Stuff growing on my live rock

[nikki_kaiser]

I changed my water 4 days ago (20%) and I use RO/DI water. I got up this morning and I have this yucky fuzzy brown stuff on my live rock. My readings are as follows:

56 gallon tank- 1 clown fish, I coral banded, I fire shrimp, 1 peppermint shrimp, 40lbs live rock


Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
Phosphates: 0 (yeah!! Finally)
PH : 7.8 ( stable at this for months)
Calcium : 560 ( I test for this but need to research more so not sure if this is bad)
Copper : 0
Dkh: 9 - 161.1
Lighting: coralife dual fixture with two T5...just put new bulbs in 4 weeks ago.
I feed every other day.



I think my water looks good. I have my lighting on around 8 hours a day. Why am I getting this fuzzy brown stuff now? I change my water every 8-10 days religiously. How do I get rid of it??

 

[mikestanked]

IMO its brown algae, it will go away, eventually. You can scrub it off but it will come back. And I think it beneficial to some degree

 

[nikki_kaiser]

What causes it? I thought that only happened to new tanks or tanks with "issues". I've had some nitrate and phosphate issues a few weeks back but since corrected them.

 

[Sniperhank]

Things like this linger...for awhile. I have 0 TDS reading out of my RO/DI, feed once a week, and have 4 fish in a 55 gallon. I still have brown algae all over the glass and sps. I clean the glass atleast once a day and always spot check my sps with a turkey baster. I just can't win this battle. This is still fallout from when my hair algae outbreak died when my old ro/di needed its filters replaced and i didn't notice. Oh the phosphates that come from well water with a corn field above it...

 

[nikki_kaiser]

I'm planning on adding a few "beginners corals" but I can't until this is cleared up. I want to start out with everything as perfect as possible. I read that you are supposed to "starve" this stuff but if your water is good, you aren't over feeding, and you have good tank maintenance, what else is there? Guess I will be scrubbing live rock this weekend too. Will it hurt my live rock?

 

[rupp3322]

I wouldnt scrub. Id wait it out. It comes and goes. Not a bad thing. Just a little ugly.

 

[Grizz]

^^^^+1 let it die off then vacuum up as much as you can so it dont feed the next cycle.

 

[mikestanked]

I clean my glass and do a 15% water change almost everyweek in my 29g, I only had this brown algae issue in the beginning but my tanks only 6 months old so...

 

[nikki_kaiser]

I guess I will see if it subsides. I have no idea where it came from because my water is the best it's been in months. It's really irritating that you get one issue resolved and up pops something else..

 

[boardsurfer]

My only suggestion would be to cut your lights by one hour a day for a couple of weeks, then see how that does. New bulbs may have contributed even though the quality of light is much better with the new bulbs. Your white's are probably brighter (more intense) with the new bulbs.

 

[nikki_kaiser]

I've been limiting my lights and I think you are right!! I can see it starting to subside so that's cool!

 

[cashmoney6980]

You may want to keep an eye on your shrimp. My old coral banded shrimp did NOT like any other type of shrimp in the tank with him. He would literally rip them apart as soon as he got the chance. And it seems to be a slightly common thing unless your tank is rather large because the can "claim" quite a large area as theirs

 

[Schism]

I've been limiting my lights and I think you are right!! I can see it starting to subside so that's cool!

Hey nikki, would you happen to have a pic of this algae? Any new sand, rock, or sand disturbances lately?

 

[nikki_kaiser]

I can take one when I get home. I hadn't had any disturbances or new sand until after it started growing. I am slowly removing my old sand at the moment as it has some crushed coral mixed in it (I know...crushed coral is not good for clean up but it's what is old peeps use to use a long time ago! LOL!) and I'm wanting to add corals etc so want everything perfect before hand!

I've noticed that since I've removed a portion of it, and turned my lights on less its starting to subside. In addition, my phosphates are all down if not 0. Not sure if the sand is the issue but it's quite a coincidence! I've read quite a bit on different forums and sites and people's theory of leaving the sand alone doesn't make sense to me. I think you should clean it in sections...even the deep beds! I guess I don't understand why you aren't supposed to. How can it hurt your tank?

