Newbie Q Brown Algae / Diatoms?

[mike550]

Hello! I’ve got a new reef tank about 7 weeks old. Used Turbostart at the beginning and am now hosting two clowns and one goby. It seems like in the past couple of weeks I started seeing diatoms and brown algae really picking up after I had a nitrate “spike” to around 5ppm. I’ve done a couple of 15% water changes each week since then.

Ph ranges 8.0-8.2, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate all zero or very close to it. Temp is 78

Would appreciate any thoughts on how to manage / eliminate the brown stuff.

Thanks in advance!

[Oldreeferman]

Hi there,
That is a very normal & expected process on a young setup just after initial cycling, just keep up the water changes as the next stage will be algae growth, can't avoid the new tank uglies just part of a maturing tank regardless of its size. Ea, bloom feeds on different nutrients some silicates like now, others nitrates & phosphates. Takes between 6 months & a yr. to really mature a tank to get away from this and that is only if it isn't constantly messed with by adding or moving things around in it starting new mini cycles again.

Knowing the tank setup would help probably at some point.

[mike550]

Thanks for thoughts. I was thinking this might just be part of the process, but sometimes it’s hard to be patient. Two follow up items if you don’t mind.

1. What do you mean by setup? Do you mean aquarium size and such? It’s 120G reefer

2. Noticed you’re in NW Indiana. I’m in Chicago area. Are you buying any fish or corals in the area? Not sure where to find reputable LFS with healthy product.

[Oldreeferman]

Hello neighbor,
Im about 50 mi. from Chicago so don't shop there.
I buy either online, weather permitting....never in mid summer or mid winter, or from a shop called The Ark nearby me.
Yes setup was what size/type tank & what accessorys that ran it. 120G is a nice size.......
I have read posts here that spoke about LFS in Chicago but most were about shops shutting down so maybe others in your area will chime in on any that have decent frag stock & fish etc..
There is a BIG debate here over reputation far as buying online so im not going to say much other then everyone has different depth pockets & that usually determines if its quality or saving money, a Lot has to do with is one looking for deals or something really unusual & special AND is it pest free........I double dip all my corals in Coral RX & never had any pests that i know of.
I prefer to buy at my LFS obviously since its low stress for the animal & i get to see it up close & looking pest free, same on fish. Ive never had aptasia or any bad pests but im pretty picky & cautious what i put in my tanks. Hope your luck is that good also in the future. Be very cautious about buying things like Cheto algae online or at a LFS due to a high probability of it containing bad pests make double sure its stated clean no pests period!

[mike550]

Thanks Oldreeferman! Really appreciate your thoughts here. As a newbie there's a lot of information to try and take in. I already got hit with aptasia and took the offending rock out of my tank. Ended up rebuilding some of the formation, but looks better than before. So I lucked out.

When you double dip your corals are you dipping in Coral RX both times or dipping once in CoralRx and then in Bayer blue bottle?

[Uncle99]

Originally Posted by mike550

Thanks Oldreeferman! Really appreciate your thoughts here. As a newbie there's a lot of information to try and take in. I already got hit with aptasia and took the offending rock out of my tank. Ended up rebuilding some of the formation, but looks better than before. So I lucked out.

When you double dip your corals are you dipping in Coral RX both times or dipping once in CoralRx and then in Bayer blue bottle?

I dip once, inspect, brush ( where applicable) inspect, dip, brush, rinse....and in she goes, however I might consider the Bayer in addition if it's was an Acro. I use a magnifying glass to inspect, in cases where it makes sense to remove from a plug, I do this as well.

Keep nutrients low 2-5ppm Nitrate, 0.03-0.07 phosphate to mitigate algae during the next period.

[Oldreeferman]

Originally Posted by Uncle99

I dip once, inspect, brush ( where applicable) inspect, dip, brush, rinse....and in she goes, however I might consider the Bayer in addition if it's was an Acro. I use a magnifying glass to inspect, in cases where it makes sense to remove from a plug, I do this as well.

Keep nutrients low 2-5ppm Nitrate, 0.03-0.07 phosphate to mitigate algae during the next period.

Ditto on explanation! I use a turkey baster when dipping works great to gently blow on frags and plugs . A tooth brush is an essential dip tool too. Remember eye wear protection always when handling & brushing corals they can/will squirt at you farther then you think!

[mike550]

Wow. This is really helpful! Thank you.

[Nano656]

Originally Posted by mike550

Hello! I’ve got a new reef tank about 7 weeks old. Used Turbostart at the beginning and am now hosting two clowns and one goby. It seems like in the past couple of weeks I started seeing diatoms and brown algae really picking up after I had a nitrate “spike” to around 5ppm. I’ve done a couple of 15% water changes each week since then.



Ph ranges 8.0-8.2, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate all zero or very close to it. Temp is 78



Would appreciate any thoughts on how to manage / eliminate the brown stuff.



Thanks in advance!

Same thing was happening to me. I actually put a couple of astraeas snails that are still hard at work getting rid of the brown algea. I don't know if this helps but I needed the tank with pods even before the cycle was completely finished.

So my suggestion would be to introduce pods & a few snails.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Nano656]

Same thing was happening to me. I actually put a couple of astraeas snails that are still hard at work getting rid of the brown algea. I don't know if this helps but I seeded the tank with pods even before the cycle was completely finished.

So my suggestion would be to introduce pods & a few snails. You're still going to have algea but a lot less. Also check your lighting schedule. Hope this helps.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[NWoods]

A 120! Nice build! I've owned a variety of tanks (currently a 50 cube and a 90 downstairs). When I started having algae outbreaks, I checked for excess nutrients. Then I added a lawnmower Blenny and it was the best decision I made. He was able to clear a whole 75G tank in about 3 weeks. I was literally algae free. Pods and snails are also good. And as Nano656 suggested, check the lighting schedule. 12 hours is pretty standard. Natural sunlight will also cause an outbreak of certain algae.

Other than that... time. Try not to do too much at once, too quickly. At 7 weeks, I hadn't even added any fish yet to my system. Most of us desire that beautiful crystal clear water with amazing corals and fish. It all takes time and patience. Also make sure you have enough sand and live rock to house the nitrifying bacteria. You want more good bacteria than bad.

Questions are always welcome here. Welcome to the amazing hobby of reefkeeping!

[mike550]

Thank you all for your advice and time! I'm trying to keep in mind that changes take time, and I'm not looking for the quick fix. it's great to have a resource like this group to help me learn from your experience.