Brown "Algae"

[dismayed]

My tank has been up 3-4 months now, and for the past two weeks I have been battling brown algae that just rapidly came out of nowhere. It started in one spot on my sand and has moved across a large portion of it. Also I can see brown spots on some of my live rock now too.

I've tried dosing the tank with Chemiclean several times, performing water changes, and vacuuming up the sand, but the algae always returns.

My nitrate level in the tank is 10, everything else is within normal ranges. I have sponge filters, bio-balls, and activated carbon in the tank (the carbon I took out before the round of Chemiclean). I've been rinsing off the sponges and all that about once a week. I run with my lights on about 10 hours a day.

Suggestions?

 

[Grins]

I'd stop with the chemical fixes. What type of water are you using? Does this look like diatom algea? What is the flow in the tank?

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

it is because of it being a new tank. with a good clean up crew and good water they will go away in no time

 

[dismayed]

Grins: I purchase my water pre-mixed at a local marine store. I have the pump that my AquaPod originally came with, which is what I have been using lately. I also have a MaxiJet 900 in the tank which I haven't had on in a few weeks. I turned it back on this evening. All I know is that this stuff is a reddish brown. I know it's not red slime algae, I have had that before and know what it looks like. Yes I think it is diatom algae.

Kau: What kind of clean up crew are you thinking? I've read that hermit crabs might take care of this problem, but that's about all I've come across.

 

[drummereef]

dismayed - Diatoms are feed by silica usually brought in by the water source. Buying water is fine, but I'd make sure it has 0 TDS. Silica and phosphate are the first to leach through RO filtration. The nitrates are also an area of concern. Your filtration method (bio-balls/sponges) isn't the most efficient at breaking down nitrates. Over time this will continue to grow and grow. As long as you have at least 1lb/gallon of live rock in the tank there is no need for any of this. The rock will serve as the primary filtration. Until the water source and excess nutrients are figured out, the problem will only persist.