algae problem

[tmcpeek]

I have a thin brown film that gets on the front of my tank. When I use my mag float it seems to be powdery. I have tested for phosphates and I have 0

I use RO/DI water comes out less than 5 on my tds. My lighting is
4 165 watt VHO. Blue actinic on 9:00am Whites come on at 10:00 am. Whites go off at 7:00pm and blues go off at 8:00 pm.

What can be the cause of this or is it just normal. If I leave my tank for 3/4 days the whole front of the tank will be covered with the stuff. The tank has been up since September of 2004 and had the normal Diatom outbreak but it seems like I still have some issues.

I also have a 40 gallon refugium with chaeto and liverock. The lighting for that is on opposite of the display tank

 

[Anemoneman]

It is normal algae growth. Snails will help. A large poulation of shrimp will help keep uneaten food and other waste from contributing to the nutrients that are feeding the algae. Your tank is still new. Don't worry.

 

[tmcpeek]

Thanks, I had a large population of shrimp but something is eating them.(see disappearing shrimp post) The snails do a pretty good job but it still needs to be wiped every day with the mag float. I am going to try cutting my lights down for 1 hour or so just to see if it helps.

Is there anything else I should test for? silicates?

 

[RMPD109]

Per your description you have diatoms which is a very common occurance. This is not caused by the excess nutrients that most algaes are. They are caused by silicates in the water. As the system burns up the silicates the diatoms will die off. Since you are using ro/di water I dont know where they are coming from. You may want to check you source water and the DI filter of you system.

 

[copi]

Per your description you have diatoms which is a very common occurance. This is not caused by the excess nutrients that most algaes are. They are caused by silicates in the water. As the system burns up the silicates the diatoms will die off. Since you are using ro/di water I dont know where they are coming from. You may want to check you source water and the DI filter of you system.

Ditto.

 

[tmcpeek]

I went to my lfs to get a silicate test kit but they were out. I will get one and posts the results.

My tds reads <5 and my tap is over 300 so I guess only the test will tell for sure.

 

[tmcpeek]

Ok so I just got a silica test kit and I am at about 1.5 to 2. I used aragonite sand so it is not coming from there. Where else does silica come from? I use R/O D/I and my tds reads less than 5 (300 + reading on my tap water)

 

[RMPD109]

use the silica test on the water before adding it to the tank.

 

[tmcpeek]

I tested the R/O and it is 1.0

 

[tmcpeek]

Is there a way to remove the silicates. I have ordered new cartridges for my R/O D/I unit and plan on doing some water changes once I receive them. Is there an other way to remove them? I run media in my filter cylinders to remove phosphates and nitrates if I need to but is there something to remove silicates?


I am hoping my R/O D/I is main source but I test the R/o water and it is like 1 on the chart and I test the tank water and it is like 1.5 to 2 so there is something besides my source water. I guess I will start to rinse my frozen foods to see if that helps.

 

[bluejam]

I am new but I also had a nasty brown algae problem. If it continued, I probably would not stay with it. Our water here in Oregon is very pure and clean and was told by more than one LFS that Ro or distilled water was unnessesary. Well, my tank has now matured three months and it has miraculously disappeared. I started getting a powdery green algae on the walls but it only lasted a week and was easy to wipe off. I had started adding a clarifier, like 3 drops per day and my tank is now consistantly crystal clear. My fish are very happy and so am I.

 

[tmcpeek]

Ok my diatoms are starting to disappear. I had silica in the water so I replaced all my filters and my di resin and tey are gone. A few more water changes and I should be good to go. Thanks for the input.


BlueJam, I had the same thing when my tank was new which is normal. I was just puzzled because it came back and I did not know why.