[MonopolyBag]

I have brown algae problem. Did have hair algae, but fixed that.

I set this tank up in Christmas break of 07 this year.

I feel the brown algae is preventing nice algae growth


Here is my set up...

-22g Oceanic Cube.
-150w 14k Halide light, on from 10 am - 5 pm.
-BakPak Protein skimmer, colecting nice brown dry skim.
-10-13 hermit crabs of mixed kinds.
-Newly added (today) 9-10 snails, 8 astreas and two other.
-Three emerald crabs (one small, and two medium/small)
-maybe too much rubble rock, but a good amount.
-Live rock, about 45 lbs. maybe 50.
Nice water flow, a nano Korolien and the BakPak protein skimmer.
-Temp from 78-80.
-3 Chromis, very happy and growing.
-Small mushrooms on one rock with some feather dusters as well, also small.
-And newly placed in Zooantheds, again on a small rock.
-Phosphate at 0.2, I added SeaChems phosguard today in the skimmer and will see how that works out.
-Nitrite, Amonia, and Nitrates are fine, Nitrate almost nothing.
-Water looks clear...
-Feed twice a day small amounts.
-Glass top
-nice ripples at top with some bubbles as well.
-Rock is placed so water flow travels around and then through the rock and from top to bottom then back up. So I have good flow.
-Dry aragonite (I think grain is a tiny bit big, bit not huge. It is sand. And brown algae growing on rocks and sand.
-Reef crystals.
-Distilled water.

Water changes, did 10g past two weeks, and currently plan on now doing 5g every week. I use distilled water only.

What recommendations would you make? I hate this and had it for a while now. Anything you notice right away? I hope to eventually get some nice corals in here, remove the chromis, add two ocelaris (black) an anemone and maybe a goby or something.

I have pictures, will post them tomorrow night.

[RyanG]

What type of distilled water are you using? What brand? I would turn off your lights for a couple of days too.

[MonopolyBag]

I am using walmart brand distilled water in gallon containers, but have recently switched to using a LFS self filtered RO water. I have found now difference, and testing of water has seemed fine for both.

I feel that yes, turning lights off for a few days would help, but wouldn't that brown algae only grow back once lights go back on?

And how long would youo say keep them off?

[RyanG]

2 Hours, also I would advise against buying water from your LFS, you really don't know the TDS (total disolved conent) content of the water. Ideally RO/DI water should be below 5. 0 would be perfect.

[aquasalt]

Originally Posted by RyanG

2 Hours, also I would advise against buying water from your LFS, you really don't know the TDS (total disolved conent) content of the water. Ideally RO/DI water should be below 5. 0 would be perfect.

Turn off the lights for 2 hours?

[unclejed]

Hi monopoly, small cycles happen periodically. You add a coral attached to "foreign" live rock and maybe a little die off of something, you know, just make sure phosphates and nitrates are in check. You may want to run your blues actinic lights) for 4 hours followed by the daytime lights (4 hours) for awhile and see if that helps. I had to run my lights like that on my 14 gal. bio cube.

[jimw369]

Id start feeding once every 2 or 3 days and get rid of those glass tops also.

[RyanG]

Originally Posted by aquasalt

Turn off the lights for 2 hours?

lol, 2 Days*

[DEWAYNE]

I have fixed this problem before with a few water changes and disturbing the substrate, I have not had any problems doing this, just crank up the protein skimmer... only my personal opinion, but it did work for me.

[MonopolyBag]

Why get rid of the glass top? It helps prevent evaporation and fish jumping out. All tanks I see have them and are fine.

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by MonopolyBag

Why get rid of the glass top? It helps prevent evaporation and fish jumping out. All tanks I see have them and are fine.

My experience is limited and Ive always said seeing is believing.

If it were me Id put eggcrate over my tank to stop fish from jumping instead of the glass tops. This also helps the gas exchange in your tank which is IMHO pretty important. Evaporation is a good thing and is why we do top offs usually daily in a 55gal or larger tank.

By the way...ALL tanks you see have glass tops on them? We are talking saltwater right?

[RyanG]

Originally Posted by MonopolyBag

Why get rid of the glass top? It helps prevent evaporation and fish jumping out. All tanks I see have them and are fine.

I doubt you were looking at saltwater reef tanks, most (99.9%) are open top.

[Tonz of fun]

Originally Posted by RyanG

I doubt you were looking at saltwater reef tanks, most (99.9%) are open top.

I think I may learn something here, Why does a glass top encourage algae growth?

[unclejed]

I have used glass tops for all the 20+ years I've been at this. I am not sure why some find it hard to believe. If you have a sump, that is where you get your evaporation and gas exchange along with the protein skimmer and surface (main tank) agitation from return flow and power heads. Like I said earlier, diatoms will come and go. Try redirecting the flow and if you don't have filter floss in the chamber where your bio balls or live rock rubble (whatever you have) try putting the floss/pad on top of the rock/bio balls. Then remember to change that weekly.

[aquasalt]

That's a good point unclejed! Sumps do facilitate evaporation and gas exchange nicely. However if your sump does not have a large surface area then it may not be adequate or at an optimum. I keep mine uncovered...mainly for temperature reasons. I have a couple of firefish in Quarantine right so I am thinking of going the eggcrate way.

[Jeremy0322]

I went to Home Depot and when i said eggcrate they had no idea what I was talking about. What is it actually called and where can you find it most of the time in the stores?

[WhatReef]

i think if you look in the lighting section or lighting store you will fine something similiar to the "egg crate"

[Marine1]

Hey Jeremy 0322 the "egg crate" stuff is actually called acrylic and styrene lighting panels, so when you go to Home Depot ask for that. The egg crate is the actual description or design; as in the size of the box pattern. It comes in different patterns and sizes like: prisma square, prismatic, cracked ice, egg crate, etc.

So ask for acrylic or styrene lighting panels in egg crate pattern or egg crate louvers for lighting and they should know what you're talking about. Good luck.

[MonopolyBag]

OK thank you, I think I will end up going with egg crate for it, and I just hope I do not end up having a problem with my Halide over the plastic, it is raised up. I will post pictures tomorrow night, I have been busy.

But thank you all. Any other ideas about the brown algae. I have the light turned off and plan on keeping it off until Friday, then is will go on Saturday. I will do a water change tomorrow.

Do other people agree I should add the filter floss pad to the bak pak skimmer?

And yes, all SW tanks I seen got glass.

[Tonz of fun]

I drilled my glass lid last week so I was just wondering. I do have a ato, skimmer, and reactor in my sump supplying oxygen...

[RyanG]

Originally Posted by Tonz of fun

I think I may learn something here, Why does a glass top encourage algae growth?

Glass tops encourage high heat levels, especially with metal halides.

Phosphates and nitrates, lack of water flow, and poor water quality (not using RO/DI) water are the top reasons why algae becomes a problem.

[MonopolyBag]

OK thanks. I now have an open top, but the bubbles from the water flow are making the water jump up and hit the glass on my halide light a little. Is this a problem?

[aquasalt]

Yeah, you definitely want to try and avoid this as the saltwater will eventually corrode your lights. I had glass cut that is the width of my lights. Another option is elevating your lights above the tank a couple inches if that would work for you.

[MonopolyBag]

Yes, I already have the light elevated above the tank about 4 inches, and the light came with a sheet of glass, the water is only hitting the glass pain on the light. Should this be ok?

[RyanG]

What type of lighting is it? I have my lighting 7-8 inches away, however mine are 250watts MH's.