phosphate reactor I only use chemipure.  I've read in other place that it's just new tank syndrome but I don't think so. I do feed frozen everyday without rinsing it out first could that be causing it? I'm pretty upset with any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[pulpfiction1]

i would think the cole tank will take care of it,cut back the feeding and make him hungry,im really impressed with the one i got the other day

 

[Kleko]

I Had this problem becuase I used tap water, Im not sure if you did or not. A goby would clean the sand all up

 

[Zakk]

What are your phosphate levels?

If you are topping up/waterchanging with tap water you will definitely have trouble down the road, with algae, slime, and maybe dinos.  I've fought them all and pristine water condition is always the cure.  Use RO/DI water with a reading of 0PPM on the DI side, do 20% water changes on a regular basis (I do 15 gallons every 3-4 days on a 150gal with 40 gal sump.)

A phosban reactor is a good idea, as is a bio pellet reactor (I even run a reactor for rox activated carbon to keep the water clarity up).  Filter socks are great for taking a lot of crap out of the water, and make sure your skimmer is rated for your tank, and running properly. 

This same advice is repeated by everyone that has that good success in the hobby.  The tough part is sticking to the programs....cleaning, dosing, maintaining...all takes a lot of time.  I went to mexico for a week and spent more time worried about the tank than I did worrying about my kids!

 

[Gietz]

Ha ha ha worry more about the tank!!  As for my tank I replaced my chemipure elite and most of it died off.  I do use RODI water and my TDS is either 0 or 1.  I also do 10% weekly water changes.  Do u think it's just new tank?? I've done research and ppl say you get Alger bloom 4 months in and agian around 9-12

 

[phi delt reefer]

mine went through a dino/diatom bloom recently. I am running chemi pure elite in a hob filter and swapping in some new floss every couple days. I am going to increase the water changes to ten percent twice a week to see if that helps.

i know my issue is potentially related to not having enough bio filtration given my quantity of livestock/corals. Though i am running a lot of mechanical filtration so i am hoping that helps.

 

[Zakk]

Ha ha ha worry more about the tank!!  As for my tank I replaced my chemipure elite and most of it died off.  I do use RODI water and my TDS is either 0 or 1.  I also do 10% weekly water changes.  Do u think it's just new tank?? I've done research and ppl say you get Alger bloom 4 months in and agian around 9-12

If it is gone in a week or two it's a bloom associated with something going in or out of balance.  If longer than than, then you have parameter issues.  Hair algae almost always means excess phosphates IMHO, but brown algae can definitely be a byproduct of a system cycle.

 

[chablonski]

Always rinse your frozen food strian it through a fine net get rid of the water you un thawed it in this causes huge phosphate and other issues.

 

[Gietz]

Yes I've been consider rinsing my frozen but I just bought a kole tang so what ever Algee I have left should be gone in no time.  What do you think of adding a phosphate reactor to my 55?? I think was an Algee bloom since it happened right after I added a fish

 

[Zakk]

Yes I've been consider rinsing my frozen but I just bought a kole tang so what ever Algee I have left should be gone in no time.  What do you think of adding a phosphate reactor to my 55?? I think was an Algee bloom since it happened right after I added a fish

The issue isn't that your tang will eat the algae, it's that you shouldn't have things in your tank that feed nuisance algae.  Phosban reactors are great, and relatively inexpensive.  I run two off the same pump.  I do a combination of carbon and hi-cap GFO, or GFO and ROWAphos, or ROWA and carbon.  I run a constant .05PPM or lower on phosphates and while I can't say a clump of algae won't crop up every once in a while, I will say I no loger get it covering rocks and substrate.

Rinsing the frozen is easy, and if you rinse in hot water it thaws it out, then rinse in a little RO water... that's how I feed my corals anyway. 

 

[Gietz]

Ok thx!! I just got to find a really small strainer lol

 

[Zakk]

I use a fine mesh fish net, had it kicking around anyway

 

[chablonski]

ya just use a finer fish net to strain food and a phosban reactor cant hurt at all.

 

[Gietz]

No more green Algee so it must have been a bloom due to adding fish.  As for rinsing do I just Rinse it in hot water pour it throw tge fine net and I'm good? Or dobi have to thaw it in RODI Water?

 

[Zakk]

I thaw it in hot tap water, then rinse it with RO/DI water, then I put it in a cup with tank water, then use a big syringe to spot feed.  A lot of work, but worth it, and if thaw the chunk or cube of frozen in a cup and just pour it in, you can see all the extra crap that's just going into the water column.  Of course I'm talking about shrimp, very fine food would likely rinse away....

 

[phi delt reefer]

get a stainless steel strainer from the dollar store where they sell all the kitchen utensils... mysis wont get through the holes and its easy to clean.