brown algea problems

[will8]

hi guys again, as i said in a thread the other day i had a diotom problem, well i think its more of a cyrano problem but its brown not red. my levels are phos 0.1ppm so is the RO/DI water so there is something wrong with my ROunit, its only 2 months old. Nitrates are 10ppm. just reading meluso58 link about problem algea, iam doing most of the points he said. but about cutting back the lights, i have recently added a pulse xenia and a mushroom coarl. my question is would it cause to many problems to the coarls if i did cut back the lighting.

 

[Ziggy953]

No....Your corals will be just fine with cutting back the lighting. What kind of lights do you have on the tank?

If you are getting a phosphate reading after the water goes through your RO/DI unit there is something wrong or you have Extremely high phosphates in your water. Test your tap water see what you get there. You may want to change out the DI part of your filter.

 

[melosu58]

What kind of lighting schedule are you keeping right now?

 

[will8]

i have 4x 54w t5s. one blue and three whites. they come on at 10.30am and turn off at 9.30pm. what time schedule do you suggest?
do you mean change the resin out of the DI part of the RO unit?
i will go and test the tap water now while i make a cup of tea.

 

[will8]

just tested the tap water for phoshates, it was 0.5-0.6ppm. forgot to say i have a reactor with rowaphos, even with that it still measures 0.1ppm.

 

[lance]

You cant test 1 batch from any source. It could take time for levels to rise and become noticable. If your useing an RO/DI unit then i dought this is the source. Sounds like another source from water change amount or time scedule. To overstocking or over feeding to flow amount or placement or LR amount and placement to your CUC. My guess its atleast 2 of the above.

Tanks size and age?
All equipment used from skimmers to powerheads?
All or most of your stock from CUC to coral?
Type of food and amount fead?
Is the tank covered or by a window or vent or a small room?

 

[cmor1701d]

Cut your lights down to 4 hours a day max. You choose the time (morning or evening).

Have you tested your RODI water for phosphates, or just the tap? If the tap water is .5 and after the RODI you are still reading .1 then change out the DI cartridge, run a few gallons and test again.

 

[will8]

here is the list lance, 100ukgallon tank 3.5 months old
instant ocean skimm 800, hydor koralia 3, maxi jet 400litres
per hour power head, rena xp3 filter, reactor with rowaphos.
livestock, 2 common clowns, coarl beauty, flame angel, humbug damsel, pbt,royal gramma, 12 turbo snails 8 other snails not sure which ones,2 cleaner shrimps, blood shrimp, marbled sea serpant, arrow crab, brittle worm, 2 blue knuckled hermits. and finally pusle xenia and a green mushroom.
feed them frozen brine shrimp with garlic and pellets every other day and live mysis, brine when i visit lfs, and half a sheet of nori every day. tank is half covered with a lid, not near a window or vent but is next to a small room, what does this matter?
think that it.

 

[lance]

In a 100 gallon you want an exchange around 2000 gph but your stocked so i would do atleast 2500 gph. You want a good constant circulation. The flow helps your bacteria population.

Covering the top even halfway means less gas exchange at the surface and less oxygen in the tank, Your LR and LS will help convert nitrate and ammonia into nitrogen then this leaves at the surface.

Whene you feed next add some extra and whatch how it floats.It should stay suspended and not drop or just hang. Then feeding less amounts more often with 5 or 6 types would be better for the fish diet.

A 2 month tank with so many fish means that your bacteria population isnt large enough to handle all this and then will slow there growth down.

If the tank is in a small room thats inclosed you could get higher amounts of carbon monixcide , Spelled wrong , .

I would increase the flow do weekly 25% water changes and cut back on the light a little and remove any cover and you should see a differance.

 

[will8]

thanks lance, will get another koralia power head, and do some changes you pointed out and see what happens. thank again.

 

[lance]

Theres no one way for success but learning how your tank works can make it much easier and more enjoyable.
I reccommend this book for greater understanding of things like LR placement and how pesky algea grows.

Amazon.com: The New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide: Michael S. Paletta, Edward Kadunc, Scott W. Michael, John Goodman: Books

 

[stainless_wm]

LIke Lance said, there is no one way for success, different tanks require differenf solutions.

I had a bad algae problem for years. we tried everything, new lights, less food, more frequent water changes, phosguard, other chemicals, I think once apon a time we were even boiling water. it was just kicking our butts.

