SlicVic
Active Member
Getting brown stuff on live rock and sand as soon as I began my lighting schedule. I have one fish and a couple hermis and snails in there. NO coral yet. Any advice? Can't remember what to do?
Newly cycled tank getting brown stuff
- Thread starter SlicVic
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Subsea
5000 Club Member
A picture would help. Brown stuff covers a lot of things.
Is it this brown stuff?
www.reefcleaners.org
Almost sure to appear in a new system, diatoms are some of the most abundant organisms on earth. They usually surface in the aquarium as a brown powdery like substance, within a week or so after a tank finishes its cycle. Diatoms feed on available silicates in your system and will run their course in time. Similarly, because they feed on silicates, anytime you add new sand, rock or something plastic they can pop up.
Is it this brown stuff?
Reef Cleaners
A good guide to identify most of the nuisance algae that plagues the hobby. Complete with pictures and suggested treatments
Diatoms
Almost sure to appear in a new system, diatoms are some of the most abundant organisms on earth. They usually surface in the aquarium as a brown powdery like substance, within a week or so after a tank finishes its cycle. Diatoms feed on available silicates in your system and will run their course in time. Similarly, because they feed on silicates, anytime you add new sand, rock or something plastic they can pop up.
OP
OP
SlicVic
Active Member
Do I just wait it out?A picture would help. Brown stuff covers a lot of things.
Is it this brown stuff?
Reef Cleaners
A good guide to identify most of the nuisance algae that plagues the hobby. Complete with pictures and suggested treatments
Diatoms
Almost sure to appear in a new system, diatoms are some of the most abundant organisms on earth. They usually surface in the aquarium as a brown powdery like substance, within a week or so after a tank finishes its cycle. Diatoms feed on available silicates in your system and will run their course in time. Similarly, because they feed on silicates, anytime you add new sand, rock or something plastic they can pop up.
OP
OP
SlicVic
Active Member
Do I need to turn the lights off?Seems like diatoms. Patient and it will go away
OP
OP
SlicVic
Active Member
I will always be nervous in this hobby for many reasons: 1. I don't want any animals to suffer or die, 2. It is REALLY expensive, and 3. I am just not that CONFIDENT!I think it is not necessary, it will go away also with lights. But i am also new guy in saltwater. Lets wait what pro guys will tell.
SunSill
Community Member
What i learned from freshwater aquarium is patient. In reef tank you need patient even more. Dont be nervous, this hobby takes time. Right now in your situation all you need is leave your tank alone, it will deal itself with current algea
Bruttall
Well-Known Member
Napolean used to not open his mail for 3 weeks. It always amazed his secretary how many of those URGENT issues had resolved themselves in that time period.
Salt tanks are a lot like that. Most of the "issues" you will encounter are just not that serious. You will see algae blooms! If you are lucky, it will limit itself to GHA and a little cyano. If not so lucky you deal with dinos, cyano, Bryopsis, and more.
Nothing happens fast in this hobby, all those "bad algae's" take time to grow, it never happens overnight. So if you know what to look for, you can react in time. Sadly knowing what to look for comes from experience and experience comes from doing it and working thru the mistakes!
None of these are reasons to panic, there are treatments for all these things, mostly just time and livestock to balance the system in a lot of cases but I'll give you a little ammo to fight with here.
For green algae that you don't want, Reef flux is tops. It eradicates Bryopsis and pretty much all forms of green algae and macro algae. It will kill Chaeto and Caulerpa. I do not recommend this treatment UNLESS you are sure you have Bryopsis. I like seeing GHA in my tank, my Tangs love to eat it.
For cyano Chemi-clean works really good, BUT it does NOT fix the Phos imbalance that causes cyano slime. Adding some GFO after Chemi-clean treatment has some positive indications for good results in managing your Phos. levels.
If you get Dinoflagellate's there are threads here that walk you thru the various methods of getting them under control.
If you have a lot of color (algae) in your sand bed chances are your goby will get more than enough nutrients out of sifting that color (algae). If not then you need to supplement his diet. The cleaner shrimp will scavenge what he needs out of the food you add to the tank in addition to all the "cleaning" he does.
If you do adjust your lights, turn off the White/Yellow channels. Those 2 spectrums promote most algae growth, although some does grow under the blue and UV spectrum but that is the algae you want usually, Coraline Algae.
The advice given here is from my own experience. Your experiences may differ from mine, I am working with a 300g display and a 125g sump running about 50% full. My toxin build up in my water column is very slow just due to the sheer volume of water I have in circulation.
I suggest you do regular water testing. Nitrates and Phos mainly for the first few months then once your tank is established and stable you can start watching things like CA and Mag as well etc. Starting out the water changes you should be doing will replenish any nutrients that might get used out of your water but you will get to a point where water changes are not that necessary. I went from 20% weekly to about 10% every 2 weeks currently. My system is about 8 months old.
Good Luck with your adventure and happy reefing!
Salt tanks are a lot like that. Most of the "issues" you will encounter are just not that serious. You will see algae blooms! If you are lucky, it will limit itself to GHA and a little cyano. If not so lucky you deal with dinos, cyano, Bryopsis, and more.
Nothing happens fast in this hobby, all those "bad algae's" take time to grow, it never happens overnight. So if you know what to look for, you can react in time. Sadly knowing what to look for comes from experience and experience comes from doing it and working thru the mistakes!
