Brown Algae Won't Go Away!

[TheSherm]

29 gallon has been running for a year. Water parameters are good- 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5-10 nitrate, 420-440 calcium, 9 alk, 0-.25 phosphates. Only have a watchman goby and bangai cardinal fishwise. Cleaner shrimp and a bunch of snails and hermits plus soft coral, zoas and lps.

Anybody have any suggestions on how to keep the brown algae down? I scrub it every weekend and it is back by the next weekend.

 

[cdh9400t]

are you using tap water? ro/di is the best

 

[alleykat81]

Make sure you have decent flow-run a phosphate reactor

 

[odyssey1]

Can you be more specific as th=o the type of algae?

Do you have any Pics?

This will help with the proper diagnosis!!!

 

[Michael]

is it brown stringy algae? as mentioned above need to be more specific, and tbh a lot more information is required,

whats your water source?
whats the livestock?
how often do you feed?
how often do you WC ?
what lighting have you got?
what is your main filteration?
do you use carbon or phosban in bags?
if so how often do you change it out?
do you run a fudge?
if so whats in it?
what is your flow like?
is there hard to get at areas in the tank or dead spots?


sorry to hear your having problems, hope things get better for you soon

 

[bsmith22]

Make sure your water source R/O or otherwise, does not contain phosphates.

Keep your Nitrates as low as you can. 0 is best.

Might try lessening your photoperiod by a few hours.

Up the flow.

Clean sponges, filter socks, and skimmer cup often.

Make sure your skimmer is doing its job. Maybe clean it with some vinegar if its not.

Cut down on feeding, or if necessary, stop altogether for a few days.

Blow it off your rocks with a baster. Siphon it off the sand.

Add a few more snails/hermits.

 

[engine]

It might be lobophora (brown wafer algea). If so, sally light foot crab and naso tang (if you have a large tank) will eat it.

 

[TheSherm]

Its not stringy algae, it looks like dirt, like there is dirt on the glass. If I can get a decent pic i will post.

Live stock is just yellow watchman and bangai with a cleaner shrimp, crabs and snails. Some LPS and Soft coral. Feed a little bit everyday.

Only have PC's for lighting- 130 w, actinics run for 8 hours, daylights for 7.

I have a protein skimmer hang on back, and an eheim 2213 which i run the carbon in, change the bag once every 3 months or so.

Flow have the return on the eheim and a koralia 2.

I clean the rocks with a baster every couple days, water changes every two weeks.