algae help

Reefer87

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so i have had the lights off for a few months now but i have small brownish green spots forming all over the rocks and equiptment. what should I treat it with before it gets worse? i wanted to turn the lights on soon but if its going to escalate the growth i wont. I do have a window near it but its a good 15 feet away from the tank. So its not direct sunlight but it still gets that natural light if i have the shades open. Ive been keeping it closed becuase the aglae seems to be thicker on the side that gets light.
 

WIReefer

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I would add a appropriate clean up crew to help with that and go from there.
 
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Reefer87

Reefer87

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yea im going to get some clean up guys later this week.

IMG_3157.jpg IMG_3158.jpg
 

Miller535

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That just looks like diatoms to me. Which usually just come and go in the early stage of the tank. And a clean up crew can definitely help. Do you not have any clean up crew currently?
 

NS Mike D

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Get a nice variety for the clean up crew. Reef Cleaners has good mixed of snails and what I like, they are mainly babies so their consumption needs should match the increase in available food as the tank matures.

Even if you get your clean up crew from another source, I think it's helpful to see the packages they put together based on tank size.

Don't sweat trying to keep algae totally out as it takes time for bacteria and coraline as well as the pods, worms phtyo and zooaplankton that keeps algae off the rocks to develop. The clean up crew should keep the nasty tuff off like GHA and turf algae and don't hesitate to physically remove a rock and scrub the algae off before it takes over.
 

Alarmguy66

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Tanks getting sunlight (even indirect) do tend to grow algae better (or worse, I guess its a mindset) than tanks with artificial lighting. Even so, its not a bad thing. algae consumes nutrients, typically nutrients you do not want (in excess). Let them do their job and with nothing else to produce nutrients they will die down on their own. Pesky sunlight will make that take longer, but it is what it is. Not the time to add chemicals, in my opinion.
 
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Reefer87

Reefer87

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That just looks like diatoms to me. Which usually just come and go in the early stage of the tank. And a clean up crew can definitely help. Do you not have any clean up crew currently?
no I dont have anything in there right now other than 2 chromis. still waiting for unemployment to hit....its been a nightmare. Im hoping to get something later this week now that ive started working again part time. ill pick up some snails and a shrimp maybe a crab or two. and a lawnmower blenny.
 

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