brown algea

[fishrdp]

My tank is stating to get a brown algea in it. Is this caused by not using ro water or do I have some other problem? ammonia 0
nitrite 0 nitrate around 20 ppm. This has just started since installing a mh light. Any help would be great.

 

[fishrdp]

anyone?

 

[PoukieBear]

It's probably Brown Diatoms, with are cause by high Silicates.

Go to the LFS and get a Silicate test kit and see what it reads.

What kind of water are you using?

 

[RudeBoy]

Your MH bulb will probably be the guilty party here. Did you "break it in" by setting the lighting cycles at half of what your former bulbs were set at? If not, this could more than likely be the cause. New or weak bulbs will often cause diatom outbreaks. I'd have bet on your water parameters if you hadn't mentioned the new lighting.

 

[Seadogs]

I saw this thread and instead of stating a new one, I hoped to tag along on this one.
I was wondering, so what do you do about it? I don't have MH but I do have the same Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate levels.
Thanks!

 

[fishrdp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6785409#post6785409 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PoukieBear
It's probably Brown Diatoms, with are cause by high Silicates.

Go to the LFS and get a Silicate test kit and see what it reads.

What kind of water are you using?

Tap water treated with amquel mixed with salt and circulated for 48 hrs.

 

[fishrdp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6785504#post6785504 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RudeBoy
Your MH bulb will probably be the guilty party here. Did you "break it in" by setting the lighting cycles at half of what your former bulbs were set at? If not, this could more than likely be the cause. New or weak bulbs will often cause diatom outbreaks. I'd have bet on your water parameters if you hadn't mentioned the new lighting.

Are you saying I should light MH half the amount as previous flouresents. WOW my spelling is bad.

 

[PoukieBear]

The tap water is probably your problem.

I suggest switching to RO/DI water. Do a couple of water changes and you should start to see things clear up.

 

[Seadogs]

So, what if you're using RO/DI water?

 

[RudeBoy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6785051#post6785051 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishrdp
This has just started since installing a mh light.

I was under the impression that your MH lighting replaced another type of lighting (i.e. VHO, PC, etc.). If this is the case and your previous lighting was on for 10 hours a day, then you may want to only leave your MH lighting on for 4-6 hours a day for the first two weeks. This will cause less of a shock to your tank while it adjusts to the new lighting.

 

[fishrdp]

Today I put phosphate sponge in filter media on advice from LFS . Let you know what happens.Yes I reduced my MH lighting to 5 hrs. day. Has anyone used this phosphate sponge before if so did you get positive results.supposed to leave in for 24 hrs. and then remove.

 

[HBtank]

Could be a solution as one of the main reasons to not use tap water is the phosphates that it can import.

But obviously you would need to stop using tap water from now on.