Question For the WWM Team. SPS RTN and Diatom growth... cause/s? Allowance/s?   6/11/08
Dear WWM Staff,
<Justin>
Your website has been a great resource too me and would like to thank you for your contribution to the hobby through this website, it is invaluable.
<Glad you find it useful>
I started in the hobby one and a half ago with a 12 gallon nano that was very successful. Six months into it I did my research and upgraded to a 70 gallon system. My current system setup is as follows:
Equipment
50g Clear for life pentagon corner acrylic tank with a back corner overflow box. The top front corners are drilled for the two returns, which is powered buy an in sump Eheim 1260 generating a 10x. I installed a closed loop by drilled the bottom right hand side of the tank for intake and the bottom right for the split returns. (see attached illustration 1).
<None of these came through. Must be attached...>
An external Poseidon PS3, generating an estimated 18x turnover, powers the closed loop creating a circular closed loop flow. I run a VorTech pump in an opposite position to the closed loop at half speed in reef crest mode creating turbulence and an additional 35x. I have a JBJ 1/10th Titanium chiller running in the well ventilated attic directly above the tank that is powered by an external Poseidon PS1, generating an estimated 8x turnover, and returns to the main tank. The lighting is a PFO mini pendant 250 MH running a 14,000K phoenix bulb, replaced last month. I run a 24” 65W, retro fit SunPaq PC actinic bulb and a set of two Current USA moon lights. I recently switched from an ASM G1 skimmer to a Tunze 9010. My sump is a custom built 20 gallon with a built in 3g refuge where I keep 5 lbs of miracle mud and Chaeto under a low watt bulb 24/7.
<Stop! I would not have the lighting on continuously here. Chaetomorpha needs a dark phase... I'd arrange the light to overlap, be on when the main display lighting is cycled off>
The overflow splits into two where 75% of the flow ends up in the skimmer side of the sump and 25% ends up in the refuge. I run a PhosBan reactor with Eco-Phos connected to a Maxijet 400 that pulls from the skimmer side of the sump and returns to the return side of the sump. I do not run a heater as the house is maintained at 74º and in combination with the MH I have been very successful in maintaining a stable temp of 77º.
Current Parameters – Very stable.
Temp 77º
Salinity 1.025
pH 8.3
Calcium 450
Alkalinity 10
Magnesium 1350
Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
Phosphates 0
<Mmm... I'd read a bit re the need for soluble phosphate... your system, with the reactor, may be too "clean" for the livestock's good>
Ammonia 0
Maintenance Schedule
I change 10% weekly using Reef Crystals, but recently switched to
Reefer’s Best.
<The ZEOvit product>
All sponges are removed from the skimmer, pumps, PhosBan reactors and cleaned out, to ensure no phosphate built up. I dose B-Ionic and or DT’s new CA/Alk/Mag chemical additives. I dose a little Potassium (explanation later on) and Eco-Systems trace minerals. I run carbon for 5 days a month. I test all water parameters every Sunday at 8pm using Salifert test kits.
Feeding Schedule
I feed sparingly once a day and or every other day. I feed with Rod’s Food (http://www.rodsfood.com/).
Bio Load
1 Med. Yellow Tang
1 Dusky Jaw
1 Blue Chromis
2 small Clown fish
1 Royal Blue Tang
1 Small Six-line Wrasse
1 Peppermint Shrimp
1 Emerald crab
Large cleanup crew (no stars), snails, (Hawaiian Trochus Grazers, Hawaiian Turbo Grazer, Micro Hermits, Blue hermits, Strombus Grazers conch, ninja, Pinky Cuke, Hawaiian Littorinid Grazers, Astraea, Nassarius)
Natural Filtration
I have about 50 lbs of live rock and 30lbs of live sand.
Light Cycle
Moonlights off 7am
Actinic on 11am
MH on noon
MH off 9 pm
Actinic off 10 pm
Moonlights on 11pm
Issues
I have two ongoing issues that I cannot seem to resolve.
1) Diatoms – (one year later)
2) SPS RTN/STN
<This both may well be due to the lack/absence of HP04...>
I went through a very patient cycle and waited and waited. However I still to this day suffer from Diatoms. I have done everything listed on WWM site and more I have done two days of darkness, however they always return and are very prominent on the sand bed. They are densest by my Dusky Jaw, as assume it’s because the snails get used in the construction of his burrow and hence they stay away from him and the sand does not get mixed up in that area, however the rest of tank still suffers from bad diatom blooms.
I can keep pink and green Birdsnest that grow thick branches and have wonderful plop extension and color. However, I cannot keep any other SPS. Monti’s die by STN/RTN within weeks and never show signs of growth. I started adding potassium as the ZEOvit system promotes it and I had run out of options. I acclimate slowly via the drip method and place the coral low in the tank and slowly raise up towards the light as to not light shock the coral. All other forms of corals start to loose their tissue and then the diatoms start to attach and I inevitably loose the coral. (See illustration 2)
I have recently increased the weekly water changes to 15% and switched salts from reef crystals to Reefer’s Best to address the low potassium issue as tested by a ZEOvit user.
<K presence/concentration is rarely a rate limiting factor>
Other Info
The only piece of equipment that I did not buy new was the tank and it was used as a freshwater system.
My build thread on sdreefs : http://www.sdreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25429&highlight=50g+build
Illustration 1
Illustration 2
Illustration 3
<Again, these graphics didn't make it>
Kind regards,
--
Justin A. Hai
<I'd pull the Phosban out... run this system for a few weeks... see what happens. Bob Fenner>

