Have brown algae showing up in my tank.
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undeadsoldier988
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Is your skimmer running good?
Dmoore865
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It's been set up like this for a month and a half. I believe it's running good. Before I got it the tank was set up without sand and the rock for a month. The rock had been in another tank running for a long time. The only thing new was the sand.
undeadsoldier988
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It can be caused by tapwater topoffs... just starve it and it will die.
undeadsoldier988
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On about.com there is a good article. But here is better
undeadsoldier988
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Brown Algae needs light (your tank lights are perfect) and food (nitrates and silicates) to survive. The cure for Brown Algae is the same as the prevention: Starve it into oblivion.
Nitrates can be introduced into an aquarium not only as the end product of the*Nitrogen Cycling Process(ammonia/nitrite/nitrate), but also via some brands of commercial sea salts and tap water. You can scroll down to see methods for reducing nitrates.
The silicates the Brown Algae requires can enter your tank through several avenues: Commercial sea salts, tap water used for top offs and make up and the substrate you may have on the bottom of your tank.
If you did absolutely nothing to your tank, the Brown Algae would eventually consume the silicates present and die of starvation. Since you can't do absolutely nothing to your tank, the source of the silicates must be identified and eliminated, in order to get rid of the present brown algae bloom and prevent future outbreaks.*
Check the source of any builders sand, play sand or other substrate materials in your tank which did not come from the ocean. There is a possibility that they may contain silicates which are leaching into your tank water.Use only RO or RO/DI water whether youpurchase an RO/DI unitor purchase RO/DI water from a commercial source.Check to see if your commercial sea salts*contain high levels*of nitrates. If the salt mixture contains unacceptable nitrates, consider changing mixtures.Removing the silicates alone from your tank will eliminate the Brown Algae problem. But, as long as you are getting your tank in order, you might as well get used to dealing with nitrates. This would be a good time for you to establish a*good tank maintenance routinewhich includes keeping nitrate levels at a minimum, especially if you plan to have invertebrates and/or a reef tank, which do not tolerate high levels.
Nitrates will always be something to contend with in your tank. For fast, immediate reduction, you can do a water change, using the*Instant Nitrate Reduction Method.*This will reduce your nitrates at the fastest rate, using the least amount of time and water. This will also get your nitrates down to a workable (10 mg/L area) level but it is only a Bandaid and does nothing to remove the source of the nitrates. Siphon out as much of the Brown Algae as possible. You will probably find that you will have to use several other methods (many of which are part of a good*Aquarium Maintenance Routine) to keep your nitrates in check. If you have a protein skimmer in your aquarium system, you might find that using the*"Vodka Method" of Nitrate Reductionworks quite well.*
Nitrates can be introduced into an aquarium not only as the end product of the*Nitrogen Cycling Process(ammonia/nitrite/nitrate), but also via some brands of commercial sea salts and tap water. You can scroll down to see methods for reducing nitrates.
The silicates the Brown Algae requires can enter your tank through several avenues: Commercial sea salts, tap water used for top offs and make up and the substrate you may have on the bottom of your tank.
If you did absolutely nothing to your tank, the Brown Algae would eventually consume the silicates present and die of starvation. Since you can't do absolutely nothing to your tank, the source of the silicates must be identified and eliminated, in order to get rid of the present brown algae bloom and prevent future outbreaks.*
Check the source of any builders sand, play sand or other substrate materials in your tank which did not come from the ocean. There is a possibility that they may contain silicates which are leaching into your tank water.Use only RO or RO/DI water whether youpurchase an RO/DI unitor purchase RO/DI water from a commercial source.Check to see if your commercial sea salts*contain high levels*of nitrates. If the salt mixture contains unacceptable nitrates, consider changing mixtures.Removing the silicates alone from your tank will eliminate the Brown Algae problem. But, as long as you are getting your tank in order, you might as well get used to dealing with nitrates. This would be a good time for you to establish a*good tank maintenance routinewhich includes keeping nitrate levels at a minimum, especially if you plan to have invertebrates and/or a reef tank, which do not tolerate high levels.
Nitrates will always be something to contend with in your tank. For fast, immediate reduction, you can do a water change, using the*Instant Nitrate Reduction Method.*This will reduce your nitrates at the fastest rate, using the least amount of time and water. This will also get your nitrates down to a workable (10 mg/L area) level but it is only a Bandaid and does nothing to remove the source of the nitrates. Siphon out as much of the Brown Algae as possible. You will probably find that you will have to use several other methods (many of which are part of a good*Aquarium Maintenance Routine) to keep your nitrates in check. If you have a protein skimmer in your aquarium system, you might find that using the*"Vodka Method" of Nitrate Reductionworks quite well.*
If your sand is new, Im betting on normal Diatom Bloom, thats eating out the silicates from that new sand. It'll go away by itself.
Hows the flow in the tank also? Get more flow in that area, and it'll help clear it up also.
Hows the flow in the tank also? Get more flow in that area, and it'll help clear it up also.
undeadsoldier988
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Even if you let it go, blow it around it will eventually starve, and die off nd go away.
