Giving up w/ Brown algae(??)

[Jakef150]

Bio cube 29 with mp 10 at 50-65% speed, tune 9002 skimmer, gfo , brs rox. Change filter every 3 days.
Tank is running over 3 years.

1025
Cal 425
Mg 1380
Alk 9
Nitrate 5-10ppm saliert kit
Phos 0.04-10 Hanna

I was planning to shut it down but kids begs me to keep fishes only

I have been battle with brown alge stuff on sand and rocks.

Every time when changes water, I used turkey baster, vacuum brown out...it kept coming back within 2 days...

Tips? Advice ?

Thanks

 

[Jakef150]

Picture

Its also on rocks

 

[bertoni]

I'd probably try some GFO, since that's easy to do, and sometimes solves the problem. There's a lot of phosphate to fuel growth, and the water changes likely are adding some nutrients that encourage the bloom. I'd guess it's the ammonia that most salt mixes have, but some trace elements might be part of the problem, too.

Generally, the tank likely is getting more food than its filtration can handle. More live rock or reduced feeding often help a lot, as can better skimming. The GFO is the easy way to start, though.

 

[Jakef150]

The brown alage is all over the rocks and almost on all sand floor.

Isn't diatom, Dino ??

Im using ESV salt mix.

I'm using BRS gfo 4 tbsp (approx 24-25 SW)

I'll starting with reduce food - I feed my tank very little everyday. Flakes, pellets , mysis, rods food.

Thanks

 

[bertoni]

It's hard to be sure what most microbe blooms are without using a microscope. My first guess would be that it's mostly cyanobacteria, probably with some other microbes in the mix. It looks rather slimy, and diatoms aren't slimy. The bloom could be mostly dinoflagellates, though. Hard for me to be sure.

 

[CStrickland]

Have you tried less light? If it's dino that can help.
Some people replace the sand after a few years so it can absorb more phos, but you will see diatoms for a little while like you did in the beginning.

You're using rodi filtered water, right?

 

[Tom39]

I had the same issues you are having and it too drove me to the edge. I tried GFO, bio-pellets, weekly WC's and hand scrubbing but nothing worked.
In the end, I installed an algae turf scrubber and it certainly did the trick. The down side is that the process took about 1 - 2 months to get the scrubber ramped up before it started winning the battle but when it did it was worth the wait. Plus, the joy of watching that algae die off is very satisfying.
Not sure if you have the room for a scrubber but I thought I would share.

 

[Jakef150]

Thanks guy...

It's not slimy like cyano (I felt it before) it feel like sand.

The brown on sandfloor almost disappeared when light is off (LED AI sol blue)

Yes I'm using RO DI .

Maybe I ll try change DI resin , no? It's half yellow/gold...

 

[Bilk]

I am willing to bet the DOCs (dissolved organic compounds) are higher than you may think. The water may appear crystal clear, but with nitrates at 5-10ppm, I'll bet it's not as clear as you may believe. The DOCs are fueling the diatoms or what ever it is that is growing.

In another thread going here, someone asked when people know it's time to change out GAC. Seeing any brown forming on the substrate is a sure bet it's that time. You should do a few larger water changes over a period of days and change the carbon. That should clear it up.

I think it's like watching kids grow - you never notice how much until they're standing shoulder to shoulder Do a bucket test as is suggested in the other thread. It will probably show you how tinted the water actually is compared to fresh mixed water.

 

[bertoni]

Disappearing at night sounds like dinoflagellates. I don't think diatoms can do that, although they would feel sandy.

I doubt that the DI resin is a problem. I'd concentrate on food sources.