Cause of Diatoms? 4-15-08
Hello. What would cause Diatoms on your sandbed, if you have undetectable phosphates, and nitrates are only 2.5 ? My Phosphates were at .1 a month ago and nitrates were 5. I added a Two Little Fishies Reactor a month ago and started running Phosban, and also started rinsing my food (frozen only) and cut out the occasional use of flakes and pellets. Phosphates are now undetectable and nitrates have come down from 5 to 2.5 . I tried cutting the lights for 2 days, and to my surprise, the diatoms vanished completely. Within a week and 1/2, the diatoms have come back. No other algae problems, but hate the sight of the brown diatoms on my sandbed. I thought it might be my 4 24w T5's aging. They were 11 months old, so I replaced them with new bulbs (ATI and UVL) about a week and 1/2 ago, but again, the diatoms came back, so I now know it wasn't the bulbs. My 150W 10k MH bulb is 9 months old, so it might be about time to swap out that bulb as well.
<Wouldn't worry about it> Any other ideas ? Thanks! Pam
Tank: 53 gallons with 7 gallon sump
Skimmer: Elos NS550 (rated for 80-130 gallons)
Water flow - 35X display size (2 Tunze Nanostream 6025's , 1 MaxiJet 1200, Eheim 1260 Return Pump. Doesn't seem to be any dead spots.
10% water changes faithfully every other week with RO/DI water / Spectrapure Maxcap
TDS is 0 out of the filtration system.
Tank Parameters
Temp 79-80f
Salinity 1.025
PH: 8.4
Alk: 7
Calcium: 400
Mag: 1170
Phosphates: undetectable
Nitrates: 2.5
Nitrites and Ammonia: 0
Fish:
Canary Wrasse
Longnose Hawkfish
Royal Gramma
Pair of True Perculas
Firefish
<Well, your tank sounds very well cared for. Your water changes are sparse, I would up to 25-50% weekly and see if that helps. Also, sand sifters (sleeper gobies, brittle stars, Nassarius snails, etc) may help. I wouldn't change your light cycle - obviously the algae will die when you turn off the lights for an extended period of time, but that's treating the symptoms, not the disease, so to speak. How deep is your sandbed? Are you sure the sandbed is receiving adequate water flow?>
Thanks!
<Anytime>
Pam
<M. Maddox>

Cause of Diatoms part II 4-19-08
Hi M. Maddox.
<How goes it>
I have a shallow sandbed. It's about 1-2" deep. I have about 5 jumbo Nassarius snails and about 5 tiny ones.
I also have one conch and one sand sifting starfish. The diatoms aren't horrible, but I'd prefer to get rid of them. I had a dead spot behind my
rocks and noticed a lot of detritus building up, so I added a MaxiJet 1200 at the bottom of the tank behind the rock. That took care of the
dead spot behind the tank. Seems to have good water flow everywhere. I'll try increasing my water changes.
<Always a good idea>
Also, maybe it's just going to take
longer to bring my phosphates down further.
<Shouldn't with large water changes and phosphate removal media>
I've only been running PhosBan for a month (in a reactor).
<Plenty long enough>
I have a red sea phosphate test kit, and it goes from 0
to .1, no smaller increment, so who knows, I could have .05 and it might register as 0. (all my other test kits are Salifert except this phosphate kit). Is there a better test kit that
will measure smaller increments of phosphates?
<Shop around - I'm sure there is>
Thanks!
<Anytime>
Pam
<M. Maddox>

Diatoms 02/01/2008
Hello all,
<<Hi, Andrew here>>
I have had a diatom problem for about 2 weeks or so now and it does not seem to be going away at all. <<Hhmm...a day for Diatoms it seems. he he he>> I have a 55 gallon FOWLR (no fish yet) about 25lbs of live rock that was procured at my LFS, 1 - 1 ½ inches or aragonite sand, 2 AquaClear 30 powerheads, an AquaClear 110 power filter, and a ProClear aquatics 75 protein skimmer. I have read that I should just leave the diatom problem alone because it will eventually turn into beneficial coralline algae. Is that correct?
<<Wont really turn into coralline algae, but will get removed via filtration and a cleanup crew>>
If not what can I do in order to get rid of this ugly mess. Oh, and by the way, my ammonia is 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10-20 ppm, and ph 8.4. I am ready to put one or two fish in there. Is there a cleaning crew that I can introduce first or is everything fine and will clear up in time?
<<Adding a cleanup crew first is always a good move as they will tackle and help with the Diatom algae outbreak. Keeping good flow, the mentioned clean up crew and patience, and it will go on its own. You can start to add your first fish pretty soon with no worries>>
Should I add any fish now or wait a while too? Your website is great and I thank you in advance.
<<I prefer to let the diatom die down somewhat until its really only a light dusting before introducing the first fish, unless the first fish is an algae eating fish, then I would say go for it>>
Matthew Diethorn
<<Thanks for the questions. A Nixon>>

