Major Brown alge problem

bad2 · 02/27/2006, 03:39 PM

Im having a Huge issue with Brown Alge.
it is covering all my crushed coral and starting to cover some of my rock. ive tried to syphin some of it out while doing water cahnges (i do 15% a week) and still comes back with 2 days.
i have 0 nitrates/nitrites/amon ph is 8.2 and phospates are .5 SG 1.025 any help would be great THANKS

Gooli · 02/27/2006, 03:44 PM

got any direct sunlight on that tank? how about flow--what do u gotgoing in therE?

JENnKerry · 02/27/2006, 06:34 PM

How long has the tank been up? It's perfectly normal for new tanks to go through that.

bad2 · 02/27/2006, 10:06 PM

The tank has been up since july and i have 900gph main pump and a 350 Gph power head and theres no sunlight in the room

bad2 · 02/28/2006, 03:02 PM

.

Gooli · 02/28/2006, 03:06 PM

wait...dude...u got 0.5 phosphates?
that's high

bad2 · 02/28/2006, 03:11 PM

Yes i kno thats why im doing Large water changes is there anything else i can do to get them down

ste6168 · 02/28/2006, 03:13 PM

Get a TWF Phosban Reactor, cheap and pretty efficient form what i understand.

TekCat · 02/28/2006, 03:13 PM

in addition you can try replacing crushed with fine sand.

bad2 · 02/28/2006, 03:17 PM

how hard is it to change that tho?

Gooli · 02/28/2006, 03:28 PM

bad2...i have never used any special phosphate removing media or reactors, or any of that...my phospates always ZERO.

1. What type of water are u doing top-offs with and water changes?
2. Do you mix your own water with salt?
3. About replacing crushed coral with livesand - i did it before after the tank was established...its gonna take some work - you need to empty everything to containers - its fun to do over a weekend

tulkas71 · 02/28/2006, 03:37 PM

I just replace my CC with LS this past weekend. I will post a thread with some picks Tommorow.

BeachBoy · 02/28/2006, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bad2
Yes i kno thats why im doing Large water changes is there anything else i can do to get them down

I had high phosphates too

I did 5gal water changes every two day (my tank is 24G.. so changed 20%)

I put ROWAphos bag in the filtration system

now my test comes up white, no more phosphates or <0.25 since it's hard to tell.

ROWAphos dropped the levels in less than a day.

Regards,
E.

Gooli · 02/28/2006, 04:10 PM

phosphates need to be under 0.03.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

AngeloM3 · 02/28/2006, 04:41 PM

I have a new tank.... about a month now after it cycled. Now I know new tanks go through this, do I have to do anything differently than a tank that has this that is established??

Right now dont have anything in there but 2 starfish and 4 hermits. Plenty of water movement, doing %10 water changes weekly. Skimmer is making some decent skimmate, looks like tea (not that nasty mud stuff).

Will this go away naturally or should I be doing something or adding something?

bad2 · 02/28/2006, 05:34 PM

I use R/o DI water and yes i make it myself

Gooli · 02/28/2006, 06:26 PM

well...those phosphates got to come in to your tank from somewhere - do more research. One thing I can tell you - water change is not the solution here, just a temporary band-aid fix

02/27/2006, 03:39 PM	#1
bad2 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mississauga Posts: 139	Major Brown alge problem Im having a Huge issue with Brown Alge. it is covering all my crushed coral and starting to cover some of my rock. ive tried to syphin some of it out while doing water cahnges (i do 15% a week) and still comes back with 2 days. i have 0 nitrates/nitrites/amon ph is 8.2 and phospates are .5 SG 1.025 any help would be great THANKS

02/27/2006, 03:44 PM	#2
Gooli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: West Los Angeles Posts: 3,746	got any direct sunlight on that tank? how about flow--what do u gotgoing in therE? __________________ "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. " - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 180g SPS

02/27/2006, 06:34 PM	#3
JENnKerry Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Jersey Posts: 7,384	How long has the tank been up? It's perfectly normal for new tanks to go through that. __________________ We Don't Have a Signature..... Current Tank Info: 125 Gallon Reef

02/28/2006, 03:06 PM	#6
Gooli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: West Los Angeles Posts: 3,746	wait...dude...u got 0.5 phosphates? that's high __________________ "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. " - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 180g SPS

02/28/2006, 03:13 PM	#8
ste6168 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,066	Get a TWF Phosban Reactor, cheap and pretty efficient form what i understand. __________________ Mike "algae free is the way to be" Current Tank Info: 75g AGA RR, 29g DIY sump, Coralife 260w PC fixture, CSS 125, Kent Phos-Reactor, QuietOne 4000 return, 2x Modded MJ900's, 45lbs Fiji LR, 40lbs Base Rock, 75lbs HD Playsand

02/27/2006, 10:06 PM	#4
bad2 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mississauga Posts: 139	The tank has been up since july and i have 900gph main pump and a 350 Gph power head and theres no sunlight in the room

02/28/2006, 03:02 PM	#5
bad2 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mississauga Posts: 139	.

02/28/2006, 03:11 PM	#7
bad2 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mississauga Posts: 139	Yes i kno thats why im doing Large water changes is there anything else i can do to get them down

02/28/2006, 03:13 PM	#9
TekCat Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: MN Posts: 3,130	in addition you can try replacing crushed with fine sand.

02/28/2006, 03:17 PM	#10
bad2 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mississauga Posts: 139	how hard is it to change that tho?

02/28/2006, 03:28 PM	#11
Gooli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: West Los Angeles Posts: 3,746	bad2...i have never used any special phosphate removing media or reactors, or any of that...my phospates always ZERO. 1. What type of water are u doing top-offs with and water changes? 2. Do you mix your own water with salt? 3. About replacing crushed coral with livesand - i did it before after the tank was established...its gonna take some work - you need to empty everything to containers - its fun to do over a weekend __________________ "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. " - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 180g SPS

02/28/2006, 03:37 PM	#12
tulkas71 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Birmingham, Alabama Posts: 155	I just replace my CC with LS this past weekend. I will post a thread with some picks Tommorow.

02/28/2006, 04:10 PM	#14
Gooli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: West Los Angeles Posts: 3,746	phosphates need to be under 0.03. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php __________________ "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. " - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 180g SPS

02/28/2006, 04:41 PM	#15
AngeloM3 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 1,016	I have a new tank.... about a month now after it cycled. Now I know new tanks go through this, do I have to do anything differently than a tank that has this that is established?? Right now dont have anything in there but 2 starfish and 4 hermits. Plenty of water movement, doing %10 water changes weekly. Skimmer is making some decent skimmate, looks like tea (not that nasty mud stuff). Will this go away naturally or should I be doing something or adding something? __________________ "I'm sick of chasing my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where their going and catch up with them later." -Mitch Hedberg R.I.P

02/28/2006, 05:34 PM	#16
bad2 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mississauga Posts: 139	I use R/o DI water and yes i make it myself

02/28/2006, 06:26 PM	#17
Gooli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: West Los Angeles Posts: 3,746	well...those phosphates got to come in to your tank from somewhere - do more research. One thing I can tell you - water change is not the solution here, just a temporary band-aid fix __________________ "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. " - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 180g SPS