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Brown algae problem. HELP!!!

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tap water
1K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  SwtGuinea 
#1 ·
Hi, iv got a 29 Gal saltwater tank with 2 three striped damsels in it..so far. THey are doing great! The tank seems to be staying very stable except for one thing.. the brown algae! Its out of control! I got 6 snails to help clean it up..they did okay but whats causing the brown algae to grow? Iv tested everything in the tank and its normal..staying normal. What am I doing wrong? If you have any ideas or suggestions please let me know. Thanks
 
#2 ·
Is the tank fairly new? Often brown diatoms (it's not exactly an algae) grow in a new tank and eventually are replaced by other algaes. It's all part of the cycle :).

What kind of lighting do you have and how long are the lights left on? Unless you have animals that need strong lighting I would start cutting down the amount of time you leave them on to help.

For now I would just scrape it off...you can use a toothbrush, actually.

How are your nitrates and do you use RO water or tap water? What salt mix do you use?
 
#3 ·
Yes, the tank is pretty new....about 3 months old. The bulb came with the tank and I know it isnt the right one.. it is actually not bright enough. I turn them on when I get up in the morning about 6am and they go off about the same time in the pm..6. For the salt mix I use Instant Ocean and iv just been using tap water. Maybe im just doing this all wrong! Poor little fishies. My nitrates have been between 10-15. Iv been scraping it off for now. Let me know if you have any suggestion on how I can improve the care of my tank:) thanks.
 
#4 ·
The brown "algae" is normal. We had it all over at about 3mo or so too. I know that when we would scrape it away it would be back within hours. I think we ended up buying turbos to clean it up but I am not completly sure.
 
#5 ·
SwtGuinea said:
Yes, the tank is pretty new....about 3 months old. The bulb came with the tank and I know it isnt the right one.. it is actually not bright enough. I turn them on when I get up in the morning about 6am and they go off about the same time in the pm..6. For the salt mix I use Instant Ocean and iv just been using tap water. Maybe im just doing this all wrong! Poor little fishies. My nitrates have been between 10-15. Iv been scraping it off for now. Let me know if you have any suggestion on how I can improve the care of my tank:) thanks.
Treated tap water might be ok if you have decent water where you live. RO is always the best but RO systems are expensive...I don't use one, personally.

If your tank came with a plain incandescent or flourescent bulb, then yeah, that could be the problem. I use power compact lighting...the T5 HO bulbs are best :). So definately get a stronger lighting system and make sure you get 50/50 actinic bulbs or two bulbs...a regular and an actinic.

And don't worry, I'm sure it isn't bothering your fishies :). Brown diatoms aren't going to harm your fish...they're just annoying to look at.

Since your tank is so new I wouldn't worry too much. You could add another snail or two if your tank can handle it but otherwise I would just scrape it off and get better lighting.

Do you have live rock and are you adding any supplements? Calcium will help corraline algae to grow.

But like I said, it could be your water, too. I have no idea how your water is. You can buy saltwater in jugs at some stores so you could always try using that for a little while and see if it helps. Instant Ocean is a great brand so I'm sure that's not the problem :).

You could also try vacuuming the gravel more...try to get your nitrates a bit lower. They aren't that bad but the lower the nitrates the better because algae needs nitrates to survive.
 
#7 ·
SwtGuinea said:
Thanks for the info! I will get my tank in shape and let you know how it goes. My fishies look very healty and happy.....theyre going to freak when they can see out of the glass though! lol
Hehe, no problem.

Oh, and you know that Three-Stripe Damsels are really aggressive, right? As they mature they get meaner. I don't think they are as bad as Four-Stripe Damsels, though.

I'm just telling you so you're careful about what fishies you get. More shy/sensitive/peaceful fish will just be bullied. You'll want fish that are are least semi-aggressive.

Out of all the damsels, the "stripe" ones are some of the most aggressive...and cutest! :lol: Hehehe.
 
#8 ·
Haha yeah I did know they were a little mean.....they already bully each other around. Thanks why I was going with some clown fish. I was told they are a little mean too. Thanks again for your help! You made me think about thinks that never crossed my mind nor was mentioned to me by the fishie guy!
 
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