None of these are reasons to panic, there are treatments for all these things, mostly just time and livestock to balance the system in a lot of cases but I'll give you a little ammo to fight with here.
For green algae that you don't want, Reef flux is tops. It eradicates Bryopsis and pretty much all forms of green algae and macro algae. It will kill Chaeto and Caulerpa. I do not recommend this treatment UNLESS you are sure you have Bryopsis. I like seeing GHA in my tank, my Tangs love to eat it.
For cyano Chemi-clean works really good, BUT it does NOT fix the Phos imbalance that causes cyano slime. Adding some GFO after Chemi-clean treatment has some positive indications for good results in managing your Phos. levels.
If you get Dinoflagellate's there are threads here that walk you thru the various methods of getting them under control.
If you have a lot of color (algae) in your sand bed chances are your goby will get more than enough nutrients out of sifting that color (algae). If not then you need to supplement his diet. The cleaner shrimp will scavenge what he needs out of the food you add to the tank in addition to all the "cleaning" he does.
If you do adjust your lights, turn off the White/Yellow channels. Those 2 spectrums promote most algae growth, although some does grow under the blue and UV spectrum but that is the algae you want usually, Coraline Algae.
The advice given here is from my own experience. Your experiences may differ from mine, I am working with a 300g display and a 125g sump running about 50% full. My toxin build up in my water column is very slow just due to the sheer volume of water I have in circulation.
I suggest you do regular water testing. Nitrates and Phos mainly for the first few months then once your tank is established and stable you can start watching things like CA and Mag as well etc. Starting out the water changes you should be doing will replenish any nutrients that might get used out of your water but you will get to a point where water changes are not that necessary. I went from 20% weekly to about 10% every 2 weeks currently. My system is about 8 months old.
Good Luck with your adventure and happy reefing!
Last edited:
V_Sh
Community Member
Hi,Do I just wait it out?
It's a regular thing don't worry, best way to control algae is to control nitrogen and phosphorus.
The first suggestion is to make sure that your filtration is working well and that you have enough media for the denitrifying bacteria to grow (Porous media like ceramic)
Second is that you make sure that your bacteria community is built up well enough. (you may use bacteria like AquaVitro "Seed" again and a carbon source to increase the population of your bacteria)
and plenty of Turbo snails with different sizes gonna be the best brown algae removers I suggest.
So tell me about your filtration and media and the bacteria you used
OP
OP
SlicVic
Active Member
Thank you so much for your wisdom! It did make me feel a lot better and not so anxious! I love ALL creatures on this planet, and just want them all to be safe and healthy! I enjoy my learning experiences and hope patience will preval!! Thanks again!!Napolean used to not open his mail for 3 weeks. It always amazed his secretary how many of those URGENT issues had resolved themselves in that time period.
Salt tanks are a lot like that. Most of the "issues" you will encounter are just not that serious. You will see algae blooms! If you are lucky, it will limit itself to GHA and a little cyano. If not so lucky you deal with dinos, cyano, Bryopsis, and more.
Nothing happens fast in this hobby, all those "bad algae's" take time to grow, it never happens overnight. So if you know what to look for, you can react in time. Sadly knowing what to look for comes from experience and experience comes from doing it and working thru the mistakes!
None of these are reasons to panic, there are treatments for all these things, mostly just time and livestock to balance the system in a lot of cases but I'll give you a little ammo to fight with here.
For green algae that you don't want, Reef flux is tops. It eradicates Bryopsis and pretty much all forms of green algae and macro algae. It will kill Chaeto and Caulerpa. I do not recommend this treatment UNLESS you are sure you have Bryopsis. I like seeing GHA in my tank, my Tangs love to eat it.
For cyano Chemi-clean works really good, BUT it does NOT fix the Phos imbalance that causes cyano slime. Adding some GFO after Chemi-clean treatment has some positive indications for good results in managing your Phos. levels.
If you get Dinoflagellate's there are threads here that walk you thru the various methods of getting them under control.
If you have a lot of color (algae) in your sand bed chances are your goby will get more than enough nutrients out of sifting that color (algae). If not then you need to supplement his diet. The cleaner shrimp will scavenge what he needs out of the food you add to the tank in addition to all the "cleaning" he does.
If you do adjust your lights, turn off the White/Yellow channels. Those 2 spectrums promote most algae growth, although some does grow under the blue and UV spectrum but that is the algae you want usually, Coraline Algae.
The advice given here is from my own experience. Your experiences may differ from mine, I am working with a 300g display and a 125g sump running about 50% full. My toxin build up in my water column is very slow just due to the sheer volume of water I have in circulation.
I suggest you do regular water testing. Nitrates and Phos mainly for the first few months then once your tank is established and stable you can start watching things like CA and Mag as well etc. Starting out the water changes you should be doing will replenish any nutrients that might get used out of your water but you will get to a point where water changes are not that necessary. I went from 20% weekly to about 10% every 2 weeks currently. My system is about 8 months old.
Good Luck with your adventure and happy reefing!
OP
OP
SlicVic
Active Member
Thank you for your reassurance! I will try and be patient!What i learned from freshwater aquarium is patient. In reef tank you need patient even more. Dont be nervous, this hobby takes time. Right now in your situation all you need is leave your tank alone, it will deal itself with current algea
