YIKES...algae on the sand

I have a small patch of brown algae on the sand bed in my 75. It's kind of clumpy..I pushed it around with one of my pokers and it stuck together. I thought I'd just try to carefully remove it and try not to let pieces fall around in my tank. I haven't done a W/C for a while. All my water has been going to the rocks. I'll have to do that pronto as well. Everything in the tank looks good. Any idea what it is and/or suggestions? I do not want to move this into my new nano tank!

I had that 1 time my self just stay on top you're W/C and it will go away over time. and how old is the tank and what lights?

It must be algea making time I have got some hair algea growing in my tank now....Great just in time for the meeting!!!

LOL i kicked the hair algea but now i have bubble algea

I used to get bubble algae from time to time but it never got out of hand and now it's pretty much gone. I'll scoop it out and get back to a more normal W/C routine.

Hopefully, I never have to deal with HA again. Blech!

Thanks Dansreefs and HD!

Ya I have got BA BAD too I am an algea tank with corals!!!lol

Cammie, brown algae that is stringy is classic sign of dinoflagellates. You have to be very careful not to spread it around. Just suck it out and toss that sand out. I spent several months fighting it thinking its diatoms. Just keep sucking it out as it appears so it never comes out after that.

Garrett, your hair algae is a sign of high phosphates and nitrates. Sounds like you need to do some water changes. I know you will say its not showing in the test kit but that only means that the nutrients are being consumed as they are being produced by the algae. A combination water changes (I know you dont believe in that ) and turning off the lights for 3 days will get rid of it.

Vishnu

So I am going to do a W/C today...can you all belive that..LOL but my question is can I leave my actinics on and just turn my MH off?

I have HA as well, mine is all on the bottom of the tank in/on my sand bed. I may try the "3 day off suggestion" with some water changes. How much water do you suggest changing out? I have a 75G as well. We suck it out every time that we do a water change, and it just seems to want to come back!!

I just did a 25g change on mine. When I had my 75 I did like a 15-20 change.

Vishnu, thanks for the tips. I'm not sure it's stringy but mabye I'll post pics up this eve before I suck it out. That sounds like the best way to attack it anyway! The hard thing for us is we only do 5% water changes at a time. We'll have to just do as many as we can this week. It takes me usually two days to make 5 gal of RO. We were ready for a W/C when that rock came in a few weeks ago. Now, there's reef stuff to do nearly every day with culturing rock, existing 75 gal and nano build! I wish I were laid off!!!! LOL

Val and Garrett, good luck with your HA. I'd say, three days w/out lights is a small price to pay to get rid of that stuff!

Dedex wrote:I have HA as well, mine is all on the bottom of the tank in/on my sand bed. I may try the "3 day off suggestion" with some water changes. How much water do you suggest changing out? I have a 75G as well.

vishnu if he is not out of town and myself usually do about 13 gals every week or 2 one thing though to you want to match the parameters in your new water to match the same parameters in your tank to prevent Cal,Alk.and mag swings.
Remember stabilization is the Key in this hobby.

another trick you can try is a spoonfull of brown sugar or honey a week i have used it befor with good results

tattooedreefer wrote:another trick you can try is a spoonfull of brown sugar or honey a week i have used it befor with good results

This works ?

i dont know why but id does? it works really good for red slime alge but it works for all types, for hair alge and bubble alge you can dose with vodka

moonyguy wrote:Cammie, brown algae that is stringy is classic sign of dinoflagellates. You have to be very careful not to spread it around. Just suck it out and toss that sand out. I spent several months fighting it thinking its diatoms. Just keep sucking it out as it appears so it never comes out after that.

Vishnu

I see what you mean. It keeps coming back. At least it's in the same spot all the time.