Diatoms, Control 1/29/08
Hello all,
<Hello>
Wonderful website.
<Thanks>
I have learned so much from reading for hours everyday. Now for my question. My tank is FOWLR (or will be). My tank has been set up for a little less than a month. I do not have any fish because I do not want to rush things and pay for it later.
<Good>
I have a brown powdery type substance on all of my live rock, substrate, and now moving on to my glass as well. I used plain tap water with dechlor. Here are my stats for my tank......
55 gal
Spec grav......1.025
Ammonia.......0
Nitrites...........0
Nitrates.........about 10-20 ppm
Ph...............8.4
<Ok, may want to test for phosphates too since you are not using an RO/DI.>
I have two AquaClear 30 powerheads, a ProClear aquatics 75 protein skimmer, and an AquaClear 110 power filter. My lighting is 130W PC which I have on for about 10 hours a day. I have just turned it down to 6 hours a day to try to get rid of the brown stuff. How can this be resolved?
<Mostly time, its common and normal to get a diatom bloom in a new tank. Can be controlled by nutrient control and competition. See here for more http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brownalgcontfaqs.htm .>
Any help that you give me would be great. Also, my skimmer is only picking up about a quarter inch of skimmate per day. Not much, but I also don't have much in there either, <Not unexpected>
just about 20lbs of live rock and ½ to 1 inch of aragonite substrate. It is just starting to look very bad and I want rid of it in the worst way. Will my live rock die because of this?
<No>
Thanks in advance for all of your help.
Matt
<Welcome>
<Chris>
Matthew Diethorn

Re: Diatoms, Control 1/29/08
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.
<Welcome>
It is very much appreciated. Just one more question however. Do you think it would be wise to introduce a cleanup crew to start to take care of this problem as well?
<You could start adding a small cleanup crew, but not much eats diatoms so they won't help much here.>
If so, what do you recommend for a 55 gal tank?
<A few snails of various types, see here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/snailscavsel.htm .>
I will also be buying RO water from my LFS next time I have to do a change.
<Will help, but gets expensive to buy over time, may want to look into purchasing one yourself, fairly cheap and easy to use.>
Thanks again
Matthew Diethorn
<Welcome>
<Chris>

Diatoms Continue to Grow 12/30/07
Good Evening Wet Web Crew.
<Hello Kim.>
I've had brown slime growing in my 75 gallon marine tank for about 4 months now, getting progressively worse no matter what I do.
<Yikes!>
After cleaning out all four powerheads, the slime is starting in again after only 3 days. It's growing all over the live rock and substrate, and I can't get coralline algae to grow very well at all. I removed a bio wheel filter that I suspected was contributing to the problem, and thoroughly cleaned out the Eheim canister filter.
<The canister needs to be cleaned very often, such as weekly.>
Awhile after that, I removed and cleaned out the Aqua C Remora skimmer (which produces about 2/3 cup per day). I clean out the collection cup everyday.
<Good.>
I've vacuumed the gravel every time I change water (5 gallons per week using RO purchased from Culligan). Sometimes I will remove another 5 gallons, which I let settle, and then pour the top back in since I'm removing so much junk that appears to be diatoms.
<Wow!!>
The water has been testing out ok - even tested for phosphates which were .02.
<This can be deceiving, the test kits read low because the diatoms are using the phosphate all up.>
I'm now suspecting the substrate, which is fairly large crushed coral, and only 1" deep. There is an eggcrate base under that for the rock. I have decided to gradually change out the crushed coral and replace it with aragonite sand to a depth of 3". Am I on the right track?
<Definitely a good move.>
Thanks so much for your help.
Kim
<What is in the tank and what are your feeding habits? Sounds like you are headed the right direction. If you do not have any other flow besides the canister and Remora, do consider adding a few powerheads to aid circulation. Check out the link below for more info. Different condition, same basic causes and remedies. Good luck, Scott V.>
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm

Diatoms And RO Units – 11/17/07
Hoping you guys might be able to help me out with a few things.
<<Let’s see what I can do…>>
For starters, here's some info on my tank.
Equipment:
155 gallon bow front
180 lbs of live rock (approx)
1-1.5" sand bed
<<Mmm…this is in that “no man’s land” re the depth, in my opinion. Would be better to reduce this by about half…or increase four-fold or so, depending on grain size>>
300 gal wet/dry
MagDrive 12 for return, split to both back corners
Corallife Super Skimmer 125
Corallife Aqualight Pro HQI (3x150w) Compact (4x96w) Lunar
2 Penguin 550 Powerheads (with plans to add additional)
Inhabitants:
1 yellow tang
1 sand sifting goby
1 black/white striped damsel
1 blue/green Chromis
1 yellow tail (blue) damsel
3 yellow-bellied (blue) damsels
1 urchin
1 (clump) green zoo's
A few hermits
1 snail (maybe more but I never see but 1)
Reading through other questions, it is sounding like I have a fairly large diatom algae problem.
<<Oh?>>
I don't know conclusively what the cause is however I'm guessing on a few major areas…
<<Your source water…likely>>
1) Though I plan on getting an RO unit, I do not currently have one. What makes this a really huge issue in my case is that I am not on city water (good since there is no chlorine) but on well water (lots and lots of silicates from what I gather).
<<Ah, yes…and “possibly” other undesirable elements (heavy metals, contamination from pesticides/fertilizers)>>
Looking through suggestions you've given to others, getting an RO unit sounds like my first step.
<<Agreed…and preferably one that utilizes a Deionization-Resin cartridge as well. The DI resin doesn’t help with the Silicates (non-ionic); that’s up to your RO membrane to handle, but it does do a great job of polishing the water/removing any traces of ionic elements missed by the membrane>>
I'm a fan of Corallife, for whatever reason, as you can probably see from my info.
<<Yes>>
I'm looking into maybe the Corallife Pure-Flo II 50 gpd 4-stage unit. I need something that will remove a lot of heavy metals and organics. Is this a good choice for my situation?
<<It looks like it should do fine>>
Is there something different you would suggest?
<<These units are basically all the same (components will interchange/many are the same between the different brands [re-brands]), even those sold at your local Lowe’s/HD. If you’re a little bit handy, you could purchase a basic unit from the local home store and add to it with components off the Net to get what you need and probably save a few bucks. Otherwise, “any” manufactured unit that incorporates sediment and carbon pre-filters and a DI resin post-filter will do fine…such as the Corallife unit you have indicated>>
2) I would like to get a really good clean-up crew as well. Specifically looking into Cerith, Nerites, and Astrea snails and they are listed as being good for diatom algae. Are these all good choices and are there others that you would suggest?
<<The Cerith snails are the best choice here…but controlling the dinoflagellates is more a function of filtering your source water, ensuring strong/vigorous water flow in the display, maintaining pH in the 8.4-8.6 range, and…employing a quality skimmer>>
3) I've read that both Mangrove and Caulerpa absorb a great deal of phosphates and in return, reduce it in the tank.
<<The macroalgae is much more efficient than the Mangrove (grows much faster/utilizes elements at a much greater rate)…and I recommend Chaetomorpha over Caulerpa for its “user friendliness”>>
4) Do you agree with this . . . and would it be wise to consider adding this to the tank (it would be directly to the tank as I do not have a refugium)?
<<I do agree, as just outlined…but this is best added as part of a dedicated refugium for best efficiency. But either way, I strongly suggest you DO NOT add any Caulerpa species directly to your display tank as this macroalgae is quite invasive with the potential to overtake everything…and can be very difficult to eradicate>>
And lastly, I'm not certain but I may also have some green hair algae starting. Will all the above keep this in check as well?
<<It may, if the source water is the problem here as well…else, you will need to determine the source of the hair algae and address that too>>
Any help you can provide would be most appreciated.
Thanks
<<Happy to assist. EricR>>

