Tank was set up may 4th and completed its cycle a little under a month, my current perams are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, 0 phosphate, 7-8 kbh, calcium 440, and salinity at 1.025. Tested with api. I do weekly 30% water changes. Light schedule is 12 hours with kessil a360 peaking at 70% in the day. I have a meadia reactor that runs carbon\gfo. It grows on the glass and not rocks or sand but did grow on a coral I blasted with the a360 when I got it (parts that were bleached). Im confused on what this is and why it wont go away? My tank still too new and this is normal? Need some help and advice. It comes back about 3 days or 2 of me cleaning the glass.
Getting frustrated with brown algae
- Thread starter Ejb
- Start date
This pic was taken earlier today from my wife while I was at work. Not sure if you can zoom in somehow but you will see it all over the back wall and the right side of the glass. When I got home from work its starting to grow on the front glass ( this is the usual routine for ever 3 or 2 days )
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vanbro1
Active member
It means the tank has phosphate coming from somewhere. Film algae is normal, just part of tank maintenance. Most people control through a clean up crew. I would ask if you have any fish? How much do you feed and how often?
The second thing I would check is do you make your own water for top off and water changes? If you don't there is probably a higher TDS in the water. If you are doing 30% changes you are probably the source of phosphate.
Hope this helps - good luck and welcome to the terribly addicting world of reefing!
The second thing I would check is do you make your own water for top off and water changes? If you don't there is probably a higher TDS in the water. If you are doing 30% changes you are probably the source of phosphate.
Hope this helps - good luck and welcome to the terribly addicting world of reefing!
I have 1 fish that I spot feed one mysis at a time till he wont want anymore then I just suck up the 1 piece he leaves floating around. I usually try to feed him once a day but sometimes I can only get to feeding him every other day. I have a rodi unit that reads 0 tds that I use for water changes and through top off with a tunze osmolator. One thing that I am sceptical about is the container. Its a 5 gallon petco bucket and I was thinking it could be leaching silicates into the water somehow. I assumed it would stop after awhile but it hasn't
NS Mike D
New member
API's N&P test may not be sufficiently sensitive for reef tanks. Salifert and Red Sea test kits are more likely to give you better readings.
As your corals grow, they better compete with algae. As already stated, cleaning glass every few days is normal. You are in good shape if it's not on your rocks or sand.
Nice tank
As your corals grow, they better compete with algae. As already stated, cleaning glass every few days is normal. You are in good shape if it's not on your rocks or sand.
Nice tank
mcgyvr
New member
I have a similar algae (usually a darker brown/slight red tint and is short hair but doesn't get long like GHA). I usually have on just about every tank I've ever done for the first year or so..
Snails love it when they find it..
My nerites and mexi turbos mow trails through it and my Kole tang takes mouth shaped bites out of it.. It usually only grows on the back wall and powerheads/cords for some reason... Any new plastic will get a coating of it fairly quickly..
Its never a problem though and never gets out of control..
Snails love it when they find it..
My nerites and mexi turbos mow trails through it and my Kole tang takes mouth shaped bites out of it.. It usually only grows on the back wall and powerheads/cords for some reason... Any new plastic will get a coating of it fairly quickly..
Its never a problem though and never gets out of control..
I have been thinking about getting different kits, I dont mind api but I do not like the color charts really. Thats good to hear about it being normal. It blows my mind that it will come back 2 to 3 days later after cleaning. Thanks
So it usually goes away after a year or so? It technically doesnt get out of control for me but it always pops up on the glass and back wall. Also like what you stated it doesnt get long like gha at all and it usually stays very short. So is it a algae that thrives on silicates? Its not diatoms but something different.
As all others have said the api kits are not relatively accurate. Have zero nitrates and phosphates aren't ideal either. If the are truly at zero you shouldn't be getting much if any algae growth. However if it's only on the glass and plastics I wouldn't sweat it. The tank is new and still going through the uglies. Plus algae on the glass is nature's way to get you to pay attention to the tank
Well I suppose I will have to ride it out then
Im always paying attention to the tank :rollface:
