schwintosky
New member
I just bought and moved an already existing tank 3 days ago and now there is brown algae on all the live rock. Is this a normal end-of-cycle thing or do I need to change something?
Brown Algae
- Thread starter schwintosky
- Start date
Jeremy Blaze
Former Reef Addict
Yes brown diatoms. Normal, should go away on its own in a week or so.
papagimp
COMAS Rocks!
How long had the tank been setup prior to you getting it?
fwiw, moving a tank can stir up alot in the sandbed and/or dead spots within the rockwork/aquascaping that otherwise would go undisturbed, this "messing up" process could cause for various water parameter spikes, such as ammonia, nitrite, and of course nitrates, which can and often do cause algae to show up. First thing I'd do, is a water change. Always a good idea when in doubt. Then test the water quality, being sure to get an accurate reading on nitrates and phosphates, both of which contribute to algae blooms. Do you know how old the bulbs are? An old bulb can shift color spectrum to a degree and that can definatly cause algae to pop up again. Have you been using tap water? or Ro/Di water? Using tap can cause algae as well, often does. As well as diatom blooms, which is what this sounds like to me.
fwiw, moving a tank can stir up alot in the sandbed and/or dead spots within the rockwork/aquascaping that otherwise would go undisturbed, this "messing up" process could cause for various water parameter spikes, such as ammonia, nitrite, and of course nitrates, which can and often do cause algae to show up. First thing I'd do, is a water change. Always a good idea when in doubt. Then test the water quality, being sure to get an accurate reading on nitrates and phosphates, both of which contribute to algae blooms. Do you know how old the bulbs are? An old bulb can shift color spectrum to a degree and that can definatly cause algae to pop up again. Have you been using tap water? or Ro/Di water? Using tap can cause algae as well, often does. As well as diatom blooms, which is what this sounds like to me.
schwintosky
New member
The tank had been up a couple years (probably at least 2) before I got it. The bulbs had been replaced within the last 6 months also. Theres a big lion fish in it (its a 55g). I brought most of the water from the setup tank but used RO/DI water to top it off and bring the salinity back within spec.
I think the test kits I got with the equipment are old though because I don't seem to be getting accurate readings.
I think the test kits I got with the equipment are old though because I don't seem to be getting accurate readings.
papagimp
COMAS Rocks!
Well firstly, that lionfish is going to be messier than most fish kept in that small a tank. That can add to a higher nitrate level/phosophate level in the tank, and may cause algae to show up in the future along with having poor water quality. Too small a tank IMO for a lionfish.
that said, if tank is that old, bulbs that old, and using ro/di, probably just the move that caused the algae to show up. stirred up too much gunk in the tank. Stick to water changes and normal maintence, and this should clear up in time.
fwiw, alot of test kits out there do not give very accurate readings. Test strips are a joke, and API (brand from petsmart, walmart) will ballpark the numbers close, but still can be inaccurate. Salifert seems to be the "prefered" brand but never used them myself. If validity of the tests are in question, you can run a water sample to most LFS and they'll test the water for you. Or find a fellow reefer close by who would be willing to give you a second opinion on your results.
that said, if tank is that old, bulbs that old, and using ro/di, probably just the move that caused the algae to show up. stirred up too much gunk in the tank. Stick to water changes and normal maintence, and this should clear up in time.
fwiw, alot of test kits out there do not give very accurate readings. Test strips are a joke, and API (brand from petsmart, walmart) will ballpark the numbers close, but still can be inaccurate. Salifert seems to be the "prefered" brand but never used them myself. If validity of the tests are in question, you can run a water sample to most LFS and they'll test the water for you. Or find a fellow reefer close by who would be willing to give you a second opinion on your results.