Coral Beauty eating brown algae. Coral Beauty in Quarantine  9/20/07
Hello,
<Hey there! Scott F. in today.>
I've had a Coral Beauty in 10g QT for about a week. The fish was eating Nori and mysis shrimp just fine. However, I made the mistake of placing a second fish in the QT tank with a clear divider between the two. Seemed to work OK the first day, but the Coral Beauty started not eating as much, pre-occupied with other fish. So, I moved the other fish to a second 10g QT (starting to look like a fish display in my study!).
<Nothing wrong with that! :) >
Well, the other fish is doing great (surprisingly, a Lemonpeel Angel), but the Coral Beauty is still not eating as much, but it's only been 2 days since the shuffle. Did this shuffle stress the fish out enough for a terminal decline or will he return to normal eating habits??
<Well, if the transfer was carried out carefully (and I have very faith in you that it was!), I can't see why the fish won't make a full recovery. Give it some time to re-adjust to its new surroundings.>
One thing I have noticed is the growth of brown algae in the original QT, it's growing quite a bit, but the Coral Beauty has started eating the diatoms constantly.
<Good- a very natural behavior>
He can clear a brown layer off the bottom of the tank in a few hours, looks like a cow mowing down a pasture. I know this because with the divider in the tank, one half of the bottom was spotless clean while the other half was covered in diatoms.
<Do you hear that, all you WWM readers with diatom issues...? Centropyge angelfish do eat them!>
Does this stuff have any nutritional value whatsoever and could it be affecting his appetite for Nori or mysis?
<Diatoms are a natural part of the fish' diet, and it can provide a strong supplement to the fish's diet. In fact, I have had a Coral Beauty that never ate prepared food. He (she) just ate the algae and diatoms it could find in its aquarium. This fish lived for almost 10 years.>
I will be adding protein skimmers to the QT's to help with nutrient control. I'm trying not to go overboard here, so I went with the Taam Rio Nano skimmer. Price was about $30 and the reviews seemed OK. Any thoughts/advice on this skimmer?
Thanks,
Greg
<I'm not familiar with this brand of skimmer, but I certainly like the idea of skimming in a quarantine aquarium. Anything that helps maintain the water quality in your aquarium is a benefit! Hope this helps! Regards, Scott F.>

Diatoms? Dinoflagellates?  9/5/07
My aquarium is 4 months old. The regular diatom bloom during cycling is under control on the rocks, sand & glass, thanks to time, snails and hermits. However, I have a rusty brown algae covering the water surface.
<This sounds like Dinoflagellates.>
What is it and how do I get rid of it?
<If this is D. then keeping the tank in the dark for a few days should just about wipe them out. Of course, being able to treat the tank this way is a luxury you have for being patient and waiting before adding any corals. :-) If this doesn't work, your best chance is to just keep manually removing the stuff. Running carbon (and maybe even a diatom filter) might help some. But with any luck, the few days in darkness should do it. Do a big water change after these few days to help remove whatever nastiness the D. may have left behind.>
I don't have fish or corals in this tank yet, and didn't know if this would be dangerous for these critters.
<It shouldn't be too dangerous for the fish, but D. can be quite toxic to corals and other inverts.>
Thank you for all of your help, past, present and future.
<De nada,
Sara M.>

