Brown algae

[Connor]

Hello I'm really stressing out because this brown algae is taking over my tank. I miss seeing how beautiful my tank looks. I run gfo, I have a huge skimmer, two wavemakers and two radions. Please identify this algae. It's has bubbles coming out of it. Also some of the long stringy stuff Is dead cyano because I treated the tank with cemiclean a week or two ago.

 

[oscarinw]

You call them brown. I see them more tanish/yellowish so I can't be sure. Also the pics aren't that clear of them. However, by your description it sounds like a case of Dinoflagellates.
How old is the tank? Dinos can be bad news. Best to do is to cut back on feeding... My friend used a german chemical that rid him of them. I think the name was 'Algae X'
Good luck.

 

[gcrawford]

Tank age?

 

[Luka]

Pictures are kind of blurry got any betters ones? WOuld be easier to ID but from what I see its either dinoflagellates or Calothrix.

 

[Luka]

Probly dinos some people remove them by raising pH and alk but be careful. You can also try increasing skimming.

 

[Connor]

I started the tank in march

 

[Connor]

I've got a crapy phone camrea. But hopefully these pics are clearer

 

[Luka]

Yep those are dinos

 

[Connor]

so what should I do? I'm going to get a clean up crew tomorrow, what should I get? Also if I put the tank into darkness for 3 days will that help?

 

[Luka]

Hmm looking back at it can't tell if those are dinos are calothrix. Two things are very different.

Dinos
Cleanup crew won't help

use the treatment I said above

Cathorix
Cleanup crew: use chitons and nerites (Both pretty cool)

Do more water changes and use phosban reactor

 

[Connor]

what do you think about the three days of darkness?

 

[Luka]

3 days will help worth a shot

 

[Connor]

Okay I'm going to cover the tank up right now and see if I can make it look a bit better for thanksgiving, thank you so much!

 

[Luka]

No problem keep us updated, if you have any more questions ask.

 

[steelheader.262]

I did a 3 day lights out and worked for me but they are slowly coming back.

 

[Luka]

Yea try raising alk and pH

 

[Connor]

oh jeez well what causes them? I'm using rodi and zero tds is coming out, and im running gfo and I have literally zero nitrates, and I'm practically starving my fish

 

[Luka]

I was wrong don't increase water changes, dinos thrive of nutrient rich water. Add activated carbon to your system. Blackout all the lights for 3 days, only feed your fish every 2 days. Try removing as much of the dinos manually everyday. Set your skimmer to over skim And use a filter sock.

 

[Connor]

how do I manually remove it?

 

[Luka]

Scrubbing pippetting etc.