Algae and diatom question

[hoffmabc]

Ok just as a set up to this question here's my stats:
- 3 months going
- 55g show tank + 20g sump
- 50lb. live fiji rock
- 2 ocellaris clown fish
- 3 blue-green chromis
- 1 cleaner shrimp
- 20 or so CuC snails/hermits
- 1 Chocolate Chip Star

Mistakes made:
- Initially filled whole setup with tap water
- Bought condy anemone and it ****ed up a chromi and died and i removed it asap

I have been doing 15% water changes each week, but the phosphates will not go to 0. All other parameters are fine. I also added one Poly-Filter Pad and Phoshate remover to the sump and it has not removed all of the phosphates yet.

Here's the situation:
My tank has grown tons of GHA which is to be expected with the tap water issue, but it kind of just stayed at about 50% cover on the live rock. This week randomly I started getting hardcore diatoms on the glass and sand and all of the GHA has started browning. What the heck is going on? I've read that GHA turns white when dying not brown so am I getting more crappy algae of a different type or is my tank cycling yet again??

Please help!

Photos:
http://i.imgur.com/uwHZc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Qxm2c.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tNLhY.jpg

[bundybear1981]

the aglaes occur when you have too many nutrients in your tank. You said you initally filled with tap water, what did you fill with at the end? Was it RODI water?
Some cheato or calerpa, usully in your sump (or refug if you have one)
Also what is your lighting cycle on? Reducing the lighting can help get it under control (even go without lighting for a couple of days)
Some water changes with RODI could help reduce the nutrients that are feeding the bloom.

[hoffmabc]

I have used RO/DI ever since I screwed up the initial fill. The lights are on 8 hours a day. I guess I could try some chaeto in the sump and see how that goes too.

[reef_of_flames]

What color are diatoms?

[stingythingy45]

Sounds like you have a serious phos. problem.
Diatoms are from silicates.Most new tanks have some kind of outbreak.
HA is growing from PO4 and NO3 in the tap water.Water changes and a gfo reactor would definitely help.

[hoffmabc]

brown

[djk83]

Maybe reduce your photo period to 6 hours

[reef_of_flames]

Hmmm, 1 of my LR pieces has something on it that looks like rust color...

[scarface70706]

hey i did this back in 06. really sucks but use rodi for now on and it will go away in time.

[pscott99]

I am one year in. Biggest improvement to my tank was an mp20w for flow. Your brown algae will go away in time, three months is early still. If you have good flow look to GFO or bio pellets. Lots of reading to do. I started GFO and noticed immediate improvment but I found it messy. I am now trying pellets. What are your phos readings ? Mine are still over .05 after a couple months of GFO. If your tank was cycling you would be spiking ammonia and nitrite have dead fish by now. How is your skimmate. Are you over feeding. You need to remove the excess nutrients.

[ermartin]

There is way too much to try and interpret here

what does phosphate wont go to zero mean ? what does it go to

what are you using for circulation
what are your tank parameters
are you using GFO Carbon purigen chemipure ?
did you treat the tapwater ?
based on the 15% waterchange weekly anything your tap water may have put in should all but be gone ?
I would increase water changes to at least 20gallons a week
are you overfeeding ? are you feeding something high in PHOS ?
whats your lighting ?

Originally Posted by hoffmabc

Ok just as a set up to this question here's my stats:
- 3 months going
- 55g show tank + 20g sump
- 50lb. live fiji rock
- 2 ocellaris clown fish
- 3 blue-green chromis
- 1 cleaner shrimp
- 20 or so CuC snails/hermits
- 1 Chocolate Chip Star

Mistakes made:
- Initially filled whole setup with tap water
- Bought condy anemone and it ****ed up a chromi and died and i removed it asap

I have been doing 15% water changes each week, but the phosphates will not go to 0. All other parameters are fine. I also added one Poly-Filter Pad and Phoshate remover to the sump and it has not removed all of the phosphates yet.

Here's the situation:
My tank has grown tons of GHA which is to be expected with the tap water issue, but it kind of just stayed at about 50% cover on the live rock. This week randomly I started getting hardcore diatoms on the glass and sand and all of the GHA has started browning. What the heck is going on? I've read that GHA turns white when dying not brown so am I getting more crappy algae of a different type or is my tank cycling yet again??

Please help!

Photos:
http://i.imgur.com/uwHZc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Qxm2c.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/tNLhY.jpg

[hoffmabc]

Posted my answers inline.

Originally Posted by ermartin

There is way too much to try and interpret here

what does phosphate wont go to zero mean ? what does it go to

- I only have those crappy vial test kits and it shows it being somewhere between .00 and .025 so not very accurate but obviously not showing .00

what are you using for circulation

- I have one powerhead in there that's a MarineLand

what are your tank parameters

- Nitrate/Nitrite/Ammonia - 0.0
- pH - normal

are you using GFO Carbon purigen chemipure ?

- No, got this suggestion. Does it really work?

did you treat the tapwater ?

- With marine dechlorinator like an idiot.

based on the 15% waterchange weekly anything your tap water may have put in should all but be gone ?

- you would think.

I would increase water changes to at least 20gallons a week
are you overfeeding ?

- Not overfeeding I don't think; i cut back a little just in case

are you feeding something high in PHOS ?

- just marine flakes and occasionally a brine shrimp cube

whats your lighting ?

- VHO T5 4 bulbs (don't know the wattage off the top of my head)

[ermartin]

So my opinion is this

1. more circulation if its a maxi-jet powerhead you have in there. IMHO 1 is not enough you would be better off with something with a spread. The Cadillac would be a vortech but there are good less expensive options such as a koralina
2.what is you return pump how much flow is it rated at ?
3. GFO & Carbon or Chemi-pure are a MUST
4. keep feedings to a minimum
5.cheato in the sump is always a plus
6. Get a second opinion on your testing does your LFS do tests ?

Originally Posted by hoffmabc

Posted my answers inline.




- VHO T5 4 bulbs (don't know the wattage off the top of my head)