Please help!! Brown Algea?

[newreefnick]

So I think I have brown algae on my old 50 gallon AIO tank. It’s not running a skimmer which I’m sure is part of the problem but I’ve been able to go 1 year and 1 month without an issue until now. I haven’t done one because pretty much all that will fit is a HOB and my wife would kill me if it ruined our floors in that room. I recently bought a small UV filter prior to the problem. For no real reason other than to have pretty water and maybe some bacterial problems later on down the road. Do you think that is part of the problem? I ran chemi clean on the tank on Wed & Friday and it didn’t help at all. I was thinking it may be brown cyano as there is a little red cyano but very little compared to the brown. Now pretty sure it’s not cyano. The few corals and fish in the tank are active and acting fine. Honestly the corals are looking better than they ever have. I’ve also started to add reef roids in the fish food to feed the fish and corals at the same time. That may be the issue? I’m running Rodi water and not having an issue in the Red Sea 650. Im only in this hobby since last February and while I’m always on the site my knowledge is still very limited. I have quickly become addicted to this hobby and I hate seeing the ugly tank. I will upload pics in a minute once I get home and also parameters. Any help would be great.

 

[cracker]

Some pics & current parameters will tell us a lot. Wait till the Algae experts see this they will help for sure ! I'm following cause I need to learn all I can about algae control.

 

[newreefnick]

Some pics & current parameters will tell us a lot. Wait till the Algae experts see this they will help for sure ! I'm following cause I need to learn all I can about algae control.

Ammonia 0
Ph 8
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10

 

[Tedzilla]

That's not a REAL bad problem. I'd look at your phosphate levels a little more closely, and get a phosphate reactor. Should clean it right up with three days of total darkness.

 

[NeedMoreReef]

It's a new tank. February? You will have a few different algaes "bloom" until everything comes into balance. I would stick to your water chance routine. Make sure you have good clean up crew. UV unnecessary in my experience.

 

[Tedzilla]

It's a new tank. February? You will have a few different algaes "bloom" until everything comes into balance. I would stick to your water chance routine. Make sure you have good clean up crew. UV unnecessary in my experience.

I think he means February of last year....

 

[newreefnick]

I think he means February of last year....

I’ve been pretty good about water changes. I do mean February 2017. On my RO/DI Union it shows 0 ppm when I test it. I guess a phosphate reactor would be a wise investment. Many of the original snails have been eaten by hermits. I have replenished once but may be due again. I’m thinking of getting rid of the hermits all together. The seem to kill the snails for sport at times. Does anyone go just snails with success?

 

[NanoCrazed]

Instead of a phosphate reactor per se, you could just toss in a GFO pack

 

[Tedzilla]

I’ve been pretty good about water changes. I do mean February 2017. On my RO/DI Union it shows 0 ppm when I test it. I guess a phosphate reactor would be a wise investment. Many of the original snails have been eaten by hermits. I have replenished once but may be due again. I’m thinking of getting rid of the hermits all together. The seem to kill the snails for sport at times. Does anyone go just snails with success?

You are testing your RO/DI water, or your tank water? I'd pull water right from the sand bed if possible, and look at what's happening down there. And you don't want to eradicate phophates 100%, but it looks like they're getting high. Also, remove snails asap, if they're dead. Don't leave for the hermits to feed on, they'll spike waste levels faster than the bacteria can deal with.

 

[Tedzilla]

Check out this video...

 

[Tedzilla]

This is a two part series obviously... I meant to post the first and then second... Oops. My apologies.

 

[Jesterrace]

GFO and a small mexican turbo snail will do the job. I started getting the same thing in my 90 gallon tank. My Mexican turbo has been in for two days and has about polished off the brown by himself. My water is noticeably clearer as well.