Is it my lights?

[MizTanks]

My diatoms have turned into tiny tufts of algae. This algae looks like HA and seems to glue the sand together. I also have a couple spots of brown hairy algae on my rock, which is where a bit of morning sunshine hits the rock.
Parameters are:
N02/N03=0
Ammonia=0
Ca=450
Alk=7.8
Mag=1440
Ph=8.0
Temp=79.4
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[MizTanks]

Bump!!! Anyone? I cut my lights down by 2hrs. Running PhosGaurd, Salifert P04 test reads 0.05

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Was it dry or live rock?

Tom

[binford4000]

We have been fighting a similar brown Algae on our sand bed. In reflection of changes I made before the issue arrived I discovered that increasing our royal blue and blues to 100% might have caused the problem. I started to doase Kent's tech M to fight the algae which did help to some extent. After a week of tech M I came to the conclusion that changeing the lights might help. I reset the blues to the pre brown problem. After one week the algae is almost gone. Not sure if it was spectrum issue or increased PAR level issue ,regardless I have added some hermits they seem to enjoy eating it and our tuxedo urchin is helping also. If shorting the light cycle time does not help you might want to try readjusting the spectrum. Food for thought

[MizTanks]

Tom-yeah it was dry reef saver rock.

I did a 10g WC today, siphoned up as much as I could while still leaving myself a sand bed, changed sock and -2hrs on lights.

@Chuck-I'm thinking it's a combo of to long lighting schedule and the fact I've been dosing SeaChem zoo and phytoplankton. So I'm done dosing that stuff :) I'll see in the next week how things go with -2hrs & no dosing.

Thanks guys :)

Corals are doing great though!

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Sounds like the settings on the lights could be a factor. But I think starting a reef with dry rock is also a major component. All that surface and low/no species diversity in the tank is just asking for one algae species to run ramped. Working to keep it under control is the best thing to do. Over time other species will become established you will get a more diverse and balanced algae community.

Tom

[binford4000]

9738

Does this look familare ?? The common cause of this diatom is low oxygen levels and excessive light. Your new rock and new sand bed could also be leaching Po4 .Excessive silicates is also a known cause. Best thing to do is water changes and vacuuming or stirring the sand bed up with a large doase of patience . It will die off eventually if you stay consistent with your water changes

[MizTanks]

Well if anything I'm consistent with water changes oh and stirring up the sand bed. :)

[tcp316]

This is the same stuff I have been fighting. 2 Days after water change it comes back. I have my blues turned way up so I am cutting them down to see if that helps. I am going to try stirring every couple of days as well instead of once a week.

At least, we aren't alone.

[MizTanks]

I'd rather not be a part of this mess :) My blues are only at 50% for an hour. I think my issue is different, in that I've got green algae. I'm thinking it's was caused from dosing the zoo & phytoplankton. It just built up and the lights did the rest.

[jimsflies]

Does everyone else stir their sandbed?

I've never stirred it once. Seems like this could cause problems to me. :confused:

[MizTanks]

Well I'm not going to actually stir the SB. But I have been raking the SB surface. Trying to displace this crap. I don't know WTH it is but it's freaking tenacious as all heck! I'm hoping it's just some stranger then usual part of the cycle. It's been almost 2wks since I dosed zoo or phyto and a 10g water change in between.

[MizTanks]

BUMP!

It is getting out of hand people!! Please someone tell me what to do! Are my rocks leaching?
I've turned my white lights down to a max of 20% only on for 5hrs. I'm running PhosGaurd. 10g bi-weekly WC.

9806
9807
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9809

[jimsflies]

Remember nothing good happens fast in a reef tank.

From your photos, I would say that looks like a typical algae cycle that could be expected as a tank matures.

Unless you feel you have an over abundance of cleanup crew already, perhaps some reinforcements would help keep it in check.

[MizTanks]

1 Turbo, 10 Nerites, 10 Nass and 1 Scarlet Hermit. I do not recall going through anything like this with my other tanks :( I'm not liking it-lol.
Thank you for the support Jim. Things are a little rough in my house hold ATM and my tank keeps me sane but when it too is having issues well I am overly sensitive :)

[Poseidon]

None of your CUC is interested in that. Get some Trochus, or at least Astraea snails. I have 20 Trochus, a handful of astraea, and couple turbos in my tank, with about a dozen scarlets. The Crew is being overwhelmed. ;)

[Tom@HaslettMI]

I agree with Jim and Mike. Normal early tank bloom and a light CUC.


...about a dozen scarlets. ;)

Wait... you have crabs? What happened to "just say no to crabs"?

Tom

[Poseidon]

Ya... I added the crabs when I was dealing with some HA. I regret it now, the murderous little devils.

[MizTanks]

Here's the thing....our LFS orders live stock once a month if that. I just ordered Tuesday, came Wednesday but my 10 Astraea's didn't. No way will I purchase anything from their tanks as 5 out of 8 of them are filled with flat worms, to say nothing of the abundance of algaes of all types and cyano.

Would it hurt to take a couple pieces of the rock out during WC time and lightly scrub this stuff off? Using old water of course :)

[jimsflies]

I agree that a troop of scarlets would help. I prefer those over other hermit crabs because they seem to come in a little larger and because of this they don't kill each other for their shells. I think crabs would be better for your algae...it always seems to me that snails hang out on the glass more than rocks.

You could pull the rocks out and scrub them. But I think that might just be stirring up the sand bed and causing more problems. I personally wouldn't disturb the sand bed too much. It doesn't seem like the problem is bad enough to warrant removing and scrubbing rocks.

[MizTanks]

Oh the SB is bad :( I rake the surface. The pics were the after images. Otherwise the entire SB is colored golden and if you look real close (which I do) you can see tiny lil tufts of green algae. I've never seen this before. It actually glues the sand particles together, making it thick like.