How do I get rid of this brown algae that occurs on my sandbed.....About a month ago I had no problem. I've had the tank setup for a year or so. I think the brown algae came around when I added a few more dry rocks to my tank. I did rinse them off b4 placing them in the tank. Does anyone know any solutions to the problem?? Thanks.
Brown Algae on sandbed
- Thread starter zrichard
- Start date
Ooulophilia
New member
Try the tongan fighting conch, Strombus gibberulus, they do a great job and do not get too big - I would throw in 12 for a tank your size.
customanimalart
Member
Is a conch okay to add with various hermits, snails, and a mandarin? I get that brown on my sand too. Makes me crazy.
coralnut99
New member
Caribbean cucumbers help quite a bit too. They are pretty much nocturnal, and stick to the sandbed about 98% of the time. They do a great job of sifting over the top of the sandbed. Don't worry these guys won't nuke your tank if they don't make it. It's the colorful Pacific ones you have to worry about.
You might also want to check your RO membrane. I use a Kold-Steril filter for my water supply, and I've noticed that diatom blooms occur only when the filter elements are getting older.
You might also want to check your RO membrane. I use a Kold-Steril filter for my water supply, and I've noticed that diatom blooms occur only when the filter elements are getting older.
customanimalart
Member
It ism't the membrane. It is still too new.
thanks
thanks
SoFloReefer
New member
I had the same problem until a few days ago when I added more current (powerheads) and more hermits. Not my sand bed it perfectly white.
customanimalart
Member
i have some more powerheads on the way. i already have a bunch of hermits, so maybe this will help
If all else fails, consider the 3 day lights out
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1078532
I do this on occasion on my mixed reef tank and have seen unbelievable results. This is of course a temporary fix..
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1078532
I do this on occasion on my mixed reef tank and have seen unbelievable results. This is of course a temporary fix..
aquaconnect
New member
Have you checked your dkh? I used to get bright green and brown algae only on the sand, and just a little bit on the base of the rocks on my sand bed and couldn't get rid of it and did water change after water change, then checked my dkh when I heard that the salt I used had some bad buckets w/almost no dkh in them, which means I just made the probelm worse and worse, buffered reef builder, and walla, it went away with in 24hrs. It was strange and took me a few weeks before I pulled my head out of my butt and check the only thing I hadn't been checking. Since then, I've added a calcium reactor and haven't had a problem with it since.
customanimalart
Member
what was your dkh in your tanK Mine ahs been on lo side and at last check it was 6.1 dkh. (been using reef builder to bring it up SLOW) That was about a week ago or so. I guess I should test again, and check my salt.
I will let ya know thanks!
I will let ya know thanks!
aquaconnect
New member
dkh was 2.0. BTW, I would lower your dkh to 4.0. If it is 6.1 that means your total alkalinity is over 17 which is way too high, and may be preventing calcium from being used in the tank or cause a potential snowstorm. What's your calcium? I'd bet it is low, or that you're having a hard time keeping it up since your dkh is so high.
BTW, check out this link and read it if you have time, it's when I set up my calcium reactor. This guy knows what he's talking about and he has a great website of his own tank and give good info. It explains why you should have a lower dkh a little at the top of page 2. The rest is just about my reactor.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1138514
BTW, check out this link and read it if you have time, it's when I set up my calcium reactor. This guy knows what he's talking about and he has a great website of his own tank and give good info. It explains why you should have a lower dkh a little at the top of page 2. The rest is just about my reactor.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1138514
Last edited:
customanimalart
Member
I thought that dKh had to be in the range of 8-12 (or something of that number) for a reef tank.
I don't know how to get that to the meq/L reading.
My last calcium check was 480 (did not check alk at that time) and ph 8.3, 1.026 salinity
My test kits are over a year old and I ordered some new ones incase I wass getting false readings.
At one point my calcium readings were around 800 which is imposible unless you are dumping in ca supplements on a daily basis. Also, all I have are softies, which don't need much ca, so I wasn't adding anything for around 3 weeks. When I was adding something is was coral vital and purple up. Never added the same day. It was like 2x/week one or the other, never both.
Everything in my tank (except my GSP...algae issue o the polyps) are thriving and mushrooms are dropping kids and everything. ???
So, I will retest everything when my new kits come in and go from there.
Chemistry is not my forte and I can read, read, and re-read and I still don't get it. I have to have things laid out as a 1, 2, 3 basis.
Such as, if this is low....do this. If this is high...do this.
How things work together just confuses me. I hate adding anything to my tank because I am paranoid about ph swings and shocking fish. Heaven forbid I have to deal with a "crash."
It was explained to me that alk and ca are like each one at the end of a teeter totter and when one goes up, the other goes down. Simple. But I don't understand how ph can be affected.
Ahhhh...brain overload. =)
I don't know how to get that to the meq/L reading.
My last calcium check was 480 (did not check alk at that time) and ph 8.3, 1.026 salinity
My test kits are over a year old and I ordered some new ones incase I wass getting false readings.
At one point my calcium readings were around 800 which is imposible unless you are dumping in ca supplements on a daily basis. Also, all I have are softies, which don't need much ca, so I wasn't adding anything for around 3 weeks. When I was adding something is was coral vital and purple up. Never added the same day. It was like 2x/week one or the other, never both.
Everything in my tank (except my GSP...algae issue o the polyps) are thriving and mushrooms are dropping kids and everything. ???
So, I will retest everything when my new kits come in and go from there.
Chemistry is not my forte and I can read, read, and re-read and I still don't get it. I have to have things laid out as a 1, 2, 3 basis.
Such as, if this is low....do this. If this is high...do this.
How things work together just confuses me. I hate adding anything to my tank because I am paranoid about ph swings and shocking fish. Heaven forbid I have to deal with a "crash."
It was explained to me that alk and ca are like each one at the end of a teeter totter and when one goes up, the other goes down. Simple. But I don't understand how ph can be affected.
Ahhhh...brain overload. =)
aquaconnect
New member
Total hardness(alkalinity) are measured two different ways. So if your total hardness is 8 which is what you want to shoot for than you are fine. If your using a dkh test kit, that's totally different and should be 3.5-4. Your calcium is high, I would lower it to 425. Go to twopartsolution.com and order their 2 part kit. It's the same as bionic, you just mix it your self and you get way way more than buying it retail. You can also to go forums on here and go do to vendors, as they have their own forum. What kind of test kit are you using btw?
