Algie in the sand

[Bremenguppie]

I have recently had a huge algie out break in my sand and glass for some reason. I cleaned the glass and tried cleaning the sand. I even added two bags of sand. It looked good. Come home today and the sand is brown again. Is this outbreak normal and just needs to run its coarse or what. My tank lights run 9 hours a day shut off n on automatically. If I knew how to add a picture I would

 

[Uncle99]

I have recently had a huge algie out break in my sand and glass for some reason. I cleaned the glass and tried cleaning the sand. I even added two bags of sand. It looked good. Come home today and the sand is brown again. Is this outbreak normal and just needs to run its coarse or what. My tank lights run 9 hours a day shut off n on automatically. If I knew how to add a picture I would

I can be normal. New tanks go through a number of ugly stages until it comes into balance. Maybe diatom stage, diatoms feed on silicates, until silicates replenish.......what type of sand of you using?

What is the age of this build?
What is your phosphate level?
What type of lighting?

 

[Bremenguppie]

I dont recall the name of the sand. I got it from my local fish store and its salt water safe. I also use distilled water that I run thru my rodi system. It's not necessarily a new tank. Everything has been running for over a year. But I did about 2 months ago switch from a 30 gal tank to a 75 gal. I get algie but this is the worst. I wish I could get it down to where I get no algie but I'm not sure how or if that's even possible. I need to get a bunch more snails.

 

[j.falk]

Is the brown algae stringy with little bubble on it or more like a powdery dust type of algae on the sand and glass?

 

[Uncle99]

Assuming nutrient levels are in the normal ranges, the tank being a year, sounds normal.

Snails will help, but maintaining N in the 2-5ppm range and P in the 0.03-.1ppm range will starve algae, diatoms feed on silicates, so over time, they usually die off on their own.

 

[Bremenguppie]

It's like a powder type brown algie. Okay thanks. I'll have to check my levels on the N and P. I know I need to add more snails. I've only got about 12 in there and the ppl at fish store recommended I have about 75 snails.

 

[j.falk]

Powdery is usually diatoms...it'll die off in time. It's more than likely feeding off of the silicates in the new bags of sand you've added recently. Be patient.

 

[Uncle99]

It's like a powder type brown algie. Okay thanks. I'll have to check my levels on the N and P. I know I need to add more snails. I've only got about 12 in there and the ppl at fish store recommended I have about 75 snails.

LFS are selling large CUC because it sounds like it makes sense.

You get more results on all nuisance algae by keeping N and P in the low ranges

Snails are great for "œhelping" keep things clean, various kinds do various things, but they cannot rid the tank of algae, and they don't do much if anything for silicates.

When you put in a mass of snails, they will start to die off quickly as food diminishes, their death adds back nutrients to the water and thus the problem starts all over again, sometimes worse.

In your sizes tank I would add
10 Nars for sand cleaning
20 Ninja Astrea for the green algae
5 Mexican turbos for the brown alage

Sponges stop diatoms as sponges consume silicates to build their structures, so diatoms have nothing to feed on.

They will pass anyways on their own

 

[Bremenguppie]

Uncle99 that makes alot sense. Thank u everyone for your advice. I'll see what I come up with

 

[Bremenguppie]

One question.. I assume "N" is for nitrates. What is the "P" for

 

[Uncle99]

P is for Phosphate.

 

[Bremenguppie]

Okay that's what I wondered. I know with nitrates they say if it's high to do a water change to get them back in normal range. Would you do the same for phosphates

 

[Uncle99]

Okay that's what I wondered. I know with nitrates they say if it's high to do a water change to get them back in normal range. Would you do the same for phosphates

Yes bring both N and P into "œnormal" ranges.

Nitrate, I do a weekly WC of 10% and I dose Nopox at 10 ml per day to keep my nitrate in the 2-5ppm range.

Phosphate gets in through feeding and for the most part can not be skimmed out. I use a GFO in a bag, in a HOB, phosphate binds to the media to keep phosphate in the 0.03-0.07 range.

Those two ranges are what many reefers use as a guide for nutrients control.

 

[Bremenguppie]

Okay thank u for all your help.

 

[Uncle99]

Okay thank u for all your help.

Always welcome