Diatoms?: how to proceed  8/23/07
Dear Crew,
<Mark>
I know the information is on your web page; I just can't seem to put it all together.
Tank parameters:
90gal set up for 3 years. Have always seemed to have an algae problem of one kind or another since automatic fish feeder fell in the tank while I was at work 1.5 years ago.
Water flow is approximately 1500 gph
Filtration: sand and protein skimmer
pH 8.2-8.4
NH3=0
NH2=0
Alk=9dKH
NO3=undetectable with Aquarium Pharm.
PO3=undetectable with Aquarium Pharm.
Calcium=400ppm
5 gallon water changes weekly
Livestock:
4" yellow tang
3" flame angel
2" cleaner shrimp
2 species of Montipora
3 species of Acropora
2 species of star polyps
1 frogspawn colony
Three weeks ago I added Kalkwasser to replace evaporation since my calcium levels were a little low (350ppm vs. the 400ppm as present). Two days after I added the Kalkwasser I noticed my BGA was replaced by what I believe to be diatoms (I looked at them with a microscope and found they were too large to be BGA, but did not appear as symmetrical as I would expect from diatoms.
<Bacillariophyceans are distinctive... as you state>
Cells were oval shaped with only one plane of symmetry).
<Not diatoms. Were organelles, nuclei apparent?>
Also, many of them float to the water's surface during the day; less or not at all at night.
The SPS don't seem to be affected but the frogspawn and star polyps don't look very good (stay closed most of the day).
<Yikes...>
In an effort to rid my tank of this bloom I replaced my DIY protein skimmer with a Tunze DOC 9005, added an inch of 1-3mm aragonite sand (it was down to 2.5), and switched from tap water to RO that I buy from the LFS. I also added a small clump of Chaetophora to my tank.
<Really? Am assuming you mean/t the genus Chaetomorpha>
What should my next step be? Keep up with the water changes and wait it out?
<Yes, I would... unless the Stony Corals continue to "look bad"... in which case I'd effect another, larger water change and use carbon in your filter flow path>
Buy some new live rock and/or order live sand activator to recharge my system with small detritivores?
<Also a good move>
Was this caused by the CaOH precipitating PO3 thus killing the BGA and leading to a diatom bloom?
<Possibly... but not diatoms... some other Protista>
Thanks for a wonderful website,
Mark
<Do send along pix if you can. Bob Fenner>

Re: Diatoms?: how to proceed   8/24/07
Hi Bob,
<Mark>
Thanks for your quick reply. I forgot to mention that I also stopped adding Kalkwasser a few days ago. As a result the pH in my tank reverted to pre-Kalkwasser readings: 7.8 in the morning and 8.2 in the afternoon. Also my calcium increased to 420ppm. This could be due to experimental error (difference in reading of only one drop) or due to increase calcium solubility in the lower pH.
<Better to look into bolstering alkalinity slowly through your water changes over time here...>
The corals do look a little better today, but I am concerned about this Protist bloom. I looked at a sample I took from the bottom of the tank (first time was from top/dead) and found that when alive they are very mobile.
<NOT Diatoms...>
It looks like they use cilia for locomotion. Also they seem to contain brown chloroplasts and a nucleus. Enclosed is a Word document with a picture pasted onto it. Are there any good herbivores for this?
<I see... more likely Dinoflagellates...>
I am afraid to buy fresh live rock at this point because I think it would become smothered.
<Mmmm>
Thanks,
Mark
P.S. I did mean Chaetomorpha (not Chaetophora)
<Ah, good. Bob Fenner>

Dinoflagellates/tank breakdown   – 07/25/07
Good afternoon, <Hey!> I've been checking around your website (again) and can't seem to find the right answer I need. I'm currently breaking down my tank due to an outbreak of what I think may be a dinoflagellate outbreak. It formed a smothering layer of light brown slimy looking goo over everything-rock coral, equipment. I've had an ongoing problem with some hair algae when bam (sorry Emeril), this stuff took over. Due to the hair algae problem, I decided to break down the tank. Finally to my questions. I've removed and scrubbed the live rock that had no coral/polyps/etc still attached and have started to recure it-is it feasible that it will still be 'live' after all that has happened? <Did you let the rocks dry out? If they stayed wet you should have kept most of the bacteria that is in the "live" rock. Truthfully, even if it did dry somewhat out it still probably has the majority of the bacteria unless it was left out for a sustained period of time.> The sand substrate has a hard 'crust' where the slim has grown-is it worth trying to save some of the lower levels or start over with fresh? <You should be able to save all of it. If you can stir the top and suck the nasty stuff out. But your tank will look sorta icky.> I still have a few pieces left in the tank that are 1/4 to 2/3 covered with green star polyps and 1 with a toadstool that still has the slim/goo on them, but they continue to extend themselves daily-any ideas as to how to clean them up and isolate them to ensure the goo is gone? <Personally, I use a turkey baster and blast all that stuff off of them.> Last, any recommendations as to considering a total teardown to a bare tank is needed I hope not)? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated-Steve. <Steve, I would not tear the tank down unless I absolutely had to but you do need to get it cleaned out. I personally use a turkey baster to suck stuff out, stir stuff up and blast the rocks off that need to be blasted. I have worked on peoples tanks where I have actually pulled every rock out and scrubbed them off with a never used toothbrush to clean all the cracks and crevices off. One thing to note is that you should maybe consider getting some more current in your tank because I have found that with more movement in the tank, especially the lower levels you don't get the hair algae or the Dinos nearly as bad. A couple of basics here. Something is feeding the bad stuff so you might watch and cut down on your levels of feeding. You might also want to look some more in the WetWebMedia base for information about Calcium and alkalinity and its effects on Dinos. Good luck, MacL>
 

Re: Brown Algae Issues. The Brown Algae Blues (Cont'd.) – 07/18/07 Thanks for the response. <You're welcome!> I went and bought the test kits, and no signs of fuel for the algae blooms. <A good start, and a good investment...I assume that means that you have negligible phosphate, nitrate, a high pH and high alkalinity, right?> As far as food goes, we only feed flake food, and a quantity that can be consumed immediately once a day. Unfortunately, I don't have a sump filtration system, everything is hang on. I have a AquaC Remora skimmer, Millennium 2000 hang-on filter, and 3 power heads in the tank. Would changing 75% of the water help any? <Water changes with quality source water are always good. However, these kinds of problems should be corrected with consistency over time. Regular, modest water changes will do the trick. No need for sudden, massive moves. Get on a water change schedule that you can handle and stay with it. Try also to increase the flow in your system to increase oxygenation and maintain a high, stable pH.> Also, I've added 3 pictures showing you what I was describing, in case the verbiage I used wasn't adequate. This was 3 days after a cleaning. Jim <Well, Jim- I really think that you're on the right track. Continued good husbandry (especially the water changes and replacing/cleaning your mechanical filtration media regularly), time and your patience will do the trick. Remember the other things that we touched on in our previous correspondence, and stay at it! You can do it! Regards, Scott F.>

BGA?

