Algae Growth

[NoSump]

I have (with much help from this site) been carefully establishing a new reef tank set-up.

I was at the stage of lighting (fully cycled for 5 weeks) live rock, and slowly introducing algae eating snails and hermits.

I just returned from a week trip to Las Vegas to find my tank, sand and rocks covered in a brown algae.

My lighting is PC 2 - 96 watt actinic/2- 96 watt 10K, and 3 moon lights.

The lighting schedule which was in effect for one and a half full weeks prior to my departure was/is - 11 hours of the actinic and 10k (I start the actinic one hour earlier and end it one hour later in order to simulate dawn/dusk). I also operate the moon lights for 5 hours at night.

I had no signs of algae growth prior to my departure, and was gone for only 6 days. My algae attack crew are small at this point - 1 turbo, 3 margarita, 3 nassrius, 3 red leg hermits, and 2 scarlett leg hermits. I understand that my "crew" is a fraction of what will be needed to fight off algae in the fully established tank.

I have completely shut down my lighting since returning and finding my algae bloom (I have been back for 24 hours). At this point there are no fish in the tank. My phosphate test shows my water to be within the exceptable range.

Is it normal for algae to appear so suddenly? What is my best course of acton? Thank you.

Chuck

[Samper]

Research a diatom bloom and find out if this is what you're experiencing. But I think it should have happened sooner than five weeks.

[NoSump]

Research a diatom bloom and find out if this is what you're experiencing. But I think it should have happened sooner than five weeks.

Samper:

Based on what I have read, it sounds like I did experience a diatom bloom. After turning off the lights for two days, letting my snails and crabs feast, and scrubbing the glass, and cleaning the sand - the tank looks better. When I get my skimmer running, it sounds as though that will help. I assume that it is a coincidence that I added 10 lbs of live sand just before I left. I will also add some calcium to the water.

The book that I read described the need to remove my live rock, and clean and quarantine them. Is that really necessary for a simple algae growth? I assume that as long as I up the number of algae eaters and treat the problem (evidently a combination of Nitrates, Phosphates, and Silica in my water contributes to diatoms - I am now using R/O water), eventually the diatoms will loss the battle - that's what I hope anyway.

[Samper]

I'm glad to hear you figured it out. A diatom bloom is natural and provided the right conditions will go away, you don't need to remove your rock. Some people scrub their rocks when they can't win a battle against hair algae but I've never heard of someone doing it for a diatom bloom.

Be very careful when adding Ca to your system, you need a balanced additive to keep your levels in check.

I use Kent Turbo Calcium and Pro Buffer for Alkalinity.

Read as much of these as you feel like until you're comfortable with figuring out what you need to do:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=102605

[Ninong]

Is it normal for algae to appear so suddenly?

Yes.

What is my best course of acton?

It will go away on its own. At least it did in my tank. It should be all gone within two weeks. Just continue doing whatever you were doing. No need to turn off the lights or anything that drastic.

[NoSump]

Yes.




It will go away on its own. At least it did in my tank. It should be all gone within two weeks. Just continue doing whatever you were doing. No need to turn off the lights or anything that drastic.

Ninong:

Thanks, that's good news. My live rock was just beginning to sprout some purple spots - I hated to turn off the lights. I did not want to let the algae get out of control.