Brownish algae in tank w/ tons of bubbles?

[luckycat]

HI - I'm getting algae growth all over the place, on the substrate, glass walls, overflow box...it is in some places green, in others brownish, all hair-like. I've seen cyno before and I don't think that is it. Anyway the tang seems to like eating it, and so do some of the snails that chomp paths through it.

I'm also seeing a bunch of bubbles all over the place on the algae.

I'm just wonering if that is normal - I recently moved up to a 90g w/216w T5 lights from a smaller tank with only 65W lights, so I'm wondering if just the lighting would promote more algae growth.

All water params seem perfect.

 

[seaham358]

Water param seem perfect?? What do you mean??
Post some numbers for us... Nitrates, phosphates for starters. If the fish and snails are eating it then its not cyno, sounds like Hair algae.
What type of water are you using? How much and waht do you feed the fish. How old is the tank.

 

[TeenReefer]

Yes, this is just the new tank syndrome kicking in. I set up my thirty gallon FOWLR a year ago and had the same thing happen to me. It will eventually disappear with time. Your lighting may be having an effect also. How long are you running your lights for?

 

[luckycat]

Water param seem perfect?? What do you mean??
Post some numbers for us... Nitrates, phosphates for starters. If the fish and snails are eating it then its not cyno, sounds like Hair algae.
What type of water are you using? How much and waht do you feed the fish. How old is the tank.

Sorry should have been more specific - Nitrates/Nitrites/Ammonia 0 ppm, pH 8.2, Salinity 1.022. I have a phosphate test kit but used it a month ago, after measuring every month for the past 4...take is about 4 months old.

I use RO water, have a big fuge in the basement that gives me an additional 65g or so water capacity. Using IO salt.

I feed the fish as little as possible - a few pellets and occasionally flake food..not at home now so can't tell you the brands.

 

[pelochas]

can you test the RO water, pls post results.

whic phosphate test kit do you have, brand?

 

[imustbenuts]

I would agree, it is the brown cycle from being a new tank. I went through the same thing. I have a 29 gal tank and was told to buy a dozen snails and Hermits. Sure enough, they devoured it in no time. depending on how much live rock you have in the tank and that you have a 90 gal tank, you may need 3 dozen of each. Someone here recommended blue leg hermits. but I wasn't able to find them so went with the local Mexican Hermit(red legs) and the snails my LFS carried.

 

[luckycat]

I would agree, it is the brown cycle from being a new tank. I went through the same thing. I have a 29 gal tank and was told to buy a dozen snails and Hermits. Sure enough, they devoured it in no time. depending on how much live rock you have in the tank and that you have a 90 gal tank, you may need 3 dozen of each. Someone here recommended blue leg hermits. but I wasn't able to find them so went with the local Mexican Hermit(red legs) and the snails my LFS carried.

Wow 3 dozen of each... I'm not anywhere close. I have roughly 10-12 snails in total (some have died and haven't taken a recent count), a few mexican turbos, a couple astreas, the rest are nassarius and one cerith. So you're saying like 36 or so in a 90g... I'll try it out. The snails I have now certainly seem to like the algae. I added also 3 hermits the other week but have not seen them since.

 

[luckycat]

btw phosphate (Seachem test kit) measure at 0.1 mg/L. I believe that is within an acceptable range (low), but I'm going to hunt around to validate.

 

[Hara]

as far as algae control is concerned, the only acceptable phosphate level is zero. Any measurable amount is food for the algae.

 

[seaham358]

If your picking up .01 then there is probably more PO4 in there.
Brown algae (diatom) is not hair like and is frequent with new tanks.
Your saying you have hair like algae right!!
I was reading and the bubbles in the HA can mean that it is dieing off and is breaking down. I would yank as much out of the tank by hand as you can and try and keep an eye on the PO4 level. If it starts going up you need to figure out where its coming from.
Have you checked the top off water?

 

[luckycat]

If your picking up .01 then there is probably more PO4 in there.
Brown algae (diatom) is not hair like and is frequent with new tanks.
Your saying you have hair like algae right!!
I was reading and the bubbles in the HA can mean that it is dieing off and is breaking down. I would yank as much out of the tank by hand as you can and try and keep an eye on the PO4 level. If it starts going up you need to figure out where its coming from.
Have you checked the top off water?

I know the phosphate is in the source RO water, I measured it from there... I know what diatom is, went through that with my first tank on the cycle and this is not the same thing - this is definately hairy growth, some brown, some green. It is not consuming the tank, just growing on the rear glass (I scrape the front glass) and on the rocks (typically green hairlike on the rocks).

I'll try to pull off the dying algae, maybe my RO system needs a new membrane or filter(s)....

 

[seaham358]

If your picking up PO4 in the top off water then you need to do something to bring it down to 0. From what I have read if I remember right a RO unit will not remove all PO4 so I think your going to have to add another housing for DI.

 

[luckycat]

What is puzzling me is that on my old tank, a 37g FOWLR, I never had these algae problems, and the tank was in the same place as the newer 90g. The same water source has been used all along - the only major diff is that my new tank has 54wX4 T5s... but I will also go the route of DI to see if that helps.

BTW since I started this topic the algae - which I'll now call hair algae - is growing all over the rocks taller than before. I need to nip this in the bud before it takes over my tank.