Brown Algae

[Mickie]

Fairly new tank set up...3 clowns and some cuc. 60 gallons, 50/50 live rock and dry rock with live sand. Just added hydra LED HD lights....literally took a nap for a few hours this afternoon and when I woke up I have brown algae.

The tank didn't cycle much till the fish were added...my ammonia just went down from .50 to .25 and my nitrates are .20 and hasn't changed much. I think I'm near the end of my cycle. LFS has been telling me to add stability to my tank to help it cycle.

Is this normal?

Will this go away on its own or do I need to intervene?

TIA!

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Diatoms. normal for new tanks and even for mature tanks under certain circumstances. will go away once the silicates in your water are depleted. I'm still concerned about your ammonia though. are you doing water changes?

 

[Nick92515]

What test kit are you using for ammonia? Api typically will always read .25 no matter what.

 

[Mickie]

Diatoms. normal for new tanks and even for mature tanks under certain circumstances. will go away once the silicates in your water are depleted. I'm still concerned about your ammonia though. are you doing water changes?

The LFS told me not to worry about it as long as my ammonia didn't spike over
.50 and to just monitor. I did order a protein skimmer rated for 125 gallons I believe...which I can go pick up this week. Would that help get my ammonia levels to 0?

My ammonia today went to .25 (down from .50) but seems to be somewhere between 0 and .25 since it doesn't quite match either shade. Lol.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Skimmer won't help with ammonia. just keep your eye on it. sometimes cycles stall and it will eventually correct itself or you have to start over, in extreme cases.

 

[Mickie]

Skimmer won't help with ammonia. just keep your eye on it. sometimes cycles stall and it will eventually correct itself or you have to start over, in extreme cases.

Barf. Starting over sounds awful. Lol.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Lol. yeah hopefully you won't have to do that. have you tested nitrites?

 

[Mickie]

Lol. yeah hopefully you won't have to do that. have you tested nitrites?

Nitrites are 0 and stable

 

[Nick92515]

What kit are you using?

 

[Mickie]

What kit are you using?

Api saltwater. I haven't bought the reef one yet.

 

[Nick92515]

Thoes typically give a false .25 ammonia reading.

 

[Nick92515]

I wouldn't bother with an api reef kit. Get a salifert or red sea. There's a reason there cheap. But it's fine for now. You don't need a reef kit till you get a bunch corals and what not.

 

[Mickie]

Thoes typically give a false .25 ammonia reading.

.25 when there is none? Or lower than a higher reading?

 

[Nick92515]

.25 when there is none. Also the lfs that told you .50 is fine, is absolutely wrong. No ammonia is ok.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Very low amounts is not detrimental.

 

[Mickie]

Thanks everybody!

 

[Nick92515]

.5 is not low...

 

[uvafred13]

Are you using tap water? Chloramine gives a false positive reading for ammonia, sort of.

 

[Matthew T coral]

Stir ur sand a lil with fingers or sand sifting starfish & other things that sift sand will help imo. & what are ur lights set to if set to strong it can help it grow more . But it is normal & impossible to avoid with a new tank & relly a tank cycles for a year in some cases so don't get discouraged slow & stedy wins the race good luck

 

[Maggie96521]

Try to use Red Sea test kit, it would be more accurate, brown algae will go away if your tank is getting stable, but it would take a long time. Make sure there is absolutely no ammonia, and you can add sand sifting snail, it will turn your sand bed to white within a week, that's what I did when I started my tank.