brown algae on my sandbed and aquascape

[airvicconcre]

hello everyone. ive setup my first saltwater aquarium and im amazed with the hobby. its been 6 weeks and i have 3 fishes in my aquarium. the problem started when the power was cut off for 3 hours in my vicinity. this brown algae started after that. every day it grows and now its even on my aquascape. can anyone help me with what it is and how to take care of it if it is a problem? @vetteguy53081

 

[Mark Novack]

Hello. The brown is completely normal is a young aquarium. You can expect various algae formations in the first few months.

 

[airvicconcre]

Hello. The brown is completely normal is a young aquarium. You can expect various algae formations in the first few months.

thank you Mark. that is very much reassuring.

 

[TokenReefer]

Notice it's not growing where it doesn't have direct light. Maybe shade those areas too or lower the lights; can get away with this now since you have no corals. Best of luck. Nice lookin setup!

 

[airvicconcre]

Notice it's not growing where it doesn't have direct light. Maybe shade those areas too or lower the lights; can get away with this now since you have no corals. Best of luck. Nice lookin setup!

hello. yes i did notice that it isnt. i am actually very new and i have a guy who comes to setup my lights. i will ask him to see into it. do you have any idea how general light setting specfications should be? as my tank is new im going to wait at least 6 months before i introduce corals. thank you, im loving this hobby.

 

[TokenReefer]

I am no expert but if I was starting over, before I had corals I would keep the lights off completely to avoid diatoms (what it looks like to me) a bit.

The light is energy. There's nothing in the tank to soak up that energy but diatoms. They feed off silicates in the rock/sand and light. You can let them run their course but the next phase may be algae unless there is something else to soak in all the energy (from light and fish waste). If I did it over I would have gone lights off until I got coral because until you get coral only algae is there to soak in energy and boy does it

 

[airvicconcre]

i agree to what you mean and my guy mentioned algae will come along with the lights. im just wondering that in 6 months time will this phase of diatom and algae will run its course? do you have an idea?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

diatoms pass on there own rather quickly, a week or two in my experience.

The other algae's that will follow will never "run its course", it will need to be controlled as long as you own a tank.

 

[Mark Novack]

At 6 months it is normally pretty cleaned up. My opinion is to allow it to run its course with light while the tank is young after the basic cycle. Its better now than later. Diversity. Snails, some snails, and a few snails of course are necessary.

 

[Goodersgold]

Plus 1 for the Diatoms, they will go. Take a positive from this, having Diatoms in your reef is the first indication that you have something thriving in there....it's alive!!
Nothing happens quickly in this hobby...patience

 

[vetteguy53081]

hello everyone. ive setup my first saltwater aquarium and im amazed with the hobby. its been 6 weeks and i have 3 fishes in my aquarium. the problem started when the power was cut off for 3 hours in my vicinity. this brown algae started after that. every day it grows and now its even on my aquascape. can anyone help me with what it is and how to take care of it if it is a problem? @vetteguy53081

While I hate the site of it, it is diatoms and associated with new/mewer tanks and derives from developing organics and and silicate. Diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They can cover sand, rock, pumps, glass, you name it. Diatoms look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when they appear.
Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
Diatoms are typically harmless to a captive reef and can be beaten once their food source expires. Once you put the end to the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks so just be patient and it will pass.

For major outbreaks you may want to consider the three day blackout. Diatoms are easily wiped from the glass with a mag float, a turkey baster or a toothbrush can access other areas of the tank. Be prepared for them to re-establish themselves quickly, they are likely to be able to resettle and have exponential growth rates.
To prevent their return, practice good aquarium husbandry by doing regular water changes, keep the substrate clean, don’t overfeed the fish, ensure your skimmer is running at an optimal level and rinse out filter socks and sponges on a regular basis.

Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.

