uuummmmm help....

so ive only had my tank up bout 4 weeks n am wondering if this is good bad normal....... if bad how to get rid of it. i think its what you guys call brown hair alge.. any info be good thanks guys

 

Diatoms. Nothing to worry about, normal to new tanks.

 

Tank running for weeks? Than I would go with a mix Cyano and Diatoms.

If you are using RO/DI water both should resolve. Diatoms die off once all the silicates are used up.

 

no am not useing ro/di water.... cant really afford right now.. but if will go away that good!!!! anything i can do to help get rid of it??? clean crew maybe?? thanks

 

You absolutely need to buy an RO/DI unit. It's a necessity IMO, some people have luck without...I say be safe.

Http://www.Spectrapure.com

$125 for a unit.

 

If you can not afford a RO/DI unit now buy bottle RO/DI at walmart or even distilled will be better than using tap.

Unfortunately chances are good that you will continue to have algae issues unless you can get a decent water source.

Diatoms will fade, but green hair algae will take it's place unless you make sure to get the introduction of phosphates and nutrients down.

 

If you cant afford the roughly 50 cents a gallon for ro this hobby is not for you... between additives saltmixes light replacement live stock etc, your gonna spend a few hundred a year.

 

Ik how it is to do this hobby on a budget. Before I even put water in my tank I did tons of research and made sure I had all my equip ready before I got anything wet. And yes there were times I almost said screw it but yet I still pulled it off.

 

Normally LFS sell it for fifty cents a gallon. Youll pay that in water conditioning additives. You are using those right?????

 

water conditioning additives? Curious what you are referring to SS. My LFS sells RO water for .20 a gallon. It's a PIA lugging water but so worth it in terms of the benefits to the tank. As Corailline said, you can get distilled water or RO from Walmart as well. Take it from a "tap" pro - it will hurt your tank in the long run and can build up phosphates in your rock and sand over time that make it difficult to get to good levels that you will need to have reef critters. If you're going fish only, it still would give you less headache to use distilled or RO water from the get go.