Then one day we were in a LFS and the gal asked us how much we were running our lights. I told her about 8 hours a day, she asked if I had corals, I dont, its a fowlr. She told me that it was way too much light, and suggested that I only turn it on when I want to look at it. There was nothing in MY tank that would be harmed by minimal lighting. I tried that, let me tell you,,,, HUGE difference. NO MORE ALGEA. the tank is so good right now, I almost think I could get away with not feeding at all. after about 3 months I pulled the cartridge out of the filter and they looked brand new.

I also took some aluminum foil and covered the lights a little bit, this caused my fish to not fide as much when the lights are on. My coralline is really taking off.

So, I guess the moral is. keep trying different things.....

YOu may want to set up a small qt to put your light sensitive items in, so you can run your big tank for a while in the dark.

I agree that seems like a lot of boi load for a new tank


Just a little story about my tank. Hope you get it figured out, now that my tank is on auto-pilot. It is a pure joy!!!!!

 

[will8]

thans for all the advice, as for the boi load you know what it is like when your a newbie. you rush in to the things. will have to learn to slow down.lol

 

[roka64]

I have found the slow route, in SW, leads to great success and moving too fast leads to a fast decline and a looong recovery.

 

[Ziggy953]

I agree with Scott! Too many people jump in with both feet not reading up on things and end up with lots of problems down the line. I spent nearly 3 months researching SW aquariums before I got my tank. Even after all that research I still made mistakes and had issues. Take your time, do things right, read research and ask lots of questions. Don't rush things.

 

[will8]

added another koralia today number 2. had to move the pulse xenia because it was getting to much movement. the heads closed up and stopped pulsing.also got some cyclop-eeze. didnt know it was a powder, added a little bit but the fish didnt go for it, maybe they will get use to it. is it good stuff?
i added a toadstool coral at the weekend to. maybe i shouldnt off with the algea problems but i like them alot and had to have it.
i have pointed the new ph at the toadstool, cos i read they like movement but will this be to much. cos since i have it has closed up.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

...also got some cyclop-eeze. didnt know it was a powder, added a little bit but the fish didnt go for it, maybe they will get use to it. is it good stuff?.

It comes in frozen and freeze-dried. My fish go gaga over the frozen. Corals too. The freeze-dried... so-so.

 

[will8]

iam sorry to keep going on about the brown algea problem but it does not seem to be clearing up, had about 5 weeks now. i know things dont happen over night but i thought it might have gone a little.
done my weekly test today, temp 26c, s.g 1025, ph 8.2-8.4, nitrate 10ppm, nitrite 0ppm, phos 0.1ppm, calcuim 330ppm, alk 8.0dkh, mag 1170ppm. are these ok.
using RO/DI water but that reads 0.1ppm for phos, changed the DI resin still reading 0.1ppm. asked the lfs about this they said you cant test fresh RO water. Why is this?
told them about my problem and would cutting the lights down would help they said if it is cyrano, cutting the lights back wouldnt help cos it does not feed on the light as much as other algea.
could it be another kind of brown algea apart from diotoms?
i feed the tank every other day with pellats, frozen brine, just got some cyclop-eeeze and half a sheet of nori.
iam very sorry to keep going on but you guys know alot more than me.
thanks.

 

[lance]

Algea feeds of nitrate and phosphate. Whats causing this.

Tank cycling or premature stocking and feeding water source and water flow and powerhead placement and amount of LR and LR placement?

Sorry i dont want to read it all again and adding some tank specs under your profile can reduces these asked questions.

Tanks size and amount of LR and LS?
Water source?
Powerhead placement?
Any and all stock in this 5 week system?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

...

Sorry i dont want to read it all again and adding some tank specs under your profile can reduces these asked questions.

Tanks size and amount of LR and LS?
Water source?
Powerhead placement?
Any and all stock in this 5 week system?

Good grief Lance... you've already asked the same stuff previously in this thread, and you can't even go back and read what the original poster responded with? It's not like this is an eight page thread or something...

here is the list lance, 100ukgallon tank 3.5 months old
instant ocean skimm 800, hydor koralia 3, maxi jet 400litres
per hour power head, rena xp3 filter, reactor with rowaphos.
livestock, 2 common clowns, coarl beauty, flame angel, humbug damsel, pbt,royal gramma, 12 turbo snails 8 other snails not sure which ones,2 cleaner shrimps, blood shrimp, marbled sea serpant, arrow crab, brittle worm, 2 blue knuckled hermits. and finally pusle xenia and a green mushroom.
feed them frozen brine shrimp with garlic and pellets every other day and live mysis, brine when i visit lfs, and half a sheet of nori every day. tank is half covered with a lid, not near a window or vent but is next to a small room, what does this matter?
think that it.

Oh yeah... and they use RO water.