Marine Tank Lighting and Algae ) 3/14/07
Hi -
<Hi!>
I'm sure you've received this type of question many times, but I'm still looking for a "definitive" answer. I have a fish-only 46 gallon bow front tank. It's well established and uses a built in wet-dry filter along with a 350 magnum canister and Prizm protein skimmer. It has a bare bottom and rainbow rock for decoration.
<Rainbow rock as in the resin replicas or actual sandstone (silica based) rocks?>
I do cleaning, vacuuming, filter changes and water changes every week.  
<If you are too aggressive with your cleaning every week, it disrupts the beneficial bacteria and balance of the tank.  Avoid sterilizing too thoroughly and don’t change all the filter media every week. It is not "well established" if it has to start over every week.>
The problem is I'm a fanatic about not having algae, but I can't seem to prevent it. The type I get looks brownish, collects on the rocks and tank, is very powdery and readily brushes off.
<These are diatoms.  A silica based unicellular algae.  They are actually quite beautiful under a microscope, but not so lovely all over the aquarium! Read here re diatom control:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/diatomfaqs.htm >
Unfortunately it starts showing in just 3 days after a full cleaning and rock bleaching.
<Overcleaning is probably upsetting the balance of your tank.>
I use DI/RO water, no additives other than pH buffer, I've tried various phosphate removers to no avail, all the chemistry is good and the phosphates are low.
<How good?  It is hard to advise without knowing pH, SG, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc.  Phosphate is not the problem with diatoms.  Silicate is more relevant.>
I'm curious what I should do about lighting. I have four T-5, 36" 39w bulbs with two daylight and two actinic. I'm only using two of the bulbs currently, one of each type. They are on probably 14 hours a day.
I've been told two things; shut the lights completely off other than when I am home, the other was to step down to a standard fluorescent light of less intensity than the T-5's. I sort of feel like having the lights off most of the time is not a normal environment for the fish, and giving up on an expensive fixture and paying additional money for a even cheaper one doesn't feel right either.
<Agreed.  Your lighting is fine. The fish do need a natural light cycle to be comfortable and healthy. You could back off to 12 hours, but 14 is ok. >
I'm willing to do whatever - your advice?
<Consider allowing a more natural evolution in your tank.  Introduce some algae that you do like to compete for nutrients.  Add a more aggressive protein skimmer.  Cut back on feeding if you can.  Do not over-sterilize your tank. Adding some live rock or aragonite substrate could help create a more natural balance.  If you do not want any type of algae or natural live rock in the main tank, a hidden refugium may be the answer for you.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/refugium.htm
Keep reading… Alex>
Rob Buchanan

Brown Diatoms 2/21/07
Hi,
<Hello>
I believe what I have on my front end of the tank and gravel to be brown  diatom algae. <Not uncommon.> I am not sure how serious it really is. It hasn't covered the glass where I can't see in, but when I look from an opposite side of the tank it is very noticeable. The 6 snails I have in my tank have been munching on it, yet I am not quite sure how to get rid of it. I was told that if I scrub or wipe it off, it will just spread throughout the tank. <Will do this anyways.> What should I do to remove it off the sand and glass? <Remove as you would algae, siphon and wiping off.>
Also how can I avoid it in the future? I know that upgrading my lighting  will help, which I will in the future, and maybe a refugium would work to? <Anything that controls nutrients.>  
My tank is 36 gallons, 40 lbs of live rock,  2.5 inch sand bed ,1  clown goby, 1 flame angel. Bak Pak 2r Protein Skimmer. Established for 2  months. <With this aged tank, these blooms are normal and usually fade with proper maintenance.>
<Chris>

Diatoms...more info needed   2/11/07
Hello, and thank you for all of your help with past questions.
I have always gone through the dreaded brown diatoms each time I have started a new tank. It has always disappeared after a while, except in one of my tanks. I can't seem to get rid of it. I wipe it off the plants and rocks continuously.  This is the only tank that is near a sky light, though it is not direct. Because it is brown, I didn't think light would be a source of the problem (?) Do you have any suggestions?
I need a little more info. What are the tanks chemistry parameters? What source water...also search WWM re: diatoms/blue green algae.>
Thanks.
<Adam J.>