 

[airvicconcre]

While I hate the site of it, it is diatoms and associated with new/mewer tanks and derives from developing organics and and silicate. Diatoms are a brown algae that typically appear in a reef tank that has just completed its cycle but they can also appear in an established reef tank. They can cover sand, rock, pumps, glass, you name it. Diatoms look ugly but in most cases they are harmless so the key is to not panic when they appear.
Diatoms feed mainly off of silicates but also consume dissolved organic compounds, phosphate and nitrates. Unfiltered tap water can contain silicates and is a good way to jump start a bloom if you use it to mix salt or to replace water that evaporated from the tank. The best way to prevent this from happening is to filter water through a RODI unit, although you can still get a diatom bloom when using RODI if the cartridge that removes silicates expires.
Diatoms are typically harmless to a captive reef and can be beaten once their food source expires. Once you put the end to the source, the outbreak should last a couple of weeks so just be patient and it will pass.

For major outbreaks you may want to consider the three day blackout. Diatoms are easily wiped from the glass with a mag float, a turkey baster or a toothbrush can access other areas of the tank. Be prepared for them to re-establish themselves quickly, they are likely to be able to resettle and have exponential growth rates.
To prevent their return, practice good aquarium husbandry by doing regular water changes, keep the substrate clean, don’t overfeed the fish, ensure your skimmer is running at an optimal level and rinse out filter socks and sponges on a regular basis.

Some cleaner crew to help control it are : Cerith snails, Nerite snails and Trochus snails and also Astraea snails are effective at removing diatoms.

Thank you @vetteguy53081 for a detailed explanation. I will follow this post and get on with it. I already use RODI water and when mixed the salt, the TDS was zero. I have a maintenance guy so said we should not change the water for another month as it would complete the biological cycle. I’m mostly depending on R2R and thanks to people like you for insight. Thanks again.

 

[airvicconcre]

Plus 1 for the Diatoms, they will go. Take a positive from this, having Diatoms in your reef is the first indication that you have something thriving in there....it's alive!!
Nothing happens quickly in this hobby...patience

Thanks @Goodersgold all replies are helpful and I’m glad my tank is completing its cycle.

 

[airvicconcre]

At 6 months it is normally pretty cleaned up. My opinion is to allow it to run its course with light while the tank is young after the basic cycle. It’s better now than later. Diversity. Snails, some snails, and a few snails of course are necessary.

That is the plan Mark. I’m a patient guy and I am willing to wait even longer. I believe it’s better to get over with the newbie uglies now rather than later.

 

[Mark Novack]

What kind of aquarium are you doing?

 

[airvicconcre]

What kind of aquarium are you doing?

I have a 150g DT with a 50g sump. My plan is to start reefing in the long run. I have cycled the tank with live sand, added dead rock and seeded it with Dr Tim’s one and only. Equipment wise, I have an I-200 Protein skimmer, a bubble magus roller filter, two wave makers, an algae reactor, a media reactor and temporarily I have installed 3 pop bloom Rs90 lights. At the moment I have 3 fishes, 2 Vlamingii Naso juveniles and a regal juvenile. It’s been -0 days now and I check my ammonia and nitrite everyday. My Ammonia is still zero however I have the slightest nitrite. I want the tank to mature before I add corals. My current salinity is 1.020.

 

[Mark Novack]

Good plan and well equipped.

 

[airvicconcre]

Good plan and well equipped.

hello Mark. anything i should add in terms of filteration?

 

[Mark Novack]

hello Mark. anything i should add in terms of filteration?

I have roller filter, skimmer, algae and media reactor. I also use 55 watt Aqua Medic UV that I feel makes a real difference. Have you worked out dosing for calcium and alk?

 

[airvicconcre]

I have roller filter, skimmer, algae and media reactor. I also use 55 watt Aqua Medic UV that I feel makes a real difference. Have you worked out dosing for calcium and alk?

Honestly I have no clue if I even need to dose alk and calcium. Can you help me with the dosing and what will change in my water chemistry? Will I need dosing pumps etc?