I purchased the Bio brick 3 months ago and placed it in my refugium . ... The algae covers the entire surface. Is this normal? My tank parameters are good and corals look fine. Any advice?
Welcome to R2R !
This is a great resource for advice, insight, knowledge, and wisdom. I'd review the "
Nuisance Algae (including bacteria) " thread.
Omnipresent Algae - That said my novice experience is that algae is everywhere in the environment. Given enough time, it will find your tank.
Ugly Phase - My experience is that every tank, freshwater or salt water, will have a ugly phase with algae. One is best to be patient and reassess for the common risk factors (Too much light, over feeding, new tank, high phosphate, high nitrates, ...).
Take It Slow - An urge to nuke algae often ends up in disaster. For me, algae will diminish as the cause is eliminated
and the equilibrium is established.
One Step At A Time - Avoid too many changes too fast. If something goes wrong with many changes, you will not know the culprit. The converse is true too; if the algae is gone, one will not know what worked. If the inhabitants are doing well, go slow.
Avoid Algecides - I killed all the plants in a freshwater tank trying to control algae with an algaecide. Only when I researched the compound, did I learn it blocks photosynthesis. Do the research
and Do No Harm.
Be Careful With Products With Antibiotics & Other Medicines - Not all inhabitants tolerate all medication and all doses. My son has has fish that require half the regular dose when medicated with certain medications. This information is often buried in manufacturer websites and PDFs. Do the research
and Do No Harm.
Listen To The Wisdom At R2R - This site is a great resource with knowledgeable members. Do not make the mistakes I made. I'm a novice who returned to the field 2 years ago when my son became interested. That said, unfortunately, I know algae well. Thus my hard learned lessons above.
Best wishes and may 2022 be algae free,
Jim