Anglish, algae   1/15/07
aww sorry, I know you are really busy and I hate to bother you, The brown is on my rocks, glass, not real bad since I have the turbo snails , I have a sump, have 1 power head in the tank, and one pvc pipe shooting water also into the tank from pump in sump ,bio balls at the bottom and some at top also, are these bio balls ever to be cleaned or rinsed? and yes I was testing with strips, I have an expensive kit for testing but haven't tried it yet I'm, probably scared to lol.
<.....Holy run on sentence, Batman! Ok, lets see if I can surmise this... The brown you are seeing, still sounds like diatoms to me, not Cyanobacteria. Bioballs do need to be cleaned, fairly often.. They accumulate and highly contribute to nitrates in the tank, when they are not regularly rinsed. To rinse them, rinse them thoroughly in tank water before you throw it out after a water change. Do not fear test kits, the test strips are MUCH more worrisome.>
I have just bought a light, I am very unaware of the lighting that I need but this one I bought I don't know which one is the best to have, I had a coral life 48"  6000k/  50/50 actinic 03 made in Germany , and another one that is blue ,now I have a power Glo 40 watt high intensity, and still the blue one, I really need to know which one is the best one to have?
<...You really need to properly punctuate your sentences here, pal... There's not enough time in the day... As far as lighting goes, there is no "best to have", in general. These specifics come from determining what species you intend to keep. Corals and Anemones need intense lighting, quite possibly more intense than you are providing here. The descriptions you give of these lighting fixtures is very confusing. You should list the wattage of all the bulbs, not just the bulb/fixture length. Have a read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marcanopies.htm and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/lighting/index.htm >
the puffers are small right now 1 is 2" and the other one is 3" they are the
porcupine puffers (brown and black and 1 tan color).
<These fishes will both outgrow your current aquarium. These fishes can reach up to nearly 20 inches! See here for more information: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?id=4659 . Please don't fall to the all-too-common misconception that these fishes will only grow to the size of, and fit to, the aquarium you keep them in. This species needs a good amount of swimming room, as well as extremely good filtration as they're such messy eaters. Likewise, their dietary needs are very different from the other fish you keep.>
I am new to the salt water aquariums.
I did put ChemiClean for red slime in my tank as directed and left the stone in there, it cleaned some, but not they way I expected it to, then done a 18 gallon water change, but the snails are doing ok with cleaning the rocks off, I think I need some more of them.
<...Please, future correspondence should be in proper grammatical form... You are mistaken about the identification of the algae in your tank, IMO. This is not Cyanobacteria, which ChemiClean treats for. Instead, this is standard diatoms, which we all have to deal with to some extent. Your diatom levels are likely accelerated by the high-waste producing fishes you are keeping.>
Also do you know what else I should add to my tank that will keep the nitrates down, corals, hermits, clam? I like the natural way if possible. I have 2 magnetic glass cleaners also they work but can't get it to the gravel level to clean without scratching the glass more, I usually use the sponge.
<You need to not worry as much about the small amounts of diatoms here, and let things be. The way that you describe, leads me to believe this is a fairly recently setup tank. If so, you are simply going through normal algae successions. The key here for keeping nitrates down? Don't overfeed, clean your bioballs regularly, and regular water changes, at least weekly!>
I do clean my tank on a regular basis, usually 2 times a week, I just clean the glass and blow the rocks lightly with a turkey baster, check filter sometimes just rinse it off.
<This is not 'cleaning' your tank, as it is polishing it. You need to be performing 10% water changes weekly as standard maintenance, especially with the higher nitrate accumulation.>
Thank You
ICE
<No problems, mate. Please have a read over our query conventions here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/faqstips.htm and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm -JustinN>

Better Anglish... and thanks   1/15/07
I just want to say Thank You for all you do to help to try to help everyone to maintain this beautiful natural life that we bring into our homes.
<Thank you for this.>
I have never in my life had a fish or a tank so, I am always trying to learn and try to maintain good quality water as natural as possible. I wish though there was more color in my tank, but I am scared to add new things as I don't really know what I can add, as sometimes this also causes problems. My favorite purchase was the flowering coral, the most awesome thing I have ever seen.
And Thank You again for all you do.
ICE
<There's a saying that is often associated with marine fishkeeping. "Nothing good in this hobby happens fast, only disaster." Patience, knowledge, understanding are the keys here... Keep reading. You'll get there, mate. -JustinN>

And finally re Algae...  1/15/07
ok, I tested the water with a test kit( name: fastest master kit)
<Ok, is a quality test kit>
here are the readings
ammonia 0.0
nitrite0.2-2 lighter than color on the tester color
<Yee-ikes! Step up those water changes to 25%, and get on them until these nitrites are gone! Nitrites and ammonia are deadly toxic to our aquatic charges.>
ph 7.8-8.0
<Wide range here... No Nitrate test? Perhaps you need a quick read through here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/toxictk.htm and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm Good luck! -JustinN>

Diatoms on Glass  1/2/07
Hi There,
<Hi Carlos, Pufferpunk here.>
First I'd like to congratulate you on your excellent website, great
unbiased info for a novice refer like myself.
<Thanks, we try!>
Problem is that 3 months ago I updated my standard tank lighting from 22W pc to 72W PC, in order to keep corals. 3 days later bought a nice coral (hammer coral) and 5 days later my 20 gallon tank has been overrun by green slime algae on the glass.
<Not algae--diatoms.  Simply wipe off or get a Mag-Float, for easy removal.  I just leave it in the back corner of my tank for daily glass cleaning.  You can also add snails to do some of the work but I still seem to be having to do most of the removal myself.> <<Mmm, might be a BGA... RMF>>
I added a UV sterilizer suggested by my LFS which only turns on when the lights do.
<I have heard not to use a UVS on a reef tank.  It not only removes the bad guys, but also the good guys, that make your tank alive,  like your pods.>
Last week I modified my wet/dry filter and removed the bioballs (as recommended in your other posts) and currently have some Purigen, Phosguard, Matrix Carbon and de-nitrate in the filter.
<I personally don't use nitrate removers, as I have a refugium with Chaeto for that.  My nitrates are steady at 0.5 .>
I have switched from Red Sea salt to Seachem's Reef Salt and I'm now doing 20% weekly water changes using tap water and Prime, aerating it over 24 hours.
<Stop using tap water.  That will cause the majority of your algae issues!  You must use RO or even better, RODI filtered water for a reef tank or you will be battling serious algae issues.>
In a last ditch effort, I've reduced lighting from 7 hours to 4 hours a day.
<Your corals need a minimum of 12 hours of light.  Many (like your hammer), like supplementation of meaty foods.>
Water params are as follow:
PH = 8.2
Salinity = 1.021
<Raise to 1.025-26>
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 7
Calcium = 400
<Alkalinity is important to test for too.  Also Magnesium.>
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
<Make the suggested corrections & you will be much happier with your reef.  ~PP>
Thanks, Carlos

