55 FOWLR glass cleaning!

[baron1282]

I get this brown crap on my glass all the time, it seems to show up as soon as I clean it off. I know it's some kind of diatom algae. My tank has been set up for 10 months now and it has not gone away. It just keeps coming, and I keep cleaning. Will this be a ongoing issue, or will this go away some time soon?

My lighting had been an double bright LED strip, and it I only have it on for about 10 hours during the day, and it goes fully off at night. What can I do beyond keep cleaning the glass to get this to go away?

I have checked my tank water, and it reads.

0 ammonia
0 nitrate
0 nitrite
8.1 PH

My tank is in the basement so no where near an open light.
I do water changes 3 times a month of 15 gallons. I had to take off the double bright LED today as it just died on me. So now it's back to normal florescent lighting with just one light in each lamp. Very dull looking! :-(

I have about 75 pounds of live rock, and 90 pounds of live sand. Two power heads for water movement, I do have one hang on the back Fluval C4 filter that provides more water movement on the top, I do have a Fluval 206 canister filter and a Reef Octopus HOB BH 1000 skimmer. Needless to stay my water movement is fine! I clean each filter out once a month!

 

[Pimp My Fish]

Do you use RO/DI or distilled water.

 

[baron1282]

Yes, I use RO/DI water I bought from Kroger, now I have my own unit I just set up after Christmas. I should note this problem has been an ongoing issue, not when I switched from Kroger water to my Own water. I would say for the better part of 5 months. :-( Didn't think anything of it, just thought it was part of keeping the tank clean, but I have seen tanks that go for months on end without glass cleaning. It made me wonder what I am doing wrong.

 

[KeithFrancis]

What is your live stock/feeding schedule?

 

[baron1282]

Once every day! Around night time an hour or two before light shut off! 7 or 8pm!

 

[melosu58]

Is it a brown dusty substance? If it is I still get that on my glass after 15 yrs.

 

[bribo12]

Yup my tanks only been up about 2
Years but I still get it as well. Just a part of keeping saltwater IMO

 

[Darylb]

I agree it's the same for me I get it but not to bad I only clean my glass once a fortnight

 

[baron1282]

Ok! It just seems I get a Ton more every darn week! LoL

 

[Darylb]

Does it seem sorta powder like if that makes sense?

 

[baron1282]

It just seems more slimy like! When I clean it off with the glass cleaner thing it looks slimy.

 

[phillytec]

What's your phosphate and silica readings?

 

[Maridia]

I get this brown crap on my glass all the time, it seems to show up as soon as I clean it off. I know it's some kind of diatom algae. My tank has been set up for 10 months now and it has not gone away. It just keeps coming, and I keep cleaning. Will this be a ongoing issue, or will this go away some time soon?

My lighting had been an double bright LED strip, and it I only have it on for about 10 hours during the day, and it goes fully off at night. What can I do beyond keep cleaning the glass to get this to go away?

I have checked my tank water, and it reads.

0 ammonia
0 nitrate
0 nitrite
8.1 PH

My tank is in the basement so no where near an open light.
I do water changes 3 times a month of 15 gallons. I had to take off the double bright LED today as it just died on me. So now it's back to normal florescent lighting with just one light in each lamp. Very dull looking! :-(

I have about 75 pounds of live rock, and 90 pounds of live sand. Two power heads for water movement, I do have one hang on the back Fluval C4 filter that provides more water movement on the top, I do have a Fluval 206 canister filter and a Reef Octopus HOB BH 1000 skimmer. Needless to stay my water movement is fine! I clean each filter out once a month!

My situation is practically identical, even the parameters. But I've had the tank running for 2 months now. But that ****ed brown algae keeps coming back, but every 2 days. and it loves to also grow on my powerheads and OFB. I use a tooth brush to get it off of those. Snails and hermit crabs help to eat the algae, but the snails mostly smear it across the glass so I have to wipe it off anyways.

 

[phillytec]

Is the tank getting any light from the outside the winter months have a different spectrum of light that's feeds the brown algae more.

 

[baron1282]

Figures, but my tank is in the basement, it would get very little light. I just did a water change today, once I move it all over to my 120 gallon tank, it will have no light but the light I supply. I am moving it into the sub part of my basement so I can enjoy my tank more, where I have it now is in a corner and hard to see.

 

[Iceman72]

Get a reactor and toss in some GFO and call it a day. It will help tons. I have the "beginner reef octopus" and I love it. I don't know how I ever lived with out it. After the first night using it and running GFO I noticed a huge difference. Now I maybe clean that off maybe once a week and it's just because I'm anal about it. You can barely see it. Also helped a ton keeping the algae out my tank. For the price I say you should buy them before skimmers IMHO. I think I paid like $60-$65 shipped.

 

[54seaweed]

invest in a magnet cleaner
we all get that brown crud on the glass
I leave it on sides and back glass of tank but my sides and back are also painted

 

[baron1282]

I got the magnet cleaner! Iceman72, thanks
for the tip! Would a UV stabilizer work as well you think?

What is a beginner reef octopus reactor? What does it do? I tried looking it up and I don't understand what it does or where you would even put it.

 

[Iceman72]

I got the magnet cleaner! Iceman72, thanks
for the tip! Would a UV stabilizer work as well you think?

What is a beginner reef octopus reactor? What does it do? I tried looking it up and I don't understand what it does or where you would even put it.

Its a reactor. You can put what ever you want in it. I have tried PhosGuard and GFO. I love GFO. I probably won't be using the rest of my PhosGuard. I did not see a difference.

Its strange I did not see anything online about my reactor either. I may put up a vid on youtube myself. Its nice lil HOB that makes a HUGE difference.

I have a small UV on my canister but it doesn't do much. I think its too small.