brown algae???

[champscorner]

hello all. I have a new 90gal setup w/30gal sump. I have about 90 lbs of sand and about 12lbs of live rock. I've only had this in for about a week now and am already getting outbreaks of brown algae on the sand, glass, and lr. Should this be happening already? I know you will have brown algae initially but as i understood it, it shouldn't startup until the end of the cycle period. If i'm reading my test kit correctly my params are ammonia - .25, nitrite - .1, and nitrate - 20. do these #'s look correct for my first week? Any recommendations on where i should go from here? thanks all.

 

[gistsc]

I am no expert, but my brown algae started at one week.

 

[sagwala]

Me too on both statements!!!

 

[loves saltwater]

Brown Algea is just one of the many phases your tank will go thru.The parameters are not that bad for a new tank. 12lbs of lr is not near enough you should have 1-1.5 lbs per gallon.What is in your sump ? bio balls,lr or nothing ?

 

[champscorner]

I'm getting another 50lbs lr this weekend. My sump is three chambers skimmer-return-fuge only thing in my fuge right now is about 15lbs of gray coast. I'm eventually going to add another 15lbs of sugar size sand atop of this with some lr rubble and some kind of algae(i think most recommend cheato).

How long will the brown algae stick around? i would think it's to early to add a cleanup crew.

 

[loves saltwater]

Yes too early for a clean up crew. You can help remove it by cleaning it out yourself but it will go away on it own over time alot of flow in the affected area will help too.You might try cutting your lights back to only a couple of hours a day which will help too. You will get it no matter what you do just part of the game.


how much flow do you have ?

 

[champscorner]

2 korolia 4's rated @ 1200gph and am running eheim 1260 from return probably about 400-500gph after head.

I haven't started running my mh's yet just the 4x54w t5's about 8hrs a day, but i'll try your recommendation and maybe try cutting them back to 4hrs a day.

another question, off this subject, i heard using a piece of shrimp(as opposed to fish) would help with the cycling process so i tried it. shrimp has been in about 2days now. Do you have an opinion on this good/bad?

 

[alexb518]

that sounds about normal for brown to grow already. it's just going to be a phase. give it a couple months and it should start to be less prevalent.

 

[zoomfish1]

Shrimp will start the cycle process by starting to decay and creating the ammonia cycle. Live rock will do about the same thing with it's die off. Take out the shrimp after a few days.

 

[champscorner]

thanks guys!!!

I was just wandering if I should take the shrimp out or let the whole thing decay. thanks for answering that for me.

Since i'm adding lr in seperate phases will my tank have mini cycles everytime i add another batch? If it does will it matter if all i will have is lr and cleanup crew eventually?

 

[loves saltwater]

Shrimp to to start cycle is much better than using fish, Leave the shrimp in there till it decays. If the rock is fully cured it will not cause a mini cycle.If you it does you spike should be short and back to normal in a few days. clean up crew only after the Am level is at or near 0 for several days

 

[TrueblueNY]

sounding normal. the brown algae starts first, then green. sounds like your on the right track. it will get ugly for awhile but hang in there. after about 4 weeks toss in the clean up crew...