Algae Bloom (Brownish stuff) HELP!!

Discussion in 'Algae' started by Pdouble32, Mar 13, 2009.

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  1. Pdouble32

    Pdouble32 Plankton

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2009
    Messages:
    21
    Location:
    West Palm Beach, Florida USA
    I have just finished cycled my tank and my tank looks horrible after just 3 days. I just noticed it after work one day and I thought I did something terribly wrong. My LFS currently has me putting one capsule of purple up in my tank everyday and 10 oz if Natureef Reef Former in my tank twice a week to try and get the coroline algae to start growing. I have done about 3 water changes in one week and I feel like nothing is changing as far as the salinity. It's 10-27 and he said it needs to be down to around 10-24 - 10-25. He is the one selling me this water so how can my salinity be too high?? anyways as far as the algae I have linked some pics to get your opinion on what's going on.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    The guy at my LFS sold me some stuff called Chemiclean Red Slime Remover and he said that will take care of it, but from what I read on the site, it doesn't seem that this will work. It is getting worse day by day. My current water Parameters are
    10-27
    ALK .10
    CAL .21
    Ammonia .1
    Nitrite .1
    Nitrate 10
    Phosphate .25
    PH 8.5
    He also sold me 5 Turbo snails, but he said I need at least 20 for a 55 gal tank. One last thing....I have the lights running for 12 hours a day(10 hours full light and 2 hours acintics) and have no fish just rock. Please give me some guidance as I trust this site more that anything.
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2009
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  3. steve wright

    steve wright Super Moderator

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    Location:
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    looks like brown diatoms to me Pdouble

    this is normal in new set up tanks and in my experience lasts from 3 - 6 weeks and then goes away
    it feeds on silicates (well it uses them to construct itself) and silicates are present in new tank set ups, from all the new plastics etc - once the silicates are exhausted it just goes away on its own - no special treatment is required
     
  4. Bunner

    Bunner Bubble Tip Anemone

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    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    i have the same crap.... its brown and slime like?
     
  5. sean_p_f

    sean_p_f Sea Dragon

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    Location:
    NE Ohio
    In my limited expierence after reading what you wrote and the readings you took that you are not cycled and need to just ride it out.

    Stop the water changes stop dosing things and just let it run.

    You cabn also cut out you light cycle if you wish.
     
  6. jwmj

    jwmj Plankton

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2009
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    It would probably be a good idea to drop in a damsel or two to help cycle your system. judging from your numbers, it doesn't look as though you have started to cycle. By adding one or two small damsels, you put ammonia into your tank through food and waste. This should get you going.
     
  7. rodcpierce

    rodcpierce Ritteri Anemone

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    Location:
    Cedar Rapids, IA
    it has not yet started a cycle from the looks of it. Have you monitered the numbers regularly? Has your ammonia and nitrites every went up??
     
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  9. Pdouble32

    Pdouble32 Plankton

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    Location:
    West Palm Beach, Florida USA
    It's been about 8 weeks since this tank has been set up. I had a thread on my set up and recorded readings in that thread. My amonnia spiked and went down. My Nitirite spiked and then went down. That all took about 6 1/2 weeks. now that last two weeks, my ammonia has been about 0 or .1. For me the colors are hard to tell apart. I get readings of .1 and my LFS gets readings of 0 and vice versa. Now I hope that you guys are not telling me that after all this time the tank is still cycling???? This thing takes a long time then. What must I do now?
     
  10. rodcpierce

    rodcpierce Ritteri Anemone

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    Location:
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    OK, if the numbers did indeed spike and come back down, then the tank HAS cycled.
     
  11. Bunner

    Bunner Bubble Tip Anemone

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    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    brown slime curse... i blame po4
     
  12. bmshehan

    bmshehan Fu Manchu Lion Fish

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    Location:
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    I would get a new LFS personally...