Continued growth of a brownish colored algae on sand surface   12/4/06
150 Gal. Tank, Reef, 80+ spices of soft corals, several clams, 30+ Nassarius snails hermit crabs, varius small fish (clowns, Diamond goby, 2 blue tangs, purple tang, Anthias etc.) 1 purple lobster,
<Keep your eye on this... predaceous>
Protein skimmer. 2" sand base,
<You may want to either increase or decrease this depth. See WWM re>
refugium growing Caulerpa,
<And switch out the Caulerpa for other genera...>
Bag pre-filter, Calcium reactor, Kalk reactor, CO2, R.O. replenished regularly with a liter meter. 2 -36" blue actinics, 2- White compact flour., 2- 250 watt Metal Halides Neptune control system, sterilizer, 2 PhosBan reactors (1 with PhosBan and 1 with charcoal) Tank established for 18-20 months
Calcium=460 (always above 440)
Alkalinity= 9.3
Phosphate=0 (never have shown any phosphates)
Magnesium=1440
PH=8.38 (always fro 8.35-8.4)
temp=79.5 (always from 79-80.5)
ORP=515
<Too high...>
nitrates=20-40 (I have always had trouble controlling these)
<Try other algae...>
nitrates=0
Salinity=1.024
Halides are on 6 hrs a day (12:00-6:00pm)
<I'd extend this... to 9-10 hours per day>
Blue actinics are on 10 hrs a day (10:00-8:00pm)
white compact fluorescents are on 9 hrs a day (11:00-7:00pm)
Moon lights on when all others are off (8:00pm-10:am)
Now that you know the particulars, here's the problem:
    Ever since I added the PhosBan reactors at the advice of the local fish guru I have had an increasing amount of this brownish algae like the standard green glass algae growing on the surface of the sand bed.
<Likely mainly diatoms>
I have done several water changes and recently a major 75 gallon water change with a new type of salt (reef crystals) I used to use ocean systems on a recent test I found freshly mixed salt water produced some alarming phosphate results. By the end of each and every day I have a bed of the ugly algae i vacuum the sand during every water change. I felt these Nassarius snails and the sand sifting starfish were controlling the sand well for the last year.
Now they are not keeping up. What do you all recommend, The local guy is telling me it's time to replace all lamps, sounds kind of fishy to me.
<... if they're not "old", me too>
Thank you for your time in advance. I can send pictures if you would like...
Rick McDonald
<Mmm... I'd favor some Ogo/Gracilaria, and/or Chaetomorpha in your refugium, give the green the heave-ho... extend the photoperiod, allow the calcium to drift down to 400 ppm or so... and this should do it. Bob Fenner>

High temperatures   11/24/06
Dear Crew
<Hi Daniel! Tim answering your question today!>
First can I say that I love  your website! It's a great resource and it has already come in great use!
Two things:
1)I'm having a bit of a problem with temperature in my tank. I live in Australia and am heading into summer. Recently temps have been getting up to 40C and my tank is staying at a consistent 31C. I've read you advice about adding a fan to cool the water, but this is where the problems begin. I have an AquaOne 120 all-in-one setup (wish I'd never bought the thing but stuck with it now). Since the lights (2 x 30 W actinics and 1 30 W fluorescent) and filter are built into the top, it makes adding equipment very difficult without significant drilling of plastic! Do you know of any way I can modify this system to add a fan? Would adding it to the filter box be sufficient? A chiller really isn't an option as I've already forked out a packet and I don't know if ice blocks will work over the long term either.
<Have a look at purpose-built aquarium fans that are often much smaller than standard fans, and so may be more easy to place into your aquarium. Also, although your fluorescent lamps will not produce a considerable amount of heat, it may be helpful to have the lights on at night, late in the evening or early in the morning, before the heat of day (though the transition to this should be slow, to allow the livestock to gradually adjust and avoid "jet lag"). Depending on your current set up, you may also be able to reduce the amount of time that the lights are actually on - this will also depend on your live stock, though I would imagine that with regular fluorescent lighting there is not much photosynthetic life in your aquarium. Finally, if the aquarium is in a room with a lot of windows, consider covering the windows with curtains or blinds to reduce the ambient temperature in the room as much as possible.>
2) I have also had a pretty bad time with diatoms. My LFS seems to think it could be due to the old lights that came with the AquaOne setup (3 x 30W Atman Fluorescents which I have now changed to the actinics mentioned above). Does this sound likely to you? It's also worth noting that my protein skimmer has only just started working as I added it about 3 months after the tank was started.
<Check your water parameters - presumably you have a problem with nitrates and/or sulphates. Reduce these with large water changes (also be sure to check your fresh water ANN levels!) and a continued proper maintenance routine involving regular water changes. Your lights will only be partly responsible for the problem. Other culprits may include overfeeding and insufficient circulation. What kind of protein skimmer are you running on your system? Best of luck resolving this problem!>
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Dan Miller