Excessive Algae Growth

[SirLight1337]

Ive recently started my 150 Gal tank and threw in about 8 damsels after 3 weeks of letting the tank filter and run. I got about 15-20 lbs of live rock and 5 lbs of live sand.

The tank has been up and running for a little over a month and there is a crapload of algae growth. A thin a layer on the top of the substrate. Should i vacuum this out or just let it go to town ? Its a light brown in color and dries a nice green. The fish seem very healthy and the protein skimmer has come up with some pretty nasty stuff

Giving it about 5-6 hrs of light a day, on 2 24inch sunpaq kits.

 

[gilraen]

You should vacuum it out, have you done regular water changes? and test for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates? Also, in my opinion 15-20 lbs. of live rock and 5 lbs. of live sand won't do for a 150 gal tank, there is a chart in this forum that will help figure out how much stuff you need. I will also help if you have a lot of water circulation, do you have a sump? or powerheads in your tank? Brown algae is easy to clean up, although it comes back quick, which is why you need to do H2O changes and have a good filtration system, when the algae turns green then it's hard to scratch off. Let's see what the others have to say.

 

[i have crabs]

5lsb of sand seems really bare but not gona cause any issues
it sounds like its diatoms wich feed on silicate in the water if your using tap water thats probably the cause using phosban will soak the silicate and phosphates out of the water and should get rid of it quickly
as far as vacuming i would just stir it up a little untill you get the problem under control

 

[SirLight1337]

Ive skipped the first few water changes and im still trying to let the tank cycle. This is going to be a mostly fish tank, maybe a few inverts but mostly fish. ive checked for ammonia about 2 weeks or so ago and it was .5 as opposed to 0. Ill test the water again today for ammonia and nitrites. I have yet to purchase a nitrate kit, ill do that today when purchasing the new filter kit for my quarantine tank.

Also, im using about 100 lbs of crushed white coral as my substrate, not just the 5 lbs of sand. There is about 80 lbs of various volcanic rock in the tank as well.

ive been using R/O water for top offs and all future water changes.

 

[gilraen]

Sounds good, just don't add anymore fish until the ammonia is 0. You may want to hold on testing for nitrates until ammonia and nitrite are 0 or very very low 'cause you'll definetly get a high reading on the nitrate. If your ammonia is high when you test again then start doing your 10% weekly H2O changes with the RO H2O. It is true that you don't need a whole bunch of sand, but you should think about getting more live rock for later on, it will definetly help the filtration. I'm sooooo jealous..... I only have a 55 gal

 

[melosu58]

Get a clean up crew. they will eat up some of that algea. They also say that a UV light will take care of the algea spores floating in the water. I`m a big believer in a UV light.