What's the brown algae that builds up on the powerheads?

[A.VOID]

So i have no GHA or other crazy algae, but I can't lose this brown crap that builds up on the powerheads after about a week.
I run an ULNS and dose Vodka, so this is really starting to burn me up ...

What is that stuff that builds up, and how do you get rid of it?

 

[Shane Hoffman]

Thats odd...depending on the age of your tank as long as calcium, alk, and magnesium levels are where they should be your power heads should be one of the first things to grow coraline on them.....atleast that is what has happened IME>..

 

[magikfly]

Avoid,
I have the same problem.
There's a thread around here where some people are complaining about the salt causing brown sludge.
I started running GFO, which seemingly helps although doesn't eliminate the problem
Could you post pics?

 

[A.VOID]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15470397#post15470397 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shane Hoffman
Thats odd...depending on the age of your tank as long as calcium, alk, and magnesium levels are where they should be your power heads should be one of the first things to grow coraline on them.....atleast that is what has happened IME>..

Yes I get coralline too, but this brown stuff shows up. No other algae issues (other than cleaning the glass film), so I don't get it.

 

[diverbh4]

i got the same brown stuff on my powerheads...i usually just wipe it off though

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I've got the same problem. I put on a new hob filter last month and the intake is covered in that brown algae. I use IO salt, and it's the same crud that builds up on the powerhead and walls of the 5g mixing bucket when I let it sit for a few days. Very annoying! http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1682334

 

[stanlalee]

diatoms

 

[carolina reefer]

Same Problem. Haven't heard any answers to fix it though.

 

[DLANDINO]

+1 on Diatoms, caused by silicates in the water. You could be getting these from your water changes. Do you use RO/DI for your changes? Cerith snails eat it but this is only a band-aid for the larger problem. You would have to first determine the cause of the silicates to beat the underlying problem. For now you can stop water changes for a few weeks and the diatoms will consume available silica in the water, starve and slowly disappear.



Good luck.

 

[A.VOID]

I thought it could be Diatoms, but I use RO/DI with 0 TDS.

What gets me is why it doesn't really show up on the substrate, but it gets on the Powerheads.

Sugar Mag >>> I'm using Kent Salt ... did you find a salt that didn't do it?

 

[DLANDINO]

I am not sure if 0 TDS means 0 silica, I may be wrong on that and hopefully others will chime in. I have a silica test kit that I periodically test my well water from the tap, prior to the water softener, water from the tank, and water post RO/DI filtration.