Bubbles

[wlng3]

Hi there,

I have a fish and reef tank for 6 months and things were going well until recently I had to move the tank to another spot in the house and re-arrange everything. In the last 2 weeks, brown stuff are appearing everywhere, substrate, glass and rock which I think are diatoms. I have some red coraline on the glass to but what is interesting is the brown stuff on the substrate has lots of bubbles on it and also on the rocks. With the water flow, it often blows it up to the surface, like sand mixed with brown glue and bubbles.

The parameters are ok, Nitrite 0, Ammonia 0, temp 26C but Nitrates 40ppm. I have since changed the water by 50%.

My question is -- why is there bubbles. The corals and fish are ok. Oh yes, recently I increased the lighting from 40w fluro to 130w pc.

Thanks in advance.

 

[muse12]

It happens to my tank too. I have 580 watts of light over a 58 gallon tank for about 12 hours a day. The brown stuff is algae, and like all other plants, it takes in carbon dioxide, and releases oxygen. The bubbles are just oxygen that has been accumulating over time but is not big enough to lift up off the sand. To get rid of this I would cut down the light on your tank, or buy a whole ton of astrea snails and starfish.

 

[Atari]

Might want to test your phosphate levels.

 

[muse12]

It happens to my tank too. I have 580 watts of light over a 58 gallon tank for about 12 hours a day. The brown stuff is algae, and like all other plants, it takes in carbon dioxide, and releases oxygen. The bubbles are just oxygen that has been accumulating over time but is not big enough to lift up off the sand. To get rid of this I would cut down the light on your tank, or buy a whole ton of astrea snails and starfish.

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

I have had the same thing, I had the lights on from like 5am-8pm so now it has died down alot, but there is some left, I have them turn on at 10:30 and go off at 8:30, should I change the time they turn on??

 

[wlng3]

Thanks for the quick response.
I only use sea water and RO water and change 10% every week. I did have the light 260w for 120l (30G) initially. I have since reduced to 130w over 12 hours but I will reduce even more.
I was hoping that it would burn itself out like when the tank is cycling.