Brown hair algae?

[Carolina79]

Hello! I have an AIO, and in the chamber that holds the pump I see on the walls like brown hair algae growing, it’s not in the main display but I’m worried it will pass at some point, what do I do?

 

[blaxsun]

Hello! I have an AIO, and in the chamber that holds the pump I see on the walls like brown hair algae growing, it’s not in the main display but I’m worried it will pass at some point, what do I do?

Turn the pump off, scrape off the algae and siphon out the water and any muck. Replace with new saltwater and resume operations.

 

[Carolina79]

Thanks so much! What would you use to scrape off? Toothbrush?

 

[Lavey29]

Turn the pump off, scrape off the algae and siphon out the water and any muck. Replace with new saltwater and resume operations.

Can algae grow in darkness? I thought it needed some light to establish? Assuming his pump chamber is not getting light what allows algae to develop in that area?

 

[blaxsun]

Thanks so much! What would you use to scrape off? Toothbrush?

Yeah, when I had a pair of IM Fusion 25-gallon tanks I just used those disposable electric toothbrushes and some paper towel wrapped around a cleaning scrubber.

Can algae grow in darkness? I thought it needed some light to establish? Assuming his pump chamber is not getting light what allows algae to develop in that area?

Most AIO tanks don't have a sealed or covered sump, so there's actually a fair amount of room for ambient light from the room or tank light to spill into those chambers. Depending on what you're all running for equipment, flow can be inhibited - and the drains on AIO tanks aren't exactly watertight (so detritus, algae, etc. can and will occasionally make its way into the sump area).

 

[Lavey29]

Yeah, when I had a pair of IM Fusion 25-gallon tanks I just used those disposable electric toothbrushes and some paper towel wrapped around a cleaning scrubber.



Most AIO tanks don't have a sealed sump, so there's actually a fair amount of room for ambient light from the room or tank light to spill into those chambers.

Can you leave a trochus in there to keep it tidy?

 

[Carolina79]

Yeah there is definitely light spillage into that back chamber, plus I’m my office where the light is always on… not sure if that makes a difference. I wonder if I can make a lid for the back part so it doesn’t get light ?

 

[blaxsun]

Yeah there is definitely light spillage into that back chamber, plus I’m my office where the light is always on… not sure if that makes a difference. I wonder if I can make a lid for the back part so it doesn’t get light ?

You certainly can. It may or not make a huge difference, but as long as it's opaque enough it should work. One reason I upgraded to a larger tank with external sump is that I found I was spending altogether too much time cleaning the sumps on my smaller AIO tanks, and the sump I have now is shadowed in complete darkness - so it's way, way easier to keep clean (or hide it if I'm feeling particularly lazy).

 

[Carolina79]

Ah ok , thanks so much!