 

[Schism]

I can take one when I get home. I hadn't had any disturbances or new sand until after it started growing. I am slowly removing my old sand at the moment as it has some crushed coral mixed in it (I know...crushed coral is not good for clean up but it's what is old peeps use to use a long time ago! LOL!) and I'm wanting to add corals etc so want everything perfect before hand!

I've noticed that since I've removed a portion of it, and turned my lights on less its starting to subside. In addition, my phosphates are all down if not 0. Not sure if the sand is the issue but it's quite a coincidence! I've read quite a bit on different forums and sites and people's theory of leaving the sand alone doesn't make sense to me. I think you should clean it in sections...even the deep beds! I guess I don't understand why you aren't supposed to. How can it hurt your tank?

I never said it was bad to disturb it. Just getting to the point that if its been disturbed it could have freed up any remaining silicates in the sand bed to be used up by diatoms. So if your in the process of removing substrate then this could explain it.

 

[nikki_kaiser]

Do you clean or replace your sand bed? How deep is it? I've had saltwater fish on and off for years but as I said, I am wanting to add corals once I replace the sand and I've made sure water is stable. I am also about to start building a sump so I need to sort that out before jumping in as well. Little nervous about going REEF! LOL! I'm excited but I've only had anemones in the past. I've never had any corals so any advice is welcomed! My tank is 2 1/2 years old so it's established as far as bacteria goes.

 

[Schism]

Do you clean or replace your sand bed? How deep is it? I've had saltwater fish on and off for years but as I said, I am wanting to add corals once I replace the sand and I've made sure water is stable. I am also about to start building a sump so I need to sort that out before jumping in as well. Little nervous about going REEF! LOL! I'm excited but I've only had anemones in the past. I've never had any corals so any advice is welcomed! My tank is 2 1/2 years old so it's established as far as bacteria goes.

I would say your more than ready for corals actually. Especially if you can keep nems, it sounds like your water is in great shape minis the brown algae/diatoms which i would not worry too much about. You have kept the tank running 2.5 years so honestly i think your more than ready for coral. Most are not that difficult to keep and you will find you really have to mess up bad to kill coral most times.

I do clean my sand bed regularly, and it is about 2 inches of mixed size sand grains.

 

[nikki_kaiser]

I hope you don't mind but I'm picking your brain!

What are good hardy corals to start with? What do you dip them in to kill parasites and do you QT them? I want something that will grow but not over run my tank. I'm also planning on adding a BTA first to see where it settles so it doesn't sting anything. I've always had good luck with anemone but it's been a while since I've had one. I've debated a sump vs. canister and most people with reef systems have told me to go with a sump (friends that have them that is). What do you think?

 

[nikki_kaiser]

I'm wishing I had never gotten rid of the 150 gallon when I moved right now...more space=more cool corals and fish! LOL!

 

[Schism]

I hope you don't mind but I'm picking your brain!

What are good hardy corals to start with? What do you dip them in to kill parasites and do you QT them? I want something that will grow but not over run my tank. I'm also planning on adding a BTA first to see where it settles so it doesn't sting anything. I've always had good luck with anemone but it's been a while since I've had one. I've debated a sump vs. canister and most people with reef systems have told me to go with a sump (friends that have them that is). What do you think?

I dont mind

Some good hardy corals to start with would include most soft corals. Mushrooms, zoas, xenia, leathers, Ricordia etc. also some lps like frogspawns tend to be pretty hardy also. They can spread rapidly however not hard to cut back the population if you needed to.

Personally i rarely dip corals in anything. From the supplier i purchase from locally i have never had any kind of pest problem related to a coral addition. The only actual coral dip i have on hand is Revive but i use that for mostly fragging corals an i doubt it has any pest ridding capabilities. I cant really recommend much as far as dips as i dont do them.

Absolutely sump over canister. Canisters are a dying breed in the reef tank world. Sumps with skimmers and even refugiums have taken over as the most favorable and easiest method of filtration.