Brown Algae

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J

Jrob

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Apr 7, 2011
709
1
33
34
Michigan
Soooo i have a diatom bloom going on my tank, complete brown live rock, and brown algae alllll over the rock...

i have oddysea t5ho lights ...2 damsels, 2 clowns...3 very small frags...i dose it with calcium, and magnesium regularly...i feed when i wake up 11am..and again at 11pm,...

the lights are on from 11am-11pm, i then switch them to lunar lighting (blue leds)..and turn them off completely around 3-4

...tank temp is 76-80 degrees varied on my room temp...its a 29 tall...ive read about diatom blooms but a little more info, and info from experience would be much appreciated...how can i treat it, or get rid of it quickly... : / thanks guys
 
Diatoms are bacteria, they breakdown silicates which is commonly called - "new tank snydrome." However it is far from exclusive to new tanks, excessive silicates can come from tapwater, sea water, bottled additives, and new items like adding agronite or any sand/silicate base things ie - Rocks. They generally eat Nitrate, don't really like intense lighting, and if it was caused via a new tank - disappear on thier own with time when the food sources dry up. A few possible things to speed up the long process, lower the over all Nitrate content in the water - skimmers, powerheads, weekly water changes, don't over stock, stock slowly, no excessive feedings, clean media and or filter pads, and weekly gravel vac. If your light bulbs are over one year old - replace them. Thoroughly rinse off any and all items your gonna add to the tank.

If it's anything other than a growing rust/cooper lookin' sheet, no real dimension to it like someones spray painting it (Diatoms) - then it's algae. Algae is flora, it eats the gambit of the nitrogen cycle, phosohates, dissolved protiens, C02, and heavey metals. It uses light to breakdown it's sugars. Algae is 100% naturally occuring when protiens meet h20 and sunlight, for the most part it's benefical. If algae is growing at a nuisence level or an undisreable strain - reduce lighting to 8 hrs daily, remove from any external light source, remove phoshates as this is hyper-excellerating it's growth, increase water circulation, lower nitrate and dissolved protiens, decrease feedings, clean filters and media, weekly w/c's and vac. The use of R/O water would help greatly as it contains zero phosphates and heavey metals.

Best of Luck.
 
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