Brown Algae

[rodclement]

Hello everyone, need some imput here.

I am starting to get some brown algae in my tank, never had this issue before and I think it has to do with the water supply in Edison and the amount of rain we have been getting. I do not use RO but have started topping off with RO and did my first water chance with RO prepared water today. Does anyone think this is the cause and the RO will help or could it be something else?

Light cycle is the same as always, water quality is the same with all parameters being perfect. Hopefully the RO will do it..any ideas? Should I test for something specific?

Thanks everyone!

Rod

 

[rodclement]

anyone...?

 

[Scottyrock]

from all that i have heard, any city water pretty much will bring on blooms of algae.

 

[mfisher2112]

how long has the tank been running? I've had "brown algae" or diatom blooms occur months after setting up a tank.

Also, if you have been using straight city water, your local municipality could have recently changed their treatment methods. There could be more of or less of something in the water supply, or even something completely new.

Test the TDS of your tap water, I'd bet its high. I'd stick to the RO/DI water for any future top offs and water changes. Over time, the bloom should subside.

 

[Phyl]

RO water/changes can only help the situation (unless you're using a salt high in silicates like the Red Sea Coral Pro-- then large water changes feed more silicates into the system).

The tank might just be going through "new tank syndrome" from the move. When did you move the tank?

 

[rodclement]

RO water/changes can only help the situation (unless you're using a salt high in silicates like the Red Sea Coral Pro-- then large water changes feed more silicates into the system).

The tank might just be going through "new tank syndrome" from the move. When did you move the tank?

Interesting about the salt since it is the one I use but have been using the same one since I started and never had an issue with it. I'll hold back WC this week abd see what happens!

I have wsitched to RO water and am happy to report that the algae is subsiding so maybe that was the problem, it can also be a inset of "new tank syndrome" since my tank is new even if set with all my live rock from the old tank, and some of the live sand to seed it, the 3 month period it has been running would coincide with that theory as well, we will see.

For now I am happy to report it is under control. Thanks for all the imput!

Rod

 

[Phyl]

My theory on the "I've always used it" is that you haven't ever introduced large amounts of it at once. We were doing 120g water changes with it and it was fueling algae like you couldn't believe. When we switched off the problems went away. If your system can handle and process the silicates it wouldn't be a problem but with a large percentage of RSCP as the only source of water may have been more than your system could process in a timely fashion.

Just my theory. Unsubstantiated... ;D

 

[rodclement]

It is a very good theory and you are correct, I have been much more diligent with water changes with this new, smaller tank then when I was running the 125gl, also when I believed a problem was happening, I increased the WC wich may have fueled the algae even more!

I will hold WC this week and see what happens, then I will buy some IO mix and try that as oposed to my current brand, I'll keep everyone posted.

Rod

 

[Phyl]

We wandered that same path. Increasing water changes, seeing the start of dynoflagelettes. Finally we did a major water change with TMP and haven't looked back. All signs of dynos are completely gone. All the algae that was cropping up on the pumps and rock gone. Back to our happy clean tank. *whew*

 

[rodclement]

TMP = Tropic Marin? - never used it, maybe I should try it!

rod