Brown Algea

[anthonye5]

i know some algea is good but i have an outbreak of brown algea, and a few green type balls on my rock, what is good and what is bad and what do I do to control the problem? I have a 12g nano, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 catalina goby, 3 super snails, yellow and green star polyp colony, 1 feather duster.

 

[anthonye5]

heres a pic of the tank

this brown stuff is out of control.

 

[Jiddy]

You have some Diatoms, the brown stuff, called RedSlime and other names, heres a link to when my tank went thru it, i kept scrapin it with a newly-bought toilet brush and removin it from the tank with a net, its a great nutrient export'er. Not a problem beside cosmetic unless it gets on your corals, normally caused by non-RO water, never fear. And the green balls either sounds like Krish a few halloweens ago (lol-come on buddy that was good) or green bubble algae. You could get a emerald crab (cant believe i suggest them to someone) to eat them, but once they eat your algae they will kill everythin in your tank and then escape and come after you in the night, i hate crabs, but they are known to help in these situations, otherwise you can take the rock outta the water and remove them, but dont burst them in tank......

Here is my diatom problem.
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8244&page=23

 

[anthonye5]

Hey Jiddy thx for the site i learned a few new things.

 

[Jiddy]

No prob., and you can be honest, you learn a few things not to do, lol!

 

[clayswim]

Bubble algae are often self-limiting too. Sometimes for whatever reason it will take off and spread, but normally it will reach a certain size and then slowly wither and die. Eventually another will likely pop up, but in small numbers they kind of add something to the reef.

The brown algae is a normal part of the tank cycle, a cycle which will last for several months after setting a tank up. At times you'll notice mature tanks go through an algae outbreak too for various reasons. How long have you had your tank setup?

Clayton

 

[Krish]

If your tank is still cycling, like Clay said, it is normal. I've had every algae known to man in my first setup. A lot of it came from not using ro/di water, but nevertheless, it is inevitable and something we all go through. Don't worry too much about it. I think limiting lights helps a bit with the brown algae and also a few snails never hurt. My friend kept his under control with a few snails. Good luck...

 

[Detri]

Have you added anything new lately? Like rock or sand bed. Even if it is cured your tank would go through a mini cycle. Water changes will help it clear up. Your snails will do the rest.

 

[My2heartboys]

You have some Diatoms, the brown stuff, called RedSlime and other names, heres a link to when my tank went thru it, i kept scrapin it with a newly-bought toilet brush and removin it from the tank with a net, its a great nutrient export'er. Not a problem beside cosmetic unless it gets on your corals, normally caused by non-RO water, never fear. And the green balls either sounds like Krish a few halloweens ago (lol-come on buddy that was good) or green bubble algae. You could get a emerald crab (cant believe i suggest them to someone) to eat them, but once they eat your algae they will kill everythin in your tank and then escape and come after you in the night, i hate crabs, but they are known to help in these situations, otherwise you can take the rock outta the water and remove them, but dont burst them in tank......

Here is my diatom problem.
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8244&page=23

Jiddy, the red slime also comes from too many nutrients in the water (OK, has many more contributing problems than these two--but good place to start) or low water circulation.

BTW-Jiddy, were you traumatized by a crab when you were a kid?

Anne

 

[anthonye5]

thx everyone for the advise, and Detri, no i havent put anything in for a while. But today i got some snails, i got 4 Margarite snails and 4 hermit crabs, and wow they have been in there for like an hr and they are doing their job pretty good, the bad thing is i ordered a Lettuce Sea Slug and just read they eat the brown algea, and i dont want this little guy to starve soo i think im going to get rid of the snails soon. And what is ro/di water?

 

[Jiddy]

RO/DI is Reverse Osmosis/DeIonization water from an ROunit, its water that has low contaminates in it, making it "pure". There have been many great threads about this, you should do a search and read it about the benefits of having this.

i would strongly advise you not to get a Sea Slug, not only do they "magically" die but what will it eat after the brown algae is gone?

And Anne, it wasnt a childhood crab thing, it was a hey look at my $3 crab eat $60 worth of fish, YEA!!!

EDIT: here is a nikki for you to read up on

 

[Jiddy]

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i4/RO_systems/reverse_osmosis.htm

 

[big t]

Hey Jiddy, did you see your crab eat your fish?

 

[Jiddy]

I know it ate my fish, what are you getting at?

 

[big t]

Lol, how do you KNOW.

 

[Jiddy]

Well Tom its quite simple, emerald crabs are notorious for gettin large and eatin small fish. Since the levels of algae drastically drop with the new addition of man other "clean-up crew" members, the crabs were lead to other means of surival. They had to eat something Tom, more my fault then theres, but none the less, they